You Can’t Do That on Medium

16 things you can’t do if you want to consistently make bank in the MPP

I quit my job in December 2018 to write on Medium full-time. It was a bold move for a single mom like me, but it’s something I have yet to regret. Lots of writers here like to talk about successful strategies, but here’s what I know about what doesn’t work on Medium.

1. You Can’t Have a Crappy Work Ethic

Making money on Medium means publishing stories, which means writing those stories and editing them too. It means coming up with ideas and actually following through on a lot of them.

You need to be honest with yourself. Many people who want to be writers — or who think they want to be writers — balk at the amount of work they have to do to actually be successful. It helps to figure out if you actually want to do the work it takes to be a writer, or if you only want the imagined perks.

Some people are good at writing very quickly. They might spend only an hour or two on each story, but in reality, these folks are few and far between. Most Medium writers who make a good income, say at least $7,000 every month, spend much more time on their work.

If you’re only willing to spend an hour or two on each story, it’s incredibly unrealistic to expect a multitude of readers to be interested in spending hours on your work. As of October 2019, writers in the Medium Partner Program earn money according to how much time paid members read their stories.

Too many good writers have a bad work ethic. Perhaps they think that writing on Medium should be passive income, but it’s not.

Many more writers who are unhappy with their Medium earnings simply haven’t put enough effort into the whole endeavor. Some burn out after one or two sprints.

You’ve got to develop a strong work ethic to go further.

2. You Can’t Have a Bad Attitude

I know a writer on Medium who loves to write stories that make fun of other writers. In particular, she likes to write about those who are more successful than she is on the platform.

She once wrote a story calling me a snooty twit, and then suggested that I must live with my parents or be supported by a man because she doesn’t believe I make a full-time living on Medium. It was easier for her to dismiss my experience on Medium than to actually read my stories.

On multiple occasions, I have watched her demand proof from successful writers, who have graciously shared screenshots with her of their earnings and stats, only for her to accuse them of making up fake documents.

She usually complains about her own earnings on Medium — except for that one time when she wrote a story claiming that her earnings had shot up, though conveniently, she offered zero proof.

Over and over again, I’ve watched this woman tear into others. Her responses say it all. Sometimes, she tells folks they’re terrible writers. Sometimes she tells them they’re liars. In general, she only ever has a kind word to say on the platform if you’re complimenting her or complaining about Medium.

In my case, she blocked me after I tried to explain to her how my work on Medium really does pay the bills. After she blocked me, she wrote the twit piece and joked that maybe I know something she doesn’t.

Well, yeah. For one thing, I understand how Medium works, and I don’t have a bad attitude when things don’t go my way here. But this particular writer is never going to learn how to be more successful on the platform if she doesn’t fix her bad attitude first.

And the thing is, she’s not the only one. There are lots of writers here who routinely give in to their worst impulses just because they aren’t getting the results they want.

I’d say good luck with that, but honestly, nothing good is going to come from any of it.

3. You Can’t Waste Time Insulting Other Writers

In two-and-a-half years of writing on Medium, I’ve received my share of hate mail. I’ve seen grown men throw actual tantrums because they’re so sick of Medium suggesting my work to them. Many people have blocked me, not understanding that all it does is prevent me from seeing their work.

Some people have been incredibly hateful. Others write stories about me where I’m not just a twit, but I’m a jerk. I got kicked out of a couple of publications for being too “pro-Medium.” Sometimes, other folks write thinly-veiled stories about me, insisting I’m some egomaniac monster — a claim that’s admittedly much more interesting than real life.

Obviously, it never feels good when people insult you or criticize your work. However, I’m far from the only person on the platform to catch such flack. Many successful writers have been singled out here and bullied by those who seem to think they haven’t gotten their fair share of money, views, popularity, or whatnot.

Here’s the piece that should be obvious: criticizing me or any other writer never makes these people better. It doesn’t help them hone their voice, build a loyal readership, or reach greater success. I’m pretty certain that they’re only shooting themselves in the foot to spend time complaining about me or any other writer.

In a similar vein, I see a lot of people wasting time complaining about the quality of stories that get curated on Medium. I often wonder how these folks will survive any other part of the writing industry, knowing that good writing can be subjective and that there are all kinds of editors and readers out there.

Why get so triggered by however well another writer is doing? You do yourself no favors by wasting time with jealousy, envy, or irritation. This sort of emotional reaction only takes you away from your own writing.

It’s simply not worth the mental fatigue.

