This Newbie’s Laws of Medium

With apologies to Sir Isaac Newton

Hello out there, big Medium world. I’m a newbie here. Still learning to write efficiently and figuring out how the platform works. In a few weeks of intensive reading and less intensive writing, I’ve learned enough to create my Rules of Medium. If you’re new here, or thinking of getting started, perhaps they will help you too.

Perhaps I flatter myself that I am not your usual newbie writer. A woman of a certain age, I have diverse interests and experiences — what used to be called a rich life.

I spent my entire career being paid to think. I can’t help it; I naturally create structure. My LinkedIn tagline is ‘Bringing Order to Chaos with Humor and a Dose of Chocolate.’ Really, you can check it out.

In pursuit of order for the chaos of my new writing efforts, I hunted through as much advice as I could find. Like Newton’s Three Laws of Motion, a few basic laws explain most of the platform, good and bad.

The Law of Visibility

A writer with no views gets no new views. When no one knows that you are writing, they won’t read you. If they don’t read you, they won’t comment, clap, or share your writing, and your audience remains small. Medium, like most searches these days, show readers more of what they already like, and what is already popular. That’s why I searched for ‘Gluten Free’ and Medium showed me posts going back to 2016 and beyond, but not my own post on how to survive switching to a gluten free diet. Even though it was recommended as a Lifestyle read. On the plus side, that message was one of the highlights of my week!

To overcome the law, the tipsters recommend that you 1) follow other writers in your niche — up to 100 per day 2) Apply to write for publications in your niche 3) be more active in general.

Does it work? Too early to tell. I have applied to write for several publications. My first story published in Crow’s Feet is now getting more internal than external views — which means new people are finding me. I consider that good news.

I try to clap for at least 5 and comment on at least 3 articles every day, and to add at least 5–10 follows a day. Adding 100 follows each day feels like spam to me. How do I know that I want to follow you without checking out what you have to say? I don’t have time to do that for more than about 10 people a day.

I hope the law’s converse is also true, that once you become visible, you stay visible with less heavy lifting, assuming you continue to write interesting material. Stay tuned, or better yet, follow me, and we can find out together.

The Law of Opposing Advice

Newton teaches us that every action has an equal and opposite reaction. Most of the writing advice you see on Medium follows this law too. Every piece of advice is counterbalanced by opposite advice. Examples:

Find a niche and stick to it. Or write about whatever is important to you at that moment. Or Don’t worry about your niche. Or write according to trending keywords.

Write for your audience. Or write for yourself, from your heart, and your audience will find you.

Post at least once a day. Or post only when you have something meaningful to say.

Post as little as 300 words. Or don’t post less than a 5-minute read (about 750 words).

Edit your writing carefully. Grammar and spelling errors drive away readers. Really? Plenty of Medium writers can’t distinguish between to, two, or too. Their spelling would make my 3rd grade teacher spin in her grave. Yet they have plenty of followers.

Aaggh! Chaos reigns….

What does that mean? I think it means that there are multiple paths to success, and perhaps multiple ways to define success: money, audience size, finding a community of like-minded people, learning from new perspectives, or just knowing that you can get your ideas out of your head and into the world. Your definition is probably different than mine.

The Law of Persistence

Not just a law for Medium, this is one of Marne’s Laws for Life. Life is filled with obstacles. People, often well-meaning ones, will tell you that something isn’t possible. You can’t go to an Ivy League school if you are the first one in your family to go to college. You can’t be a materials engineer because you are a woman. You’ll never walk after your limb amputation. Or a sample of the well-meaning advice I received over the years: you’re too short to be an equine veterinarian. You can’t move to another country by yourself. You can’t publish a book.

Actually, well-meaning advisors, yes I can. I can be stubborn. After each well-meant but ultimately disheartening conversation, I put my head down and persisted. Looking back, I realize just how far that stubbornness has brought me. From school, through multiple jobs, careers and countries, relationships and breakups, all the way to Medium.

The Law of Persistence reminds me that many small steps add up to a long walk, or that each piece of writing is composed of individual words, sentences, and paragraphs. Take it one step at a time. Focus on one action, then the next, then the next.

That’s how I feel about writing on Medium. I will continue looking for advice. I will take the tips that work for me. I will find other ways to get to my goal. I will follow the Law of Persistence.

I can’t write without a reader. It’s precisely like a kiss — you can’t do it alone

John Cheever

Kind reader, I have no niche, just a mix of thoughts and a lifetime of experience. I don’t believe in spam follows just to get 1 in 10 people to follow me back. And I don’t give up easily. If that speaks to your heart, please follow me. Let’s see where this goes!