The Secret of Making Money on Medium
The ridiculous taboo surrounding the discussion of monetization.
Making money isn’t a bad thing at all — it allows for a lot more freedom.
— Robin S. Sharma
We have successfully romanticized the concept of the starving artist that making art for profit is considered taboo. Hence, the prevailing notion that exists in many Medium groups is that writers shouldn’t write for money. They often proclaim that we should do it for the sake of the craft and not for monetary gain, failing to recognize that these are not necessarily mutually exclusive.
The conventional response you receive from these groups is to pursue passion instead of worrying about the money. While the statement holds some truth, I believe that it silences the population who are objectively in it to supplement their income.
Others have even proudly announced that they only do it to become better writers as if to imply that wanting to make money from writing will somehow make you a bad writer.
So I’m going to level with you. I want to become a good writer while also wanting to make money from it. I believe I can develop my skills without dismissing the fact that I want to generate a secondary income from writing.
Medium has made profitable blogging possible and accessible. Why would you shy away from the topic of monetization?
You can have fun writing, and make money too.
People seem to be under the assumption that if you care about earning money on Medium, you are sacrificing the ideals and principles of writing. The concept of wanting to make money from it is so unfathomable that it is only fair to subject writers to a penniless life.
I don’t think that wanting to make money from writing takes the joy out of it. I would even go so far as to say that making money from writing makes it even more enjoyable.
I was so excited when I made my first dollar that I immediately started working on getting another one. It eventually became a routine. I started setting goals for every article that I made that it became one of my biggest motivations to keep writing.
I also don’t think it makes you a bad writer if you are honest about wanting to make a living off of your writing. I think it’s only smart — to be able to do something you’re passionate about while at the same time earning a living out of it. Shouldn’t we strive to enjoy what we’re doing with our lives?
Why do we shame the people who are looking to earn money? Why can’t we celebrate their successes?
We add value to other people’s lives through our writing, while at the same time adding value to our lives by the money we earn from it. I believe that in itself is a worthwhile endeavor.
Being open about your intentions allows for a better dialogue.
When you are honest with yourself, people will also be honest with you. I always aim to be honest about what I write, and I expect that people will give me the same courtesy.
This means accepting constructive criticisms from others. If you are serious about wanting to make money from writing, you should also exhaust all means to grow.
I have always been eager to discuss the technicalities of blogging on Medium. As a newbie on the platform, it is only right for me to learn it as much as I can.
However, we always learn better with each other, so as a community, we must raise the types of conversation that will advance us as writers: What time of the day yields the best results for article exposure? Which formatting style works best for curation? How many times a week should you publish?
Let’s stop writing off these questions by responding with the rehearsed line: “It doesn’t matter because all you need is passion and perseverance.”
Opening dialogues like these will not only help you present yourself better on Medium, but it will also gradually improve your quality of writing.
It won’t become a nuisance to your goals as a writer.
It is unfair when people claim that caring about money will only hinder you from writing.
Information is ammo. Concerning yourself with the results of your published articles will help you find your voice as a writer. Being able to know which ones have done well, and which ones haven’t will push you to fine-tune your work in the future.
Knowing what works for your audience will also be beneficial for you, so take advantage of the availability of your stats. There is merit in data-gathering. You will be able to analyze your audience’s retention rate, and accordingly apply your findings when you make your next article.
At the end of the day, you’re the only one who knows what is important to you, so trust in yourself. Don’t let other people try to dictate what a good writer is, or how a good writer should act. Whether you’re pursuing it for passion, monetary gain, or both, just be the type of writer you want to be. Be genuine. There is no right or wrong way.
We’re all trying to figure it out anyway, so why can’t we just be nice to each other?
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