The Medium Quick Reference Guide®
The Role of a Book’s Introduction
The Introduction serves as a roadmap to let the reader know the author’s intended journey.
When starting a new writing project, I like to write the book’s Introduction first. It clarifies for me where I want to take the reader, what topics I plan on covering, and a general direction on how I plan on getting there.
When the manuscript is complete, I review the Introduction to see if I took the reader on the journey I had planned. Did I cover all the topics I promised? Is there a logical progression as the subjects are introduced? Is there a good transition between chapters? Does the reader end up where I thought they would? Was the journey a success?
Here’s the book’s Introduction:
Introduction
I thought writing at Medium would be a breeze. After all, I’ve been tapping out content on keyboards since 1995. I’ve had my byline in newspapers and magazines, penned features and written product reviews, blogged for some of the best-known business and technology websites, and have 19 books to my credit, with one being a best-seller. For several years, I’ve been freelance writing for marketing agencies at Upwork.
Writing stories at Medium, making money, no problem, wrong.
Jumping on the platform, I told myself, I can figure this out. How hard can it be to get my bearings to find the commands and settings I need, write stories, gain a following, and start earning money?
Wrong again.
If experienced writers are having issues getting up to speed on Medium, I wondered about newcomers; perhaps it’s time for a quick reference guide to help fellow writers navigate this site. Hence, the birth of The Medium Quick Reference Guide.
Think of this handy guidebook as cheat sheets or breakdown summaries of training materials that allow a reader to grasp concepts quickly and use that knowledge to get started with the least effort in the shortest time.
The Medium Quick Reference Guide helps new users write great stories, gain their first 100 followers, and earn money. This guide also serves experienced writers who know their craft well and want to use Medium to expand their audience, float a new manuscript idea, write because they love to write, or generate income.
Medium’s features and tools are not difficult to locate in The Medium Quick Reference Guide. We’ve added Appendix A, where you can quickly find the necessary tools.
The first part of The Medium Quick Reference Guide takes on a geo-referenced format. First, you’ll learn the layout of the different page layouts and what commands are where and do what. Next, we’ll explain why most of us at Medium write great stories, build a following, and earn money.
If you’re like me, when I buy a new book, I jump to the section that answers my question, then I return and read the remainder of the book once I’ve solved my problem. You’re welcome to start from the beginning or do the same. If you’re new to Medium and looking to acquire your first 100 followers, read Chapter 14: Gaining Your First 100 Followers. If joining Medium’s Partner Program is on your Things To Do list, Chapter 16: Earning Money on Medium is where you want to be.
So, if you are a new writer, don’t worry; you can learn a lot about writing by reading the posts by some of the most talented writers on Medium. And if you’re a seasoned veteran, you enjoy getting to know the Medium community and having the opportunity to publish your best stuff and earn money.
I do need to mention a few disclaimers.
If your goal in reading The Medium Quick Reference Guide is to learn how to write and become the next Hemingway, you’re in for quite a disappointment. This guide does not cover proper grammar usage or sentence structure. It also does not talk about troubleshooting, account problems, or billing issues, nor does it take you into the weeds about Medium’s minutia.
One last mention, The Medium Quick Reference Guide does not include over-used phrases such as “pivot,” “disrupt, “seamless,” “new norm,” “circle back,” “synergy,” “low hanging fruit,” “paradigm shift,” “thinking outside the box,” “deep dive,” or “thought leader.” If I read these one more time, I will set my hair on fire.
If you need to message me, I’m here:
Write On!
This Introduction acts as a good template example when creating your own. Good writing.
The book chapters are hyperlinked for easy access. Click on the title that interests you most.
Table of Contents, Foreword, Introduction, 1: What is Medium, 2: Navigating Your Homepage, 3: Getting to Know Your Homepage, 4: Exploring the Profile Picture Drop-down, 5: Searching for Stories from Your Homepage, 6: Navigating Your Story Homepage, 7: Writing/Editing Great Stories, 8: Jazzing Your Stories with Images & Embeds (Sf), 9: Publishing Great Stories (Sf), 10: Managing Your Stories (Sf), 11: Tunning Your Account Settings & Preferences (Sf), 12: Getting More Email Subscribers (Sf), 13: Using the Help Center to Get Answers (Sf), 14: Gaining Your First 100 Followers (Sf), 15: Building a Following with Publications (Sf), 16: Earning Money at Medium (Sf), 17: Continuing to Gain Followers (Sf), 18: Boosting Your Brand with a Newsletter (Sf), Appendix A: Locate Commands Fast, Appendix B: Top70 Most Popular Topics, Appendix C: Top 50 Medium Publications, Appendix D: Keyboard Shortcuts, Glossary.
You might check my recent interview conducted by Dr Mehmet Yildiz, chief editor of Illumination Integrated Publications, on Medium, introducing me and my book to the writing and reading community.