4. You Can’t Expect the Platform to Bend to Your Demands

I don’t care who you are. You could be a newbie here, a veteran, or somebody who came back to the platform after a bit of a hiatus. You can’t be successful if you refuse to work with the platform and instead expect it to work for you and cater to your demands.

That doesn’t mean you can’t make unconventional choices. You don’t have to follow a certain formula when you write.

It means that you’ve got to care about what you’re doing. You need to take the time to get to know the platform and understand how it works.

You know the drill when it comes to writing rules — you’re better off breaking them once you understand what they are. Something similar can be said for writing on Medium.

You’ll do better at setting yourself apart if you take the time to understand what works (and what doesn’t work) on Medium.

5. You Can’t Half-Ass Your Way to the Top

Sure, never say never. There very well could be some writer out there who defies reality and earns a ton of money for doing next to nothing. But people like that are the exception. Not the rule.

Writing has got to be one of the hardest jobs around. You face constant rejection and a lot of your work will simply fall flat. You pour your heart into your work without ever really knowing if it will pay off in the end.

Although I see a lot of people who want to half-ass their journey to success as a writer, that’s just not how it works.

That kind of success is rare in writing and typically short-lived.

6. You Can’t Be Inconsistent

If you want to earn more money on Medium, the first consideration to make is how much you actually write and publish here. I run into a lot of writers who seem rather put out by the fact that their very occasional stories haven’t brought in a steady and stable paycheck.

Hopefully, you can see the problem with this sort of thinking. Unless you’ve got an enormous following that hangs on your every word, you’re going to have to be consistent. Keep writing and publishing to get your work to more readers, and quit complaining that your hard work isn’t appreciated.

Most writers will never achieve instant or overnight success. Sometimes, you might think that’s what’s going on simply because they’ve had so many flops. Once their work finally begins to pick up some traction, it might seem as if they’re catching all of the breaks.

I can guarantee you, they’re not. Sure, maybe they’re getting some opportunities you wish you had. But you don’t get to see from the outside just how hard they’ve worked to get to where they are. And you probably cannot see how hard they’re working to stay relevant and successful.

Be consistent and put the work into writing, instead of building up these expectations of grandeur. The world doesn’t owe any of us success. But consistency is one of the best ways to change our luck.

7. You Can’t Be Resistant to Change

I don’t publish as many tips about making it on Medium as I used to. In general, the stories can be tedious to write and they don’t make very good money compared to my personal essays and certain hot takes.

When I do write a story about success on Medium, I try to make it very clear that you must be adaptable. The least successful people here who really want to increase their earnings tend to be terribly resistant to change.

You’ve got to accept that the platform changes, the algorithms change, your reader changes, and even you will change. That means you can’t write the same stories for three years and expect to rake in buckets of money.

It’s a sink or swim thing. If you don’t adapt to the changes, you’ll drown.

8. You Can’t Get Too Comfortable

Since everything changes, you’re in danger if you think you can rest on your laurels. You might be fortunate enough to see a story (or a few stories) gain traction or even go viral. If that happens, you’ll be tempted to quit writing and take a break.

I’d encourage you to be very strategic about the breaks you take from writing. You don’t want one day to snowball into weeks or months of putting out no new work. At least, not if you’re hoping to make consistent money here.

I know writers who can’t seem to get stable results on Medium because they’re not willing to work harder after one or two great months. They have the misguided notion that success is a straight climb and seem genuinely offended by the idea that they are going to make less money this month than two or three months ago.

As a result, they don’t put in much effort. They got comfortable and decided they deserve a certain level of success. Now, they won’t put in the work to be there.

9. You Can’t Cry, “No Fair!”

Remember, this is a list of things you can’t do on Medium if you want to earn a good income here. So, you certainly can scream and shout that things are unfair here, but it’s not going to do you much good.

Look, nobody is immune to feelings of frustration or despair. We all encounter situations that seem unfair. The reality, of course, is that life isn’t fair. Worse yet, we’re hardly unbiased when we make judgments about who should — or shouldn’t — succeed.

There are a lot of writers on Medium who spend their time kvetching about everything that bothers them on the platform. Sometimes, voicing their complaints and theories about the evils of this platform might even make them feel more successful. After all, negativity breeds negativity and folks who write rants about Medium being unfair will often make friends with other disgruntled writers.

But once again, complaining about the platform you’re writing on doesn’t do yourself too many favors. It’s little more than a shortcut to momentary and fleeting satisfaction.

