Summary

The author shared their journey and earnings from writing on Medium throughout 2022, starting from modest expectations to exceeding their income goals and setting new targets for 2023.

Abstract

In 2022, the author began writing on Medium with initial doubts about earning money through the platform. However, they quickly surpassed their goal of making over $5 a month, with their earnings progressively increasing each month. Starting with$ 6.87 in August, they saw a significant rise to $41.90 in September, followed by a slight dip to$ 39.52 in October, and then reaching their highest monthly earnings of $48.34 in November. Despite a small decline in December to$ 43.39, the cumulative earnings for 2022 amounted to $179.15. The author's experience led to insights on the importance of quality content and engaging headlines for success on Medium. They also expressed a hope to earn over$ 50 and potentially over $100 in a month in 2023, while maintaining their enjoyment of writing.

Opinions

The author initially doubted their ability to earn money through writing on Medium but was pleasantly surprised to be proven wrong.
They attribute their success to the enjoyment of writing and views it as the main motivator, with earnings being a secondary bonus.
The author learned that focusing on the quality of articles rather than quantity leads to better earnings and reader engagement.
There is an expressed satisfaction with the earnings achieved, despite not always meeting personal expectations.
The author humorously notes the slight frustration of being close to but not surpassing the $50 earnings mark.
They believe that writing quality pieces with compelling headlines is key to future success on the platform.
The author endorses an AI service, ZAI.chat, as a cost-effective alternative to ChatGPT Plus (GPT-4), suggesting it might be useful to others.

What Did I Earn on Medium in 2022?

Can you really earn money online and by writing on Medium?

My expectations were crushed. I started writing on Medium in July 2022. In the beginning, I wasn’t sure I was going to get the 100 followers I needed to join the Medium Partner Program.

When I started writing on Medium I didn’t believe I was able to earn money by writing. To my surprise I was wrong.

I started writing, and by the end of the month, 100 people followed me. The next step was to join the MPP. And suddenly I was making money online.

I said to myself if I was making over $5 a month I would be happy. And guess what I did.

August

August was the first month I was part of the MPP. My expectations were low.

The month started slow. I had few views and I don’t think I barely made a dollar the first weeks.

At the end of the month, it started to change, and my earnings rose to $6.87. I’d done it. Already in my first month, I reached my goal of earning more than $5.

My most-read story in August: The Ocean

My stats for August:

My earnings in August:

September

After already reaching my goal in my first month, I was determined to write better articles. As I believed with better articles my earnings would increase.

Still, I was realistic. I knew that my main reason for writing on Medium was that I enjoyed it. The earnings were just a bonus.

September was the month when my expectations were blown away. I couldn’t believe my own eyes at the end of my month. I’d earned $41.90. I had 2527 views and almost half of them were reads.

I’m not sure any month can ever compete with September, due to the large increase in earnings.

My most-read story in September: What I Earned My First Month on Medium

My stats for September:

My earnings in September:

October

When October started I was convinced that my success on Medium would continue. I believed that if I wrote more articles I would earn more. I was wrong.

October was a letdown for me. I didn’t increase my earnings, they fell. Many of the articles that made money in October I’d written in September.

This made me realize that I needed to use more time on quality and less on quantity. My earnings in October were $39.52. I know it’s good.

I just believed that my earnings would increase as much as they did in September and they didn’t. My views were 3086, an increase from September.

My most-read story in October: 4 Habits That Will Damage Your Mental Health

My stats for October:

My earnings in October:

November

November was a good month for me. My expectations were low, after having high hopes for October.

It ended up being my highest earning month here on Medium. I wrote more fiction and poems. And instead of having a few articles doing really well. I had many that did ok.

I earned $48.34. A number I’m really happy about. Still, I wished it would have passed $50. But maybe it would happen next month.

My most-read story in November: We’ll Never Meet Again

My stats for November:

My earnings in November:

December

I struggled a little more with time and motivation in December. This resulted in me writing more short stories under 150 words.

Since Medium pay by reading time, I did expect a drop in my earnings.

Besides, I took a small break where I mainly published some articles I’d saved for later. They were probably not my best work.

My earnings in December were $43.39. And I can’t say anything other than I’m happy with that.

My most-read story in December: My Highest Earning Story in November was A Poem

My stats for December:

My earnings in December:

Altogether in 2022, I earned $179.15 on Medium

Goals for 2023

My goals for 2023 are simple. I want to continue writing on Medium. And I hope I will enjoy it as much in 2023 as I’ve had in 2022.

I hope that I’ll break the $50 barrier before summer. It’s a tiny bit annoying being stuck at $40. Does anyone have any ideas as to how I can do it?

I’m joking. It’s all about writing quality pieces with good headlines.

I have a small dream about earning over $100 one month. Perhaps it happens, perhaps it won't. I’ll guess we have to wait and see.