The “Evergreen Industry” and Medium: On How “Making It” on Medium Means Writing About “Making It” on Medium

Or: If You Are Going to Be Taken For a Ride, At Least Be Aware of It

It is no secret that a lot of writers on Medium post a lot about writing on Medium, or rather, making money on Medium. There’s writing stuff too. That is nice. Sometimes. But I digress.

Some of them are rags to riches stories.

Some of them are sincere honest essays about not being able to believe that they have found success here.

Some of them say the same thing over and over, with a new title, at least three times a week.

And some of them usually also add in a few things about helping you — you the reader! you the writer! — make money just like them!

I hate to break it to you. But I have to break to you. There’s a thing out there. A thing that works. That sells. That is as they say “evergreen.” Meaning always growing, always providing. For that person. Or for people who do what they do.

That thing is this: when you write, blog, vlog, post, share, create a following by telling other people how to make money just like you did, this is the thing that makes you make all of that money.

As my friend Linda Caroll wrote, what sells on Medium is “meta” — and that “meta” is often attached to another meta about “making it rich.” Her story is here:

It is essentially the Multi-level Marketing mentality. Where the ones talking about how much money they make or have made, with some tweaks here and there, a new title, a moving around of words, etc. basically make that money from telling other people how to make money, which heads up: rarely actually trickles down or over or shares the wealth.

The evergreen industry exists on Medium. It exists on YouTube. It exists on Instagram. And it is probably as old as capitalism itself. Who knew that you could make tons of money telling other people how to make tons of money? Literally everyone. We all see through this. But yet, some fall for it again and again. Some harder than others.

Consider this post, this essay, just an insight to a dissident voice. An alternative approach. I mean, again, this is not a cancel culture, this is not a take down, this is not a public shaming. This is a hey, can we look at things a bit more closely and then think about them in a different way? I just want to add to the conversation in a way that might save one new writer from falling into … the trap, the cult of personality, the game, and then maybe help them feel okay focusing on writing what they want to write, what they feel compelled by talent or grace to write, what they want to put out into the world as theirs. Deep goals right? Always. I am always this. Now, back to whatever it was that I was doing, ranting about, seeking to change the world about…

How do I know about the “green industry?” Well for a while, my fiance was one of those who bought in. And boy did we have some talks.

Funnels and cryptocurrency and all of these ideas about making money when the only ones making money are those at the top who do all of the shouting and posting and screaming about how they made money and you can too! Anyone asking you to do things, sell things, think things, that are mostly either a) common sense or b) seem too good to be true is probably utilizing this mlm/evergreen industry principal to totally get your money and prey upon your own hopes and desires to make some money.

Capitalism is a creepy beast, ya’ll. I like hopes and dreams! Do you? Can we keep them? Can we sort of spare them? Can we not manipulate or use them? These are just some ideas.

Connect some dots: those telling you how to make money from a thing are the only ones making money from a thing and that thing is you.

You are the reason they are making the money because you want to read about them making money so you can make money.

You are the commodity in this — not great writing, not groundbreaking tips, not amazing insights and life changing tips on writing, or being a better writer, or embracing your craft. No dude, it is you that is the end goal: how to get you to click and clap and fall in to this sort of circle of dog eat dog life where somehow everything becomes uninspiring cliche taken for expertise and surface level mentoring?

Now it is one thing to want to help others learn to navigate a new place, especially one as full of wonder and possibility as Medium.

And it is one thing to make money and be happy about it.

But it is just a whole new level of thing to do what tends to happen too much, on Medium, online, in this society: just write the same thing over and over again under the pretense that it helps others make money or be like you — some have noted that this is a violation of the currency of hope, it is false hope, and yes, I agree with that.

However what it mostly is snake oil salesmen talk that diminishes the meaning of a place and community. Great, you make money.

But could you make that money without writing about how to make money? No because the evergreen industry mentality and this circular logic system demands and functions on the foundational idea that when you write about making money and tell others that you will show them how to make money this is what makes you that money.

Dare I even have to say it? Okay, I will. Straight up: it is exploitation, in other words.

I suppose this is not really a secret.

And in this society I don’t blame anyone for taking advantage of it. But it is just so shallow. So disappointing.

When I stumbled upon Medium I thought wow, what is this online paradise, free from so much of the “meh boring same old same old” and the “oh no why that is out there” that happens in most online spaces. But I suppose I was naive. The same things that plague us on the outside also sneak in and get under our skins here on the inside of Medium.

Why Do I Care About This Issue Too Much?

I suppose in all of this just know that I am grateful to be here, I am grateful this space exists, I am grateful for whatever good can come from it. But I do wish that it was a bit more respectful of the intention of art, writing, of creativity, of spirit. I always want things — and people! — that I love to aim higher, strive harder, do better.

And I suppose that is why when I open up Medium and see things about rags to riches, or I made this much, or here’s how to make money on Medium, and it is always the same story, by the same handful of people … it just gets me a bit down. Yes I tune it out, no I don’t read it.