Imagine if, instead of complaining that Medium isn’t fair, you did some research and experimented with your own writing to find your place on the platform? This is what 1% of writers on Medium have done. This is how some writers on Medium remain successful month after month, regardless of changes to the platform.

It’s your choice if you want to spend your time and energy screaming that Medium isn’t fair. But if you choose to do that, you’re limiting your own opportunity to succeed.

10. You Can’t Be Like Everybody Else

I totally get it when critics read my work and think it’s overrated. In general, I write about some very mundane things, along with some traditionally TMI things. I’ve been called an oversharer. I’ve been told that I’ve got issues.

I’m okay with all of that because I understand my work isn’t for everyone. It’s very personal and was born from a good deal of trauma. I write a lot of personal essays, and even my hot takes on celebrities or current events get rather intimate too.

So, I know my work will never please everyone, and I know I’m far from the greatest writer around. I make errors. I can be sloppy and self-conscious. Even so, I have peace because I’m doing something I really love.

As far as all the criticism goes, I know that people have been criticizing vulnerable writers from the start of writing itself. I feel very good about what I do because I see it make a difference in certain readers' lives. I see how it gives them hope or validation, and as time has passed, I’ve discovered that some folks really do enjoy my voice.

Voice is this sort of nebulous quality in writing that can be talked about, yet never really taught. It’s the sort of thing you have to sort out on your own time as a writer, and it will become more clear to you the longer you write. For many writers, voice is the thing that separates them from the pack.

If you want to achieve consistent success on Medium, I’m convinced that you’ve got to work on your voice. Don’t churn out content that anybody could have written. Figure out what makes your writing different from others and then run with that.

11. You (Probably) Can’t Write About Writing All of the Time

This might be a bit controversial, but from what I’ve seen, if you really want to earn more than $6,000 or $7,000 a month on Medium, you most likely can’t do that if all you publish are writing tips. Don’t get me wrong — there’s nothing wrong with writing about writing.

You should strive to be realistic, however.

As a platform, Medium is bombarded with writing advice every day. You need to have something fresh to say, and you need to be in the position to offer up some expertise. Writing on Medium for three weeks doesn’t make you an expert on the platform.

Even then, remember that you’re paid according to member reading time. That’s how long members stick to your stories.

Writing advice — including stories like this one that you’re reading right now — tend to attract skimmers. Skimming is perfectly natural, but for folks who hope to make better money, you want readers who are going to be glued to your stories.

Which means you need to write more interesting and relatable stories without obvious endings. Stories that go deeper than telling folks how to write.

From what I’ve seen, there are a lot of writers who can earn over $1,000 a month on Medium by writing almost exclusively about writing. And some might earn $3,000 or even $4,000 a month. It seems especially challenging, though, to sustain much more than that because it’s such a competitive and overpopulated topic.

If you’ve mostly been writing about writing, it might be time to cast a wider net.

12. You Can’t Flip Out Every Time Medium Makes a Change to the Platform

The sky is not falling, yet there’s always someone on Medium convinced that it is. I don’t really understand it, because it feels terrible living on that emotional rollercoaster where you believe that Medium is about to pull the plug every time they make a change.

When changes come to Medium I think it’s important to consider them not from a place of failure, but from strength. Typically, the changes represent a commitment to the platform, whether I like those changes or not. At this point, I believe that Ev Williams is in this for the long haul.

I understand how that is a seemingly naive opinion. But for me, it’s the only thing that really works to keep my head in the game. When I first quit my job to write on Medium full-time, I had no idea that even during my worst months on the platform, I’d wind up earning more money than I ever made with my old job in social media marketing.

Sure, I might never reach the levels of writers like Tim Denning, who’s had $25,000+ months. My most successful months on Medium (alone) have earned about $12,000, and they don’t happen as often as I’d like, yet my time on Medium has seriously changed my life. It’s paid for thousands of dollars of dental work and medical bills, it’s covered my daughter’s private school tuition, and gotten me a brand new car.

I’m one of those people who was raised in poverty and I never really knew how to get out. I’ve learned not to flip out about changes on Medium because I trust myself to figure out how to make things work.

Just because I don’t make $25,000 a month now doesn’t mean it can’t happen in the future. Less than six years ago, I was a homeless single mom in crisis. Seven years ago, I didn’t even want to be alive.

I know the power of dreaming big on Medium. I know that freaking out when something changes has never benefited me. It won’t benefit you either when that’s the same energy you could spend on writing.

