Why Is Every Other Article on Medium About Medium?
“My Medium Earnings Report.”
“How to Blow Up On Medium.”
“Medium!!!”
A lot of people have noticed it.
A lot of people are annoyed.
But have you stopped to think about why?
Why is every other article on Medium ABOUT Medium?
Hold up.
The real question we should be asking is why are they so popular?
Okay so —
The cynical explanation is that all everyone cares about is money. And these articles “sell” for lack of a better term. That’s most likely part of it.
But I have a different take.
I believe something a little less sinister is going on beneath the surface.
And I believe that if we stick it out, Medium will fulfill its glorious purpose: to be a community of writers sharing authentic stories.
Let’s dig in.
The Real Issue
Let’s first start by figuring out what’s actually going on and then let’s see what we can learn.
Why do some Medium articles succeed while others fail?
Because a brand new account can’t just post “how to succeed on Medium” and get a lot of views. It’s not that easy. It’s not a guaranteed way of making cash (and let’s be honest — Medium isn’t exactly the easiest side-hustle any way you slice it).
Medium Ain’t Easy
Truth: I’ve made as much selling some old books on eBay as I’ve made writing over a hundred pieces for Medium.
Don’t get me wrong — some people do make a lot and I’m thankful for every penny I’ve made here. I’m just saying there are easier paths and writing a couple articles on Medium stats isn’t going to replace your day job.
So maybe it’s not just the money?
Maybe it’s about the attention.
Why do those articles get read when mine don’t? These articles clog the feeds. They hog the premier spots in the pubs!
I get it, but before we call the grapes sour, let’s again ask the question, “Why?”
Why do people want to read these articles?
Two words: social proof.
Social Proof
People want to believe they can succeed.
But more importantly people need a reason to listen to you. Your follower count, earnings, and articles with the data right there, that’s your social proof. Your article on your first month received 1.6k claps. You have 300 more followers than last week. You obviously have experienced something that interests me.
Think about it — why would someone want to read your thoughts about AI or the economy if you are just a rando online? Are you an AI expert? Even if you are, how are they supposed to know? Why read an article on Medium when you can read a scientific study or a magazine article from a professor from MIT?
You have to build up credibility or no one is going to care.
“Wow, Theo, thanks for being so discouraging. I thought you said that Medium is for sharing authentic stories? Way to shoot me down, bro.”
Medium IS for sharing authentic stories. Yes and amen. But people only want to read interesting, well-written authentic stories, ones that ask to be read — no, DEMAND to be read, from the sheer intrigue of the headline.
And the only stories that a newcomer can share that reverberate with enough genuine authenticity to blow up are the articles about your experience with Medium because no one knows you yet except from here. It just makes sense.
My Recent Experiences
Lately I’ve written more articles about Medium (and writing). Probably about half of my articles over the past couple of weeks. Am I a sell-out? Maybe.
But I haven’t stopped writing what I want to write. It’s just Medium is a bigger part of my life now.
I tried writing about Kobe (as someone who grew up in Los Angeles, on the anniversary of his death):
About airports (when I was at an airport):
And these articles flopped SO BAD. I was authentically sad for a while but later on I realized why they failed (besides my need to grow as a writer).
“Theo Rose” was just another account out of thousands, posting another article out of millions. I’m not the best writer in the world so I need to improve. No one intrinsically cares about my experiences — I need to build my account with things I both care about and people want to read. I need to work at striking that balance. I need to develop my voice AND give people a chance to adjust to my particular timbre.
Authenticity comes with time — and effort.
An audience is earned, not given.
And so I don’t have a problem with you writing about your experiences on Medium, or to offer tips, as long as the lens by which you are approaching it is one of writing what you know. You might not have realized why your one article about Medium popped off and all your recent attempts have failed. It’s because it’s NOT because you wrote about Medium that people applauded. It’s because you wrote from your experience about something we all, as Medium writers, care about.
Medium.
In actuality though, your experience.
Go back to that.
Build from there.
Experiment and see what works. But don’t just cater to the masses, cultivate a rapport with them. Show them you know your Medium stuff and then show them you’re a whole lot more than that.
And like a flower imperceptibly forms from the tiniest of seeds, from these humble beginnings your authentic voice will bloom.
If you water.
If you reach.
Keep going.
