Shut Up About How Much Money You Make on Medium

This is for the writers here that brag or complain about their earnings

You see these headlines here all the time: “I made $$$$ on Medium in my first month!” or some variation of that.

Good for you for making some money. But there are some issues I have with these types of articles.

First off, who are you writing these articles for? Other Medium writers? The company itself?

The average reader coming here for a good story doesn’t give a shit how much you made writing them. They’re looking for good content, not a financial report.

Besides, much of the “advice” I see in these stories is about writing “consistently” to boost earnings. Like, duh. There’s no magic formula that will work for everyone here. You need to actually write stuff that people want to read, that has some kind of value. It’s not just about volume.

Disclosing income wouldn’t fly in another work environment

Think of all of us Medium writers in an office together. Because we’re essentially all freelancers working for the same “boss” — Medium. Now, imagine we’re in this virtual office, chatting with our colleagues.

“I made $700 by writing about celebrities last month! How about you, Tom?”

“Well, I only made $350 writing about writing as a side hustle. And I wrote more than you did. That doesn’t seem fair! I’m going to write about how disappointed I am about it. That should force the company to pay me more.”

In any other type of job, this would be frowned upon. Imagine telling Sally in HR that you make more per hour than her by doing less. You’d get a call from your manager within five minutes, reprimanding you for disclosing sensitive information. Meanwhile, Sally would go straight to her boss and complain about getting short-changed compared to your department.

How do I know this? I once stupidly told a blabbermouth colleague in a retail job about my hourly earnings. She flipped out and told our boss, using it as leverage to get a raise (which she was denied.) He was furious with me, and almost dismissed me over it.

The reason I made more than the other person is because I worked my ass off for the company for years. I had been in management, and then I got wooed back after I left. I deserved the wage I was receiving based on my experience and sales record.

The other employee, the one who took my silly disclosure straight to management, was a troublemaker who loved to stir up shit. She would routinely have chats with her visiting friends while the store was overflowing with customers, leaving me (or some other poor sucker) to deal with the long line-up at the cash. She was a know-it-all who thought she deserved a raise for just being there.

Complaining about your earnings will not increase them

I see the same sort of tone in the “my earnings are down!” articles here on Medium. It comes off as entitled — like, as if just writing here means you should make as much as others who have put in the time and effort. Those who have found their audience, and knows what they want to read. I can almost guarantee it’s not complaints about how Medium’s algorithms are suppressing your views and/or earnings.

Have you ever walked into a store/restaurant and listened to the staff complain about their wages? I have. It’s not a reassuring feeling. It shows people that they don’t give two shits about the customers’ experience, only their own. The same goes for here — except readers are your customers.

And before you jump on me saying, “this article is just like the ones you’re complaining about!” I just want to say in response:

• No, it’s not. I’m not disclosing my earnings/views in a flow chart.

• I’m giving writers some decent advice. That is — keep your earnings to yourself. Focus on creating good content instead.

This article is ultimately telling Medium writers of all experience levels — including big names that complain about not getting enough attention — to focus more on their readers.

Making money shouldn’t be the driving force behind why you write. It should be a welcome side effect of loving to write. Your focus should be producing content that others can enjoy, and draw from.

Give your readers what they really want

Don’t waste readers’ time with your whining about not making as much as you expected here. Work harder. Focus. Or leave, but don’t make a huge announcement about it.

I have been a professional writer for close to 20 years, writing for a wide variety of publications both in print and online. I have worked as a reporter in a newsroom, and as part of an in-house creative team. Yet, I do not make nearly as much as some of the others here with less experience, and I know that because they keep telling me.

That’s not a complaint, it’s just a fact. I will remain here, as I enjoy writing. It keeps me sharp between client work. I’m not going to leave in a huff.

If your only purpose for writing is to get rich or gain popularity, good for you. Good luck. But we don’t need to hear about it. There’s a reason your paystubs are sealed — they’re only for you.