avatarAngelica Mendez

Understood.

Summary

The author shares their experience and lessons learned from trying to make money writing online.

Abstract

The author, an amateur writer, shares their experience of trying to make money writing online, specifically on Medium. They discuss their initial expectations, the reality of their journey, and the lessons they've learned. The author admits that they have made money, but not a significant amount. They also mention that they have yet to focus on a specific niche, which has affected their growth and virality. The author encourages aspiring writers to expect the unexpected, enjoy the journey, and not quit, even when the path is unclear.

Opinions

  • The author believes that it takes time and unexpected turns to find one's writing style and niche.
  • The author feels that it's essential to enjoy the writing journey and not focus solely on the destination.
  • The author thinks that one should not

The Truth of Trying to Make Money Writing Online.

Here's what to actually expect.

It's a voluntary struggle that sometimes has you questioning your entire existence.

Photo by Jonas Leupe on Unsplash

There's nothing braver than putting yourself and your work out in the world for strangers and acquaintances to see and criticize.

Fortunately, I had a very warm welcome when I published my first blog on Medium.

Unfortunately, the continued growth and virality I had hoped for didn't happen. Partially, that's due to my inconsistency when I started publishing and those initial blogs being poorly written.

The other part is I've not hunkered down on one specific niche.

I write about self-development, dating, and relationships, and I occasionally dabble in health and wellness, personal finance, and making money online. I have experience in every single one of these fields.

Now, the big question — have I made money writing on Medium? The simple answer is yes.

The second part of this question that I'm sure many wonder — have I made a decent amount? Nowhere close. The most I've made in a single month on this platform is $25 (I live in New York. $25 won’t even fill my gas tank).

Have I made money these past few months that I've published consistently? More or less.

Some months, my blogs get a decent amount of views, and there's an occasional spike where I get hundreds of views, which tends to translate to more money. But most of the time, my views are in the tens and twenties.

Regardless, I'm grateful to be part of this platform and have access to successful writers and the strategies they share.

Thanks to them sharing their journey, I'm finding the courage to continue mine.

With that said, as inspiring as their 'I've made it' stories can be, I also know we need encouragement from someone at the start of their writing journey.

So here I am, sharing with you the biggest lessons I've learned about trying to make money online as an amateur writer.

It NEVER goes as planned.

When I first hit the publish button over two years ago, I thought I would go viral and my life would change.

The latter did happen; my life has changed significantly since that time (and so has my writing), but the virality and showers of bills didn't happen. Not yet, anyway.

As I mentioned before, I have yet to niche down and focus on one specific topic.

I have a hard time doing that because I base my writing on life experiences, and I don't experience just one thing every day.

My plans have definitely changed, and they will keep changing and evolving (like my writing), and that takes time and, sometimes, an unexpected turn here and there.

I know I'm on my way to becoming the writer I wish to be.

What that journey will look like? I have no clue.

So, if you're aspiring to become a writer, expect nothing.

Better yet, expect the unexpected. Enjoy the journey because that's where you find joy, contentment, inspiration, motivation, etc.

More importantly, don't quit.

Some days, it's tough to move forward without a clear picture or idea of what's ahead, but it's better to continue blindly than stop altogether.

Otherwise, you'll never find out what you're truly capable of.

You will try a bunch of stuff before you find what you like AND what works.

It's been over two years, and I'm still trying.

Some of my best-performing blogs are about dating and relationships. I also like to write about my personal development journey and share what I've learned.

I get inspired to write when I think of someone who may be where I was a few years ago.

I remember being unsatisfied with my life and not doing much to move myself forward. I was unhappy with my body, my hair, my skin, and my overall image.

I chose to seek professional help, and the rest is history — this was the start of my journey and what inspired me to write.

I've found the topics I like, but I'm still figuring out what works best.

And that, like anything else in life, will require time.

This leads to my next point.

It will definitely take longer than you initially anticipated.

Many of us hop on the entrepreneur bandwagon, thinking it will be a bullet train to financial freedom.

I won't lie. I was inspired to write for the possibility of making a lot of money, too.

But in this journey, I've learned you're only given more when you're ready to handle more.

I've been writing on this platform for over two years. It was only earlier this year that I became consistent and gave myself a minimum number of blogs to publish monthly, and I followed through with it.

Did I get the results I was expecting? Yes and no.

I have amassed the majority of my followers this year. I'm consistently getting 10 to 15 new followers monthly, which motivates me to keep going because it means people are resonating and connecting with my writing.

Have I made more money? Yes and no.

The latest changes to the algorithm have affected this. I'm still determining if the change is positive or negative, mainly because I have a small following, and the results of these changes are not noticeable.

But this offers me an opportunity to learn and leverage these changes, hopefully to my advantage.

So far, I believe I’m headed in the right direction.

How long will it take for me to have a large following? Not sure.

But I will get there if I keep writing.

The journey is not roses and rainbows.

You will not, I repeat, you will not wake up every day inspired and motivated to write.

There will be days when you question if what you’re doing is worth it or if it even matters.

Some days, you will struggle to come up with ideas and will feel defeated because you can't seem to come up with anything good. Or at least ideas that inspire you to keep writing.

Those days divide the people who will make it as a writer and those who won't.

Those who push past the challenges and obstacles and figure out a way to keep going will be the ones to reap the benefits.

I'm seeing small results from my commitment to publishing consistently every month this year.

I've amassed over 100 followers this year alone.

Don't let the valleys of this journey discourage you. In those moments, you'll learn valuable lessons that will slowly but surely transform you into the writer you wish to be.

The best advice I can give you is to take the pressure off, enjoy the journey and its unexpected stops, and use that as inspiration for your writing.

I hope this helps you on your writing journey!

Make Money Online
Make Money Writing
Entrepreneurship
Money
Writing
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