Why Medium is Your Modern Writing Degree
Challenge yourself and push yourself to become a better writer
I never write about Medium. There are better authors on the platform to help you navigate your Medium journey with better insights and experiences.
It’s safe to say that writing on Medium challenged me to become a better writer. When I look back on everything I’ve learned in the last one and a half years, it seems like no traditional writing degree would be able to live up to it. So what can you learn by writing on Medium?
When I started my Medium journey two years ago I had no idea what to expect. At first, I just reposted my short stories. Later on, I published about my writing journey.
About half a year in I was contacted by a Medium editor who wanted to reward one of my stories with $100. I did not believe it until I saw the amount appear in my bank account. I wondered what the platform was actually about and I dived in. I became a member and read the work of other Medium writers. I followed courses and read a lot.
I wasn’t in it for the money. I wanted to build an audience. Sure, the extra income is rewarding. Not only in dollars but more so because it’s money I’ve earned with my passion. Every buck feels like five because of that!
I’ve published about 150 stories on Medium. I’ve gained thousands of followers which I still can’t believe. I’ve managed to earn thousands of dollars. I’ve been able to sell my books because of my Medium presence.
I’ve had hundreds of responses to my stories. Yes, I read them all so far. To think that I’ve helped someone with my work is something I’m truly grateful for. Appreciation like that is priceless. Most importantly: I believe it now when I call myself a writer.
Medium challenges us to write more often
One of the tips you’ll read by successful Medium authors is to write and publish a lot. This can mean different things to different writers.
I started with sharing 1–3 stories a month. Once I increased my posts to about 8–12 per month, I noticed I gained momentum.
Some writers post every day. I tried and failed. With regular work and working on my novel, I just can’t find extra time. Know that that’s fine. Publish as often as is comfortable for you.
What you’ll notice when you write more is that you’ll become better. Over time, you start to notice patterns and see what types of stories resonate most with your readers.
You’ll become better at putting down your thoughts on paper by practicing a lot. You’ll be able to finetune your style.
And yes, publishing more often can result in more followers, views, claps, and money.
The MPP challenges you to understand the platform and connect your love for writing with earning a side income
By publishing regularly and analyzing what works and what doesn’t, you’ll learn to write better stories.
But that’s not all. Trying to understand the platform will benefit your growth on the platform.
So read those blogs by popular Medium writers such as Shannon Ashley, Shaunta Grimes, Anthony Moore, and Tom Kuegler. Most of what I do here, I learned from these amazing writers.
In my work, I learned that serial posts work best for me. The last one I did was about how to write a short story, spread over 18 articles. These posts attracted 200,000+ views across Medium and my website. Teaching people about writing works for me and I love doing it.
I also found that when I write about productivity or freelancing, my articles reach many people too.
To grow on Medium, take into account the following elements:
Find out which of your topics resonate most with readers.
Curation matters, it’s the only way Medium will distribute your story on the platform so it can reach more people. Write quality and insightful work.
Write for publications.
Try to get into one or more of Medium’s own publications to get featured on the home page and reach more people.
Ride the waves of change. Medium changes its strategy every once in a while. Don’t whine, but see how you can adapt and still write about what you love.
Learn how to work with the platform, write about what you love, and be patient.
Curation and ‘% of the story read’ tells you something about the quality of your work
Ever since Medium initiated its curation program, I’ve tried to improve the quality of my posts even more.
Usually, I start with an idea and write down random insights I want to touch upon. Then I start writing the introduction and determine the topics I want to explore in bullet point form. After that, I leave the story for a day or so before I finish it.
I pull it through Grammarly, go through it once more and then I submit it to a publication.
Since the introduction of curation, I read the story at least two more times. I do more research into what I write about. I read the story out loud and edit some more before I hit ‘submit’.
The percentage of people who read my stories tells me a lot about quality as well. The lower the percentage, the lower the quality. Or my introduction isn’t engaging enough, that can be the case too.
It helps if you to approach your writing like a copywriter. Did you grab the attention immediately and invoke interest? Simple, but effective. You can have the best title in the world and thousands of views, but if the reading percentage is below 30% something is wrong.
Compelling and quality writing resonates with readers and results in more reads and shares.
If your stories don’t get curated, this doesn’t mean they are of poor quality! I heard from a Medium editor that curation is also based on originality. And if 374 authors write about how you can write an attention-grabbing title, you’re unlikely to bring something completely new to the table. Plus, curators are people. They might not feel a strong connection to your story. My point here? Use the possibility of curation to level up your work!
You’ll learn about writing and publishing in 2019/2020
Medium has changed the game for indie writers worldwide. When I started this writing journey I’d never thought I’d reach close to 500,000 people this year or have followers or even earn money!
If you commit and are willing to do the work, you can grow as a writer. You not only become a better writer, but you also become better at self-publishing.
By writing on Medium you are part of a new way of publishing and it’s exciting. Most of my friends (who don’t write), don’t have a clue what’s going on when I try to explain the platform and my progress. They still believe you need agents and publishers. You don’t have to.
I’ve submitted some of my short stories to literary journals. Since I publish on my personal site and Medium, 90% of them won’t accept my work. They want something previously unpublished and that’s their prerogative.
Since I mostly write fantasy and science fiction, there aren’t many good ones left. I was afraid my short stories would never find an audience. On Medium they did.
Medium allows us to connect with people who love what we love
Before Medium I didn’t know one single writer. Not one! It’s astonishing that now I do and that these writers live all over the world. With some, I keep in touch via email, WhatsApp, on even on the phone. With others, I chat on Twitter or through the private notes function.
And then there are three Facebook groups I’m a part of. People help each other grow here. It’s wonderful.
There’s nothing like geeking out with people who love what you love and Medium is a great platform to get to know other writers.
Reach out to your favorite writers. Note that some with many followers probably don’t have the time to respond. Accept that but try anyway.
Apply to publications and connect with the editors.
I spoke to many of my Medium idols and gained friends and a professional network through the platform. You can too.
Working with Medium editors improves your work big time
In early September, my first story was accepted into a big Medium publication. Its editor helped me fine-tune the story.
You can learn a lot from working with a professional editor like that. For me, it was the first time and one of the things I learned was that I tend to repeat a lot and that I sometimes use too many words to explain something. Be brief and to the point, that was my lesson. What will yours be?
Conclusion
I don’t know where you’re at in your Medium journey. (Let me know in the comments). I do know that when you keep going you’ll become better at writing, networking and that you’ll learn more about the modern publishing industry. So try and earn that modern writing degree on Medium!