13. You Can’t Pretend to Know How Medium Works

Practically every day, I run into some article written by somebody who clearly doesn’t get how Medium works. Unfortunately, they think they understand it perfectly, and then they write stories as if they’re an expert. It’s embarrassing when the people who actually do have a clue run into these stories. I can’t tell you how many times I have to do a double-take because someone who I thought was more balanced just revealed themselves to be sorely misinformed.

Worse yet, these folks who don’t know how Medium works have a tendency to rope other users into their very bad baggage and this makes for a less than optimal experience for everyone.

Medium isn’t a better platform when the writers operate on rumors or conspiracy theories. Everybody suffers at least a bit when we have to wade through the nonsense that simply isn’t true.

Lately, a lot of people keep flipping out about supposed changes to curation and distribution. I’ve seen folks say, “goodbye curation, hello distribution,” while others are upset and complaining in Facebook groups how much they depended upon curation.

Meanwhile, in reality, curation hasn’t gone away. And distribution was always tied to curation. Very little has changed in terms of curation. The main issue is that we don’t see what topics our stories have been curated into. We also don’t get any closure when a piece isn’t chosen for curation.

Is this my favorite thing? Not really. I liked the closure of knowing where and my work was curated. Yet, I’m willing to wait and see how all of these changes pan out. There’s a vast expanse between disliking a change on Medium and assuming the worst. In my experience, every change that I’ve disliked or been unsure about has been a change I got used to and ultimately, didn’t need to worry about.

That’s just one of the benefits of working with the platform instead of railing against it.

14. You Can’t Keep Looking for the Secret Ingredient

Remember Kung Fu Panda? The biggest lesson Jack Black’s character learns is: the secret ingredient is that there is no secret ingredient.

This is how I feel about success on Medium.

If you want to find your footing and do consistently well here, you have to quit looking for a quick fix.

Write. Try to pay attention. Hone your voice.

People sometimes ask me why I haven’t sold a course about making money on Medium. I’m qualified. I came to the platform at the end of April 2018 with the sole purpose of building a better future for my daughter, had one of my first stories featured by Medium about 10 days later, and now a bad month for me is earning $6,500. I’ve made it on the platform when people insisted I wouldn’t last, and I’ve survived the changes without any serious hits to my income.

And yet, the idea of selling a course about success on Medium sort of makes my skin crawl. There’s no secret ingredient or special sauce to this thing. It really is about the basics like consistency, persistence, and a little bit of good luck — or good timing.

Success on Medium takes plenty of hard work and dedication, plus the ability to let disappointment roll off your back. Is that the sort of life lesson I really want to try to teach and monetize? I’m pretty sure it’s the sort of lesson you’ve got to learn on your own.

15. You Can’t Create Drama All Over the Platform

Often, when you read a lot of another person’s writing, it feels like you know them on a deeper level. This has its upsides and downsides. One of the downsides is that you might trust some folks too soon just because you like what they write on Medium.

It’s not until more time progresses and your relationship reaches several real-life moments that you can see issues you never knew were there. Maybe this person has a terribly negative streak. Maybe the two of you don’t mesh as well as you once thought.

There are all sorts of issues that can crop up in your connections with other writers, even if you happen to keep more to yourself.

Truthfully, some writers love to create drama.

When I run into those people, I pick my battles and speak up when I believe I should. Sometimes, I think that silence is the best answer.

What I’ve noticed is that sometimes, these people move along and stop creating drama. But more often than not, they simply regroup and start over again where they’re comfortable. I don’t get too invested in proving to others that so-and-so has a difficult personality. I speak my peace when necessary, and move on, knowing that the person is going to reveal their true colors later down the line. My job isn’t to convince other people that a colleague is bad news, but it certainly behooves me to avoid fellow writers who like to cause problems.

And do you know what? The biggest lesson I’ve learned about the really negative, difficult, or toxic people on Medium is that they’re typically deeply unhappy with their results here. This means their problems with you are actually problems with their own expectations and disappointments.

After all, successful writers spend their energy writing. Not tearing other writers down.

16. You Can’t Give Up

I know — it sounds cheesy. But look, it sounds cheesy because it’s true in an inspirational way.

Writing, like many other creative endeavors, is full of competition and rejection. If you want to get anywhere with your writing, you’ve really just got to decide you’re not going to let rejection get to you.

You can’t give up.

On a basic level, everybody knows the rules of the game because there’s one big rule that’s pretty universal. You can’t win if you don’t play. Likewise, you can’t make good, consistent money on Medium if you give up. You’ve got to keep writing, keep editing, keep publishing.

In some ways, it’s a numbers game. You’ve got to publish more to give yourself more of a chance to succeed.