Your Competition Won’t Tell You the Secret to Soaring on Medium

I will — a reader’s viewpoint

Let me start by saying that the most important behavior for a writer to succeed on Medium is not consistency. Here’s how I know.

I read Medium every day for hours. I am hooked on it. I’m such an avid reader of Medium that I acquired more than 900 followers in a year just by commenting and highlighting every so often.

I read a lot about how to be successful on Medium and about writing in general. I also love reading personal essays and self-help on Medium. Of course, I fantasize about being one of the heavy hitters on Medium who makes over $100,000 a year by writing. Who wouldn’t want that?

So far, I have only published a few times on Medium, so I have no business telling you how to be successful as a writer. I’m a total newbie as a writer on Medium.

However, I know my stuff regarding what I have seen on Medium and what I have read. You can benefit from my reading Medium every day until I can’t see straight.

Again and again, experienced writers, and even inexperienced writers, will tell you that the key to success on Medium is consistency.

They talk about how you need to publish regularly, preferably every day. They say how you need a writing schedule, usually writing in the morning before you do anything else. I’ve read about using flow states to increase how many articles you can crank out during your writing session, sort of like a machine. And it would be best if you were consistent about all of this.

Well, “consistency” isn’t enough. It’s not the right word. The correct term is “persistence.” That’s what you need to succeed on Medium.

When someone comments that your article sucks, you write another article, and you keep writing. That’s persistence.

When you spend two days writing a story, and you bleed on your laptop because you are spilling your guts, and then no one claps because no one is reading, you write another story, and you keep writing. That’s persistence.

When you get paid three cents from the Partnership Program for the entire month, you write some more, and you keep writing. That’s persistence.

When the villagers chase after you with torches, you come back for more. You keep going when things get tough. That is persistence.

I have seen so many writers come to Medium and then disappear when the going gets tough. They would write about how they have writing schedules and how they get into flow states, and how important consistency is.

When they didn’t earn $3,000 their first month on Medium, or they got some rude comments about their stories, they couldn’t take it. Poof, they’re gone.

Sticking it out when you face adversity is the real secret to making it big on Medium. It’s consistency plus more. It means being consistent when you face obstacles. Persistence is the ticket.

But keep in mind, if your writing sucks, being persistent won’t help you. You will just be flooding Medium with crappy writing. Don’t do that. No one likes that.

When it comes to your writing, with every obstacle you face, do these: examine, analyze, and learn.

Deeply examine what the obstacle is. Take a serious and objective look at the situation. Critique like you are your biggest enemy.

Analyze what you are doing wrong. Break down the problem and come up with a solution to fix it. Make a list of what you can improve and how you can do it.

Learn from what happened and make a change. Implement your plan to improve the situation. Don’t keep making the same mistake. Don’t be stubborn and insist on continuing to do things that don’t work.

Be persistent when it comes to Medium.

Consistency is great, but it’s not enough. It takes persistence, too.

There’s no crying when it comes to Medium. You have to get back up when someone knocks you down or when things don’t go as expected.

When I decide I want something, my husband jokes that I’m like a dog that grabs it and won’t let go. I don’t like my husband comparing me to a dog, but I see his point.

Hopefully, this dog-like quality will serve me well when it comes to writing.

Find your inner dog; grab onto Medium and don’t let go. Good luck and happy persistence!

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Linda Kowalchek is a work in progress and a member of the typewriter generation. She spends her time with her husband and her rescue cats, waiting for golf balls to crash through their windows. PSA: Don’t live next to a golf course.