If I Were To Start Over On Medium, Here's Exactly How I'd Do It.
The shortest path to finding your footing
Last week, I received messages from a record number of writers — all asking the same question:
“I’ve decided to start writing on Medium, but it’s confusing. How do I get started?”
In the past, I would have directed them to this video, as it outlines a complete beginner’s guide.
But, I realize in today’s day and age, that’s asking a lot. So, here’s an expedited path to building a base income on Medium. By following the steps below, you will get your Medium account up and running (and earning money), in a few hours.
A worthy investment of your time…
First, let me set some expectations…
Over the past year, I’ve become one of the top Google search results for ‘how to make money on Medium’.
So, I’ve become accustomed to fielding these types of messages.
But, recently, I’ve also received some scrutiny from veteran writers for promoting the platform altogether. Which, is quite new for me.
So, let me be clear about what you can expect from writing on Medium.
As someone who has followed the highs and lows of Medium for the past 5 years, in my opinion, Medium is a great place for beginners. More specifically, to:
Start writing
Earn a side income
Build an online portfolio
If you’re consistent, you can reasonably expect to earn anywhere from $100-$1,000 per month in your spare time.
With that said, if you want to earn “real money”, you’ll likely have to write on multiple platforms, leverage Medium in creative ways, or sell products/services. 💰
Here’s how writers are leveraging Medium: 👇
And, the most honest breakdown I can give: 👇
If this is appealing to you, here’s exactly how you can find your footing…
How to get started on Medium.
I started writing online with no experience, talent, or direction of any kind.
For a full year before posting my first piece of writing, I repeated these 3 steps:
Scour the internet for advice
Get frustrated
Give up
Eventually, I created a Fiverr account and began moonlighting as a freelance writer alongside various full-time jobs. Then, I found Medium. And, everything changed. I began discovering my own voice and learning how to grow an audience.
But, I grew at a snail’s pace. In my first 2 years, I didn’t earn enough to even cover my monthly membership.
And, it took me nearly 3 years to enjoy my first $100 month.
Suffice it to say, my start was not optimal.
And, even after earning tens of thousands of dollars on Medium, I still have a lot to learn.
But, if there’s anything I’ve learned about myself, it’s that I learn best through failure. So, I feel obligated to right the wrongs of my past by helping new writers learn from my mistakes.
And, since sharing what I’ve learned, I’ve seen many writers kickstart their journeys much faster than mine.
Here’s the advice I give to every new writer…
Step #1: Join the Partner Program
Medium’s requirements to join the Partner Program are as follows:
Be a (paying) Medium member
Have published at least one story in the past 6 months
Are located in a supported country
Are 18 years of age or older
Which means, after signing up, the only barrier to earning from your stories is to… well, write one.
So, I recommend getting this out of the way quickly.
Which means, not overthinking it. The easiest way to combat procrastination is to simply get started. So, if you’re unsure what to write about, write about whatever is on your mind.
👉 Here’s an example from a fellow Writer’s Hub member.
Once you’ve written your first story, apply for monetization right away.
It generally takes 1-2 weeks for your application to be approved. If you haven’t heard back in 14 business days, you can create a support request, here.
Step #2: Write Your First Monetized Story
As you wait for your application to be approved, you can start building your profile and community.
Fill out your bio:
If you haven’t already, fill out your bio. If you’re stumped, follow this formula:
“Hey, I’m [name]! I write about [what you plan to write about]. I’d love for you to [an action you’d like readers to take].”
For example:
Apply to these 2 publications:
Publications are what separate Medium from most social media platforms.
You don’t need to join publications to post stories on Medium. But, just like publishing an article in a magazine, they allow you to reach a wider audience.
Here are 2 great publications for beginners:
Illumination (become a writer, here)
About Me Stories (become a writer, here)
As a beginner, the process of applying and submitting to publications can feel a little overwhelming. So, here’s a basic breakdown of the process:
Step #1: apply to become a writer
Step #2: wait to be approved (usually 2-3 weeks)
Step #3: once approved, you will see the publication in your story composer
Step #4: submit stories for approval and wait for them to be posted
After submitting a story to a publication, an editor will review it. They will either publish it or leave a private note letting you know of changes to be made. As a general rule of thumb, if you don’t hear back in 3-5 business days, it’s likely the editor has passed on your story.
This doesn’t mean your story is bad. It could just be bad timing —or, it’s not a good fit.
👉 More information on Medium publications
👉 How to find and submit to new publications
Bank story drafts:
It can take 1-2 weeks to become approved for monetization. But, don’t let that slow your momentum.
Start writing stories and keep them as drafts.
You will only begin earning money from new views you accrue after becoming monetized. So, you can continue writing stories, but don’t publish them until you have been approved for monetization.
This extra time is a great opportunity to find and submit to more publications. And, thoroughly review their submission guidelines. You can find most application forms and submission guidelines pinned to the top of most publications’ homepages.
Publications act as mini communities. So, after applying to become a member of existing communities, start building your own…
Step #3: Build Your Community.
On Medium, community is everything.
Unlike other social media platforms, the majority of distribution is handled by humans. This means by understanding the Boost guidelines, you can drastically increase your odds of having a story Boosted.
👉 Here’s a free guide on how to get Boosted.
By getting Boosted, your story will be shown to a larger audience, giving it the potential to go viral.
If you prefer to post-and-ghost, the beginning stages of building an audience will be challenging. But, if you can find time to engage with a handful of writers a few times per week, you’ll drastically expedite your growth.
How the algorithm works:
Second to writing captivating headlines and keeping your readers engaged, interacting with other writers on the platform is the most important habit on Medium.
Every piece of writing posted on Medium is like a little fire. You set up your kindling, light it, and create a spark. Hopefully, it catches fire. Once it does, it needs continual fuel to continue growing.
On Medium, the size of your fire is dependent on the actions your readers take:
Clicks
Read ratio
Read time
Engagement (clap, comments, and highlights)
All of these act as kindling for your fire. And, if readers continue to click on, read, and engage with your stories, they will go viral.
Writing a story as a beginner is much like trying to start a fire on a cold, wet, and windy day. It can feel next to impossible. So, you’re going to need some help.
How to build engagement:
Humans are simple creatures. We want to be seen, heard, and loved. And, will team up with each other to reach a common goal.
So, if you want to nurture engagement on your stories, the best way is by going out and engaging with other stories on the platform. As a beginner, every time you sit down to write, do this:
Find 5-7 stories on Medium
Thoughtfully engage with them
This means clapping (50X), highlighting passages, and leaving comments. Pick stories you’re genuinely interested in and leave thoughtful comments. Leaving generic comments like “good story” looks robotic — and, most people will think it was written with A.I.
The purpose of this habit is to have your name pop up on as many writer’s notification pages as possible.
As you continue to post stories and engage with others, you’ll build a community of writers who engage with all of your stories.
Although this alone does not guarantee success, it will help get your fire started and tell Medium’s algorithm your stories are worth showing to more readers