What Medium Means To Me

How my expectations and outlook changed regarding the platform

I have been on Medium for almost three months now and my financial expectations and outlook on the platform have changed quite substantially over that time.

I have read many articles over this period about other users experiences and I have always found them quite interesting. I see them as a yardstick upon which to measure my successes and failures. It seems to me that writing your Medium origin story is almost a rite of passage. Here then is my story.

I first heard about Medium on YouTube in January 2021. I always liked to write, even as a child, mostly short stories and poems. As I grew to adulthood I left my writing behind and went on to other things. I never lost interest, it’s just I didn’t have the time or inclination to sit down and write.

Upon undertaking some research on the platform, mainly from Google, I became quite intrigued. I liked the idea of beginning to write again, as, with a lot of others I’m sure, lockdown left me at a loss as to how to fill my spare time. I wanted to see for myself what it was all about and for $5 it was a bargain, so I signed up.

At this stage, I was interested in reading stories and articles written not by journalists but by enthusiasts. Upon reading for a few days I decided to give writing a try, “In for a penny, in for a pound,” as they say.

I had never thought about trying to write about my passions and experiences in life, a non-fiction piece, but this is what I decided to do.

My First Article

I had my first article published on February 12th. It was about my experience with my new Xbox Series S. Gaming is something I’ve always enjoyed and so the article was a joy to write. I was happy with the piece and pleased to let others read it, and so I submitted it to a gaming publication.

The views started quite slowly and I didn’t know what to expect or how Medium worked. After a few days, my views went from 20 or 30 per day to quite quickly soaring past the thousand marks. I was over the moon. It was thrilling to have so many people view, and read something I’d written.

What I’d Earned After My First Month

I had three more articles published by the end of the month and finished February with just over 1.6k views, 1k reads, 110 claps and $13.97 in the bank. I was and I still am on Medium for the fun and enjoyment it brings. That being said, most of us on the platform will have read headlines proclaiming, ‘How I made $1,000 on Medium’, and with 1k reads, I didn’t expect to set the world on fire, but I had hoped for more monetary recompense.

The lesson I learned here is that to earn more you need to have the majority of your article reads from within Medium rather than externally. My Xbox article, for example, got 1.5k views but only 28% were internal and so eligible to earn money. I learned this lesson and so I have also learned to reduce my financial expectations. I still do not know how to reduce external views, and to increase internal views, or even if this is possible though.

So far Medium isn’t a big earner, for me at least, but I am more than covering my subscription costs with the articles I write, so I’m fairly happy.

My Second Month On Medium

I decided to pick up the pace, write more articles as I was enjoying the process. In the next two weeks, I had eight more articles published taking my total up to twelve, nine of which were picked up for further distribution.

I had read that curation equates to a lot more reads but unfortunately not in my case. Over three-quarters of my articles to date have been picked up for further distribution but I find little difference in reads between those that are and those that are not chosen.

Most of my articles, stories and poems were viewed in double figures but out of nowhere another shot up to 1.5k views and 1k reads. This time 96% were external views and so I earned a total of $1.26. I hadn’t shared this or advertised it myself, I simply submitted it to a publication and this was the result.

I am ecstatic with the sheer number of people that are happy to read what I write. Amazed actually. And I am having fun with my writing and my interactions with other writers on the platform. I have to admit though, my experience on Medium doesn’t live up to the hype of earning hundreds of dollars per month.

I had at this point thought I would hold off publishing any further articles and spend the remainder of March monitoring the progress of my published pieces. Great in theory but I found I couldn’t follow through. My urge to write every day had taken over.

For March I made a total of $9.50. Reading other Medium authors I have come to understand that $13.97 for the first month on this platform isn’t that bad. I published 4 articles this month. In my second month, I published a further 12 articles. Again, many authors appear to be writing much more.

April so far I have had 10 articles, poems and stories published halfway through the month with four more I hope to publish fairly soon. My earnings, however, seem to have dropped and I expect to earn less this month. It really is a rollercoaster with regards to views and earnings.

What Being On Medium Means To Me

I have enjoyed my journey on Medium so far and intend to continue it. After many years without any form of creative writing, I have begun to write poems and short stories again. I had forgotten how much I had enjoyed immersing myself in the writing process.

The one aspect of writing on Medium I hadn’t anticipated is the support of fellow writers. Their comments do help to spur you on and make the act of writing a less lonely one. It is a safe space to explore your literary aspirations or even just enjoy writing for yourself and the community here.

Sure I would like to earn money from my writing. It always comes in useful, but it is no longer my main reason for being on Medium. The joy of writing and the community support are two things I didn’t know I was missing in my life, until now. I would also liken writing on Medium to working out with a personal trainer or with supportive teammates to help spur and cheer you on.

Final Thoughts

I find writing on Medium therapeutic. It distresses me and provides me with a great sense of achievement when I write something good. The community and support of other writers are amazing, and there are some truly great thought-provoking articles and pieces of creative writing to read.

I would say, going purely on my experience thus far, Medium isn’t the best place to make money. A part-time job will earn you more money more quickly and probably with less effort. I don’t doubt it’s possible to earn lots of money, but I would guess that most members wouldn’t be able to support themselves from it.

For me then, Medium is a great place to be me. It spurs me on creatively, other writers inspire me and the articles are great to read too. I would highly recommend it to anyone who is reading this external to the platform and who is thinking of giving it a go.