Quora Superstar — Medium Failure

Trying to figure out why

I’m sure I’m not alone in this experience. But the extremes are such that I simply have to make note of my major success on one platform — and my dismal failure on the other. With Quora, I became a superstar overnight. On Medium? Tumbleweed rolling through an abandoned town in the Old West. Here’s my story:

I first found Quora the day I was designated to spend 2019 at MCC federal prison in New York City. Googleing the prison, I found the answers I needed on — and discovered a site called — Quora. And after my yearlong vacation, I returned to Quora, set up an account, and began answering questions about prison.

With no knowledge of how to navigate the site or plan other than answering a bunch of questions about incarceration, I managed to garner 6 million views within a couple of months.

Fifty and one hundred thousand view days were commonplace. Right now, I have two answers with a half million views each.

Reading through material about how to get a million views on Quora — like it wasn’t as simple as just answering questions every day — I came to realize how blessed I was.

But guess what! All those views got me nothing. Not a cent. Not one groupie. And no book deal (which is what I was hoping Quora might get me). What was the point, beyond my writing prolifically and finding blogging subjects via the questions I was answering?

Then one day while reading someone else’s answer, I followed a link to Medium. With a little research, I realized that writing on Medium pays! It seemed like the logical next move. So I posted three of my best pieces — all formatted incorrectly because presumptuous Quora superstar that I was, I figured all I had to do was upload some superior material and the millions of views and money would come rolling in.

Guess again! Tumbleweed. Worse. Not one of the three got curated! Two weeks later, I was still at fewer than 100 views for all three stories combined. I offer one of the losers right here for reference:

So I gave up — only to return 6 months later with a concerted effort to conquer the platform. And it’s been a rough road. After reading that only 9% of writers earn $100 or more per month on the platform, I set that as my first goal. En route to becoming a one percenter, I figured a nine percenter was a reasonable achievement. Not that easy as it turns out!

I went to my old escort blog archive (the one I got imprisoned for and made big money with over time via sidebar advertising revenue) and began culling through the material to find the best entries. I edited them down and posted. I researched constantly on the secrets of how to gain a significant readership on Medium. I linked up with Twitter, Facebook, and Linkedin. I joined several Facebook groups. I left numerous comments on and clapped for other writers’ articles.

In the past month, I have posted 60 articles on Medium. I’ve been published in 4 different Medium publications. Still, I’ve been accepted in zero topics. My top earning story has not reached $10 yet. I have only one entry that has risen to 300 views. And my daily views are at about 130. If I make $3 in a day, I consider that a victory. So why have I failed so miserably?

What I now realize from writing on Medium is that not only does half the world want to become a rock star…but the other half wants to become a renowned writer.

I didn’t realize how many people entertain the fantasy of writing a best-selling book until I was introduced to Medium.

The supply and demand on Medium is such that it’s extremely difficult to rise above the masses because there are so many aspiring writers in the world. It’s kind of like You Tube in that way. Thousands of articles are uploaded every day! And there are just so many subscribing readers that only those writers extremely savvy in social media promotion — or incredibly good at our craft (and that can be subjective) — stand out.

Another issue I face on Medium is the kind of writer I am and the subject matter about which I write. I notice on my stats page that prison stories Quorans flocked to have 10 or 15% read-through on Medium. Female-oriented sex stuff the likes of “Savannah the Peg Queen,” and “Her First Orgasm” are my relative hits.

I offer a big loser about prison life and issues here as an example:

And here’s one of the female-oriented winners with a 90% read-through:

My last problem stems from chronology and relative unfamiliarity with social media. I’m old and set in my ways. I mean…I used to write on a Smith Corona typewriter! That should say it all right there.

A final thought: I notice something on Medium which speaks volumes to me. And that’s the preponderance of articles teaching Medium wannabes how to navigate the platform. I want to know this: If a writer is so successful on the site, why is he or she spending an inordinate amount of time teaching other people to succeed rather than writing about subjects which will no doubt keep the views and money rolling in?

All that makes Medium look like a con job for suckers. Still, I don’t think it is. For me, it’s a project which is filling my life with activity and creativity. What’s important is that I stay focused and occupied in my retirement. How much money I make on the platform and how many views I get is almost secondary. So I continue on my intrepid path. I don’t expect to become a Medium star to near the magnitude I was on Quora. But staying the course will bring its rewards, I’m confident. That or another more attractive project will come my way and I’ll move on. Only time will tell.