The Three Types of Writers on Medium
Life can be easier when you decide which one you are going to be.
Each writer has their reason for writing on Medium. It’s that reason that determines the course of their journey.
My Medium journey, which is still in its early stages, has had some ups and downs and lacks planning. I thought I knew what I wanted from Medium, but it turns out I wasn’t sure, and I didn’t plan as thoroughly as I should have.
After some careful thought, I figured out what works best for me and where my Medium journey will take me. I’ve been able to do that by determining that there are primarily three types of writers on Medium.
By choosing the type of writer that I want to be and sticking with it, my life on Medium will be a lot less stressful than it has been previously. Now, I follow the path specific to that type of writer and stay on course. I now have direction and a plan.
The types of writers on Medium can all be categorized based on their interest in making money from their Medium stories. They can be roughly categorized into these three types of writers.
The first type of writer is what I call the purist. This writer cares only about writing. They care nothing about earning money from their stories through the Partner Program or otherwise. They want to write. They write about whatever they want. They write as frequently as they wish. This writer is entirely in control of the execution of their craft. Writing is strictly a form of expression for them.
When you are a purist, you can do whatever you want because money doesn’t matter. Your writing has no constraints other than to stay within the boundaries of the Medium rules. Whether readers love or hate your work doesn’t matter because you don’t care about making money from your writing. You want to write and express yourself.
The second type of writer on Medium is what I call the business writer. This person views writing as their business which can involve making money not just by writing on Medium, but also with coaching, teaching, newsletters, anything they can use to bring in money with their Medium writing. The success of their business is crucial. The business writer is writing all the time, not just when they feel like it.
This writer’s primary goal is to be successful by using their Medium writing as a business, and they do whatever they have to, within reason, for that to happen. If that means writing listicles about productivity for the rest of their lives, so be it. They are highly disciplined and will sacrifice when needed to bring in the money, using Medium as their tool.
The third type of Medium writer is the hybrid. This writer is a mixture of the purist and the business writer.
The hybrid writer wants to earn money from writing on Medium but isn’t willing to sacrifice by writing about topics that don’t interest them. The hybrid writer wants to write about what they want to write about and understands that by doing so, they may have to sacrifice some of their earning potential if they are prone to writing stories that aren’t very popular with Medium readers.
These writers write regularly, but rarely as frequently as the business writer. On occasion, the hybrid will write something that they don’t care for, to score big with readers and appease the algorithm gods, but their hearts aren’t in it.
They are the Medium writers’ realists; they would love to make money from their Medium writing, but they aren’t sure that will ever happen. And if it does happen, they don’t count on it to continue. They don’t believe in putting all of their eggs in the Medium basket. They do their best to build an email list and branch out, knowing that Medium may not always be a part of their lives, but for now, it’s a good part.
Not everyone fits perfectly into these three categories. I seem to fit best into the hybrid category. I have found that figuring out where I fit in the Medium picture helps me stay in my lane on my Medium journey.
I know what I’m about. I’m never going to be a purist, despite the respect I have for them. And I’m never going to be a business writer, despite the desire I have for money. I am what I am. Despite the grass always looking greener on the other side of the Medium fence, no one type of writer is better than the other. There is room for everyone on Medium. That’s what makes Medium the great platform that it is. All are welcome.
Linda Kowalchek is a work in progress and a member of the typewriter generation. She spends her time with her husband and her rescue cats waiting for golf balls to crash through their windows. PSA: Don’t live next to a golf course.