But I know young writers, new writers, people with hope and passion and stars in their eyes might see this and go oh wow, this is something I need to read, — which is what feeds the system of making these people write more about how much money they make and how you can make money too.

It feels like a hamster in a wheel. Nothing new in, nothing new out. Just spinning. Snake eating tail over and over again in ways that fill our daily reads and feeds and sort of push out and press out the hopes and dreams of writers trying to find audience and community for their work and voice.

On a platform where only 7% earn over 100 a month, not everyone is going to earn that 31K a month, or that 22K per piece. And those that do well, look at what they write about 90% of the time. Look at how they might take or not take their own advice. Look at how they might be followed by over 30K people, but follow about 100 people.

I am not saying don’t aim high. I am not saying settle. I am not saying the stars are out of reach. I am saying hold up, guys. There’s some sort of imbalance there. There’s someone being taken for a ride.

And I suppose my goal as a poet, as a writer, as a teacher, as a mother, as an empath, is to make sure you are not that person. Or that well, if you are, then you know you are and can go in willingly knowing that each clap and click you give to these “I made 800k on Medium!” pieces is going straight to making that person make that 800K and — will not trickle down into your own success.

That is unless you do what many have caught on to doing — if you write about making money on medium, which creates a circle of no one really writing much about anything of actual value, I suppose.

If you are going to be taken for a ride, I suppose, in all of this, to conclude, I guess I want you to be aware of it and enjoy it, and know that it is just that, a ride. Not an elevator. Not a hand up. Not a socialist utopia where we can all share in based upon what we put in. Dude, that would be epic. And that could be possible.

But, I think we need to be real: the set up right now, is not that. It could be if we all said okay, how can we value creatives in this space, how can we get more MPP members to actually be paid Medium members, how can we get the hard working talents seen and appreciated vs. the loud voices and money hucksters?

My last two cents: “Making it” on Medium might actually take two things: and no, heads up, “good writing” is not even one of them: it is this: 1). Writing about medium, and 2). Garnishing a huge following that wants to make it on medium.

Now, making it as a writer or poet on Medium or in life might take two things, too: 1) Good writing, with something to say, value to add, and 2) Authenticity of heart and genuine community spirit.

Can we make those things the driving force of this space? In ways that create community and lift up all writers seeking to “make it” in terms of “pay rent” and “have food” — not in terms of “be rich” or “80000k?”

I hesitated to write this. I hesitated to share this. But my name is Justice right? This is not a personal attack thing, or an omg I am so jealous thing, or a cynical thing. This is a thing where I see truly talented people swept in, wanting, seeking, desiring, and being told by other people that just do x, y, z, over and over again, and this is how to make big money because I make big money, see?

My soul and my spirit do not like to see people being used, especially in online spaces that have become family to me, to many. Especially in online spaces that are the ONLY space that has a place for poets, for fiction, for deep engagement, for creatives at work, to manage to pay a few bills now and then with a few hard earned, legit earned, claps and reacts to a poem or two, a short story, a personal essay about an issue that resonates and connects.

In truth there just might be many Mediums on Medium. Separate orbits. Different realms. And maybe I could, and should stay in my lane? Poets know. Poets always know. Any talk of riches or wealth or pie in the sky is for, excuse us, excuse me, suckers. Poets are out here on the sidewalk of life, hustling, and paid in smiles and nods. We get it.

And we kind of want everyone else to get it too, and then fix it. Change it. Adjust it. Balance it out. Value the valuable. With what is valued by society for now. Value the valuable with currency that folks take for rent and wifi bills. Poets are just out here every day trying to keep the light on — spiritually, and financially.

I care because when a system exists to support creatives and creation, and this system has enough to go around, it should maybe go around a bit better.

You do not have to agree with me, but I just wanted to throw this out there into the Medium multi-verse for anyone who might need to know they are okay, they are okay, they are okay, and that we can aim for any star we wish, but we might need to really investigate first of all, if it is a star or just a glowing pile of space trash that we should work to clean up, not pin our dreams upon.

Jenny Justice is a poet mom who longs to bring poetry to life in ways that spark empathy, connection, joy, and feeling. She loves writing love poems, climate change awareness poems, poems for kids, and of course, poems about poetry and poets. You can follow her on Medium and at Jenny Justice, Writer. You can follow her poetry at Justice Poetic.

and my early attempt to sort out this problem/issue/tell this other side of the story:

which spawned a whole lot of sister-stories, spin-offs, hilarious humor, and a real nice conversation, so enjoy it, and let’s get back to creating, writing, supporting, thanking, sharing, and really growing in our craft and passions and also, helping each other change the system in ways that will allow artists and art to pay the bills a bit, right? Change comes from the ground up, right?

Also, an honest look, from an honest guy Ryan Fan, about how he made some money on Medium — I approve of his message, and his spirit on this issue:

and seriously, anything by Kitty Hannah Eden about writing and money and writing and authenticity and writing and writing is just brilliant and I am going to have to let her know I fangirl for her pretty hard over here: