The Five Stages All Writers May Go Through In Their Medium Journey

Which phase are you in now?

I’ve noticed five phases Medium writers go through on their writing journey. I’m still in the third or, perhaps, the fourth stage, but I see the stages ahead.

Some writers like to chart their own writing journeys on Medium (so this article might not apply to you as much as it does to other writers), and many writers drop off like flies along the way to not make it through all five stages.

However, for those who are willing to persevere on Medium, there are five distinct stages writers can pass through if they continue writing on Medium.

Here are the five stages you may find yourself going through:

Stage one: Uninformed optimism

When I stumbled upon Medium in October 2021, it felt like I’d fallen into the Land of Oz in my first week. I was overwhelmed by all the stories on Medium. It was fun to write and to read stories and to fall into this YouTube for writers.

I can recall that feeling I had of uninformed optimism in my first month as my Follower count grew. I was eager to join the Partner Program to see how much money I could earn from doing something that I absolutely love doing.

Everything about the platform, from the prospect of writing whatever you want to earning money for your stories, was fascinating and exciting. This first phase of a writer’s journey is like the honeymoon stage in a relationship.

It’s a carefree and blissful time where writers have fun writing, exploring the platform and getting to know other writers. You find you have chemistry with some writers and publications and scramble to reach the 100 Follower mark.

For most writers, the honeymoon stage lasts about three months. Usually, it ends in the second phase, informed pessimism, when the bubble pops, and you realize the amount of money you make doesn’t equate with your labor.

Informed Pessimism

Stage two is similar to the end of the honeymoon stage in a relationship. You begin to realize Medium isn’t so perfect, you see its imperfections, and your optimism is replaced by the reality of the coffee money you earn for stories.

You might start to feel irritated by aspects of Medium or notice things about the platform that you hadn’t seen in the past. You might become frustrated more and have less fun because you got 10 reads and earned $.31 on a story.

Questioning if you should continue on Medium is normal during this phase. This is an important step in a writer’s journey. You are adjusting to a realistic view of Medium and settling in for the long haul as the honeymoon wanes.

Writers reach this stage at different points in their journey. But you will know if you’ve gone through this stage because your eyes are opened to the effort it takes to gain readers to your stories and you learn a side hustle isn't that easy.

This stage typically occurs between the 150 and 400 follower range. One piece of knowledge a writer picks up in this stage if they didn’t learn it already is success on Medium comes from building a two-way relationship with writers.

This stage is when many writers begin to hit the wall because they realize the challenge of writing stories and simultaneously reading other writers’ stories in their little spare time from work, family, and the other parts of their life.

Valley of the Shadow of Death

But those writers who successfully adjust to the realities of Medium forge ahead to the third stage, the Valley of the Shadow of Death. This is the stage where more writers give up because they lost most of their initial optimism.

The relationship analogy fits for this stage as well. Frustrated with Medium, writers break up with writing for something else. The irony is, they start at the uninformed optimism stage with whatever new endeavor replaces Medium.

It’s like an addict replacing one addiction with a different addiction. Some people can spend decades of their lives switching from one creative endeavor to another, quitting each when they reach the Valley of the Shadow of Death.

This is the stage I’m in with 810 followers in my fifth month on Medium. The thought that popped into my head this morning on a walk was Psalm 23:

“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.”

David, Psalm 23

The thing I try to remember in the valley of the shadow of death is it’s not the Valley of Death — it’s the valley of the shadow of death and I’m not alone.

The Valley of the Shadow of Death occurs when writers have between 450 and 1000 followers, and like all the stages writers pass through on Medium, you just have to not lose heart when you lose heart going through this valley.

Informed Optimism

The fourth stage of a writer’s journey on Medium is informed optimism. This is where you begin to realize you know what you’re doing, and you possess the skills and knowledge to keep pressing forward in your writing journey.

Writers in this stage have decided to play the long game. They accept the challenges of earning money on Medium, and they have committed to keep writing with renewed optimism and a clearer sense of their writing purpose.

The optimism of writers in this stage comes out of their experience. They have branded themselves in some way to stand out from other writers, in addition to publishing most every day to become a part of their reader’s daily reading.

Writers in this stage have hopefully made it into the $100 a month club, the top 10% of writers on Medium, and continue to increase their earnings each month by putting their heads down and learning to knock out stories faster.

Writers reach this stage at different times. But it is usually somewhere between the 750 and 2000 Follower mark, and the main characteristic of writers in this phase is they realize they need to commit to a long journey.

Accomplishing the Dream

The final stage writers go through on Medium is accomplishing the dream. This may look different for each writer. Some writers aspire to earn most of their income as content creators and live out their dream as full-time writers.

Some may desire to be digital nomads, making enough money from Medium and other pursuits to leave the 9 to 5 world and be free to travel. Others may view Medium as a side hustle and simply enjoy the interaction on Medium.

Whatever stage you find yourself in now, the key is to see the positive side of writing on Medium. Writing on Medium is like a marriage. It works when you have a positive attitude, and nothing can kill your experience like negativity.

So, whatever stage you are passing through, try to see the glass is half full, and do what I try to do: Put my head down and try to stay in a creative flow, oblivious the bottom of the coffee put is burning with your headphones on.

I’d love to hear what stage you are in on your Medium journey.

Thanks for reading my story.

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Or check out my YouTube video on Ten Great Medium publications.