Squeezing Pennies Out Of Poems Is Like Drawing Blood From A Stone

Summary

A poet reflects on the financial challenges of being a writer on Medium, contrasting the low earnings from poetry with the lucrative but insincere tactics used by some to monetize their writing.

Abstract

The article discusses the poet's experience with the Medium Partner Program, where despite a high volume of quality work, the financial return is minimal. The author humorously laments making only 19 cents in the first week, despite a prolific output of poems and prose. The piece contrasts the authenticity of poetry with the commercial success achieved by writers who adopt a clickbait style, promising easy wealth and success through Medium writing. The author critiques the prevalence of such content on the platform, suggesting it exploits readers' desires for quick financial gains, and questions the authenticity of such claims given that most writers earn very little. The article ends with a call to action for poets to support each other and a recommendation to read Voltaire's "Candide" for its critique of unfounded optimism.

Opinions

The author believes that poetry, despite its depth and quality, is undervalued on Medium, as evidenced by their meager earnings of 19 cents for a week's work.
There is a clear skepticism towards the 'get rich quick' style articles that dominate Medium, which the author likens to selling 'deep fried optimism.'
The author implies that the majority of Medium writers earn very little, contrary to the claims of high earnings made by a vocal minority.
The article suggests that Medium's content ecosystem incentivizes writers to produce sensationalist, clickbait content rather than genuine, high-quality writing.
There is a sense of frustration with the platform's economics, which seem to favor quantity and the promise of easy money over the craft of writing.
The author proposes a supportive network among poets as a form of resistance to the current state of writing for platforms like Medium.
The author recommends Voltaire's "Candide" as a relevant read, drawing a parallel between its themes of unfounded optimism and the empty promises found in much of Medium's popular content.

Squeezing Pennies Out Of Poems Is Like Drawing Blood From A Stone

“How Candide chanced upon his old philosophy tutor, Dr Pangloss, and what came of it.” — Voltaire (Candide)

The old joke about poets still holds true: we don’t make money. Show me a poet who flies business class and I will show you a liar. After my first full week of being on the Medium Partner Program, despite prolific output (16 poems, 2 prose pieces), I have made a grand total of 19 cents. That’s not a typo. Nineteen spectacular cents. Here is my breakdown below:

Earnings For My First Week On Medium Partner Program

Because nine cents plus five cents plus three cents plus two cents equals NINETEEN CENTS. (I’m one of those rare poets who is also good at math, like Edgar Allen Poe). Now, you might think, well that’s because your poems suck and nobody wants to read them. The opposite is true. Most of my poems are with Medium publications and getting visited, “viewed” (I’m beginning to hate that word), read, clapped at, followed, stalked. And I expect nothing less, as I’ve been organically sharpening my craft for over a couple of decades now. So incompetence is not the reason for this great Good Friday joke of 19 cents. (I’ll bet you Jesus had more in his pocket when they put him on the cross.)

The real reason I am wading in the mud of nineteen humiliating cents is that my genre is poetry. Quick one minute poems, with depth, feeling, vision, power, that Medium appears to view as cheap clicks. If I really want to make some money, I have to start behaving like the thousands of Dr Panglosses (remember, Voltaire) on Medium, those slick shiny hustlers selling deep fried optimism like it’s KFC.

“Pangloss taught metaphysico-theologico-cosmo-codology. He could prove wonderfully that there is no effect without cause and that, in this best of all possible worlds, His Lordship the Baron’s castle was the most beautiful of castles and Madam the best of all possible baronessess.” — Voltaire (Candide)

In other words, I have to start writing like this: ‘HERE’S HOW I STARTED MAKING $40,000 PER MONTH WHILE WRITING FOR MEDIUM. YOU CAN DO IT TOO! FOLLOW THESE 10 EASY STEPS.’

I mean, who DOESN’T want to click on a title like that? Is there anyone, especially any poet, who couldn’t use an ‘easy’ $40,000 per month? If there is, then I’m guessing either you’ve got an inheritance, or you just LOVE your stressful nine-to-five job.

So, is this their secret? Exploiting your fatigue, exploiting your depression about the fact quality writing is laughed out of the market place, exploiting your wanting to believe such lunacy of effortlessly raking in $40k plus among the elite 5%?

My conclusion is, YES, this is their secret. Think about it. Do the math: why is 90% of my Medium feed about ‘top ten tips, top twenty tips, top thirty forty fifty tips on how to make big money while blogging and writing for Medium? I mean if over 90% of Medium writers make less than $100 dollars per month (a wage you can go die in an alley on), why are 90% of people declaring they have bucked this trend and are eager to hand you the keys to this holy miracle? I’m guessing it’s the same reason we eat what is unhealthy for us. It tastes good. We love to be lied to.

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I’ll finish with this: If you are a poet and you are reading this, let’s cut each other a deal. If we like each other’s poetry, let’s support each other and spread the word to other similar poets. We have been the brunt of the world’s joke for too many centuries.

And if you haven’t read Voltaire’s Candide, I highly recommend it. It’s one of the fiercest and funniest attacks on ungrounded optimism you will ever read. Take it as a challenge.

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