Summary

A Medium article that earned over $9,000 despite containing numerous errors was improved after a reader pointed out its flaws, highlighting the importance of quality content over perfect grammar.

Abstract

The author reflects on the unexpected success of a Medium article that, despite its popularity and profitability, was riddled with grammatical and punctuation errors. After a reader's comment drew attention to these issues, the author revised the article, acknowledging the value of clear communication. The piece emphasizes that while writing quality is important, the substance of the advice and the ability to engage readers with storytelling, life experiences, and practical knowledge often outweigh the need for flawless language. The author also stresses the significance of structure, marketing, and leveraging one's expertise in other areas to create compelling content that resonates with readers.

Opinions

The author initially dismissed the importance of correcting errors in the article due to its success.
Good advice and engaging content are more important than perfect grammar and vocabulary.
Writing errors are more acceptable in longer articles where some imperfections are expected.
Storytelling and life experiences can compensate for less elaborate language.
A clear structure and actionable advice are highly valued by readers.
Effective marketing, including attention-grabbing headlines and images, contributes to an article's success.
Successful writers often have expertise in areas other than writing, which enhances the appeal of their content.
Writing is seen as a medium to convey a message, not as the message itself.
The author encourages writers to focus on the quality of their content and to be confident in sharing their knowledge, even if their writing is not perfect.

The Deeply Flawed Medium Article That Made Me Over $9,000

You could do a lot more with fewer mistakes

Article: 8 Timeless Skills to Learn Now in Under 8 Hours to Change your Life Forever

Yesterday, I received a comment on the most popular article I’ve ever written on Medium. The reader thanked me for the insights she got from the article but said that she had a hard time reading it because it was full of missing words and had basic punctuation errors. Here’s the full comment:

My first reaction was to dismiss the comment. If the article made so much money and was viewed by over 750,000 people, surely it couldn’t be that bad. Oh, I was so wrong!

Look at these examples:

Some mistakes my assistant found following the reader’s comment

The article was flawed on so many levels. There were indeed tons of missing words, but also strange or incomplete sentences. It was an article I published in November 2018, and it clearly showed my lack of experience.

So, I corrected the issues. I feel a little ashamed to have let it be like that for so long, but it teaches a very important lesson: An article with good lessons and decent sentences beats a perfectly written one with mediocre advice. But please don’t read this as: “It’s okay to write poorly.” It’s not okay.

The article wasn’t all terrible. It was a long-form article, so it’s bound to have some errors here and there. But if you write a four-minute piece, it better be close to perfect.

I see so many people not write because they feel that their writing skills are not good enough. Well, if you don’t write, you don’t get better. It’s that simple. And the above piece shows that you don’t need perfect vocabulary for a piece to take off. To be a successful writer, there are plenty of other assets that can bring you there without you needing to be a word wizard. Here are a few examples:

Storytelling

If you write a good story, people will read it. My friend Michael Thompson doesn’t have a background in writing, yet he writes some of the best stories on Medium. That’s not to say that his words and sentences are bad, but they’re not the most elaborate. A good story is one you understand. Simple words trump complicated jargon.

Life Experiences

A good lesson is one you’ve lived, not one you’ve read about. If you have done things other people want to do or have gone through, they’ll read about your experience. In a way, flawed sentences are almost expected. Life experiences are a flawed journey and perfect writing almost makes it unbelievable. Say it as it is without the use of needlessly complex sentences.

Structure

A lot of people are not organized optimally. They’re looking for ways to improve based on a structure that’s already established. If you’ve figured out a great routine, how to learn a specific skill, or a clever way to manage your time and energy, share it. If the article saves a reader time or money, they’ll chew through your content.

Marketing

Another reason the above article was successful was because of marketing. The headline and featured images were created so that it would capture the attention of both humans and machines. And by making it hard to believe but still reasonable, it got the attention of people. And I chose eight skills that I knew people would want to learn and share with others. Therefore, the piece was more popular not because it was better, but because it was share-worthy.

Any Other Skill

Most successful writers I know are not writers first, they already have another profession. For example, Jun Wu is a deeply techy gal. She writes about tech stuff, and she rocks. She’s a solid writer too, but what makes her shine is the content she produces, not the words she writes. If you’re skilled at any trade and you share your lessons, readers will read what you have to say.

I think the best way to see it is this way: Writing is a medium to convey your message; it’s not the message itself. As a non-native English speaker, I find that reassuring, empowering even. It means I can be who I am without worrying so much about perfection on something I’m not perfect at (like English).

If you find yourself procrastinating when it comes to writing a new piece, think about the above lessons. Writing isn’t all about writing. Good advice is what people are looking for. You can give that to them without being the best writer in the world.

Think about what other assets you can bring to the table. Do re-read your articles and edit, but spend more time on the quality of the content. Dare to publish and reap the reward. You can do this!