What I’ve Learnt From My Highest Earning Article (Crazy!)
In my first month on Medium, this one article generated the most views, reads and earnings. Here’s why.
I started writing consistently on Medium on 31 December 2023, which was also the day I joined the Medium Partner Program.
So, it’s been about a month. Here’s what I’ve done:
- Published 33 articles
- Gotten 186 followers
- 8 email subscribers (Thank you!)
Out of those 33 articles, I’ve had plenty of flops. But, I’ve also seen some of my articles go ‘viral’ compared to the others.
This article has gotten me the most views, reads and earnings. It was written on 22 January 2024, and has since amassed:
When I first joined Medium, I never thought I could get this much engagement, reads and money from one single article!
29 reads, 825 claps by 31 people, 15 comments and $9.81? My mind is blown.
In comparison, here are my articles in the second and third places by earnings:
Never in a million years would I have thought so many people would read my articles.
Why It Was So Popular
‘3 Habits Of Highly Effective Writers (And How To Become One)’ isn’t exactly my speciality. I’m not a ‘highly effective’ writer or a super famous one.
Authenticity
I simply sat down and looked at top writers on Medium, and thought:
What makes their work so much better than mine? What separates a highly effective writer from a great one, and a great one from a good one?
That’s what inspired me to write the article.
I wrote as genuinely as possible and spoke from my perspective as a new writer.
I didn’t pretend to be a professional writer who knows how to be successful, because I don’t.
The tips I mention in that article aren’t ground-breaking discoveries. But they are my genuine reflections and thoughts on becoming a better writer.
I’m exploring this craft and improving in it as much as anyone else. I shared my experiences, and how I hoped to improve on the platform.
Formatting
I’d say this was one of my ‘nicer-looking’ articles. I tried to:
- Use an appropriate number of quotes, italics and lists
- Not overload readers with too many photos (and vice versa)
- Paragraph and make the article flow smoothly
Apart from the information itself, the looks are crucial as well.
I’d say the title and cover image are important too, but I’m not too sure what was special about this one, if anything.
The Possibilities
When I joined Medium with 0 followers and 0 views, I was intimidated.
Finding My Voice
There are hundreds of thousands of writers, ranging from U.S. presidents and professional writers to random people like me.
Who wants to hear what I have to say?
Plenty of people do. I’ve realised that there are people who are willing to read my articles, and everybody’s voice is unique.
Seeing the possibilities of how much impact my articles can have, even if it’s small, is crazy. It always makes my day when someone claps and comments, saying my article resonated with them or they found it helpful.
Medium is a great place for all of us to write, and share our thoughts with the world. I’m so grateful for the opportunity!
Moving Forward
I know there are thousands of writers out there making so much more than this. And I’m inspired by these stories.
My articles’ readings and earnings so far have encouraged me to keep going. I know that I can achieve success, it’ll just take time and hard work. That’s a price I’m willing to pay.
All the best on your writing journey too!
I hope you found this article insightful. Thanks for reading!
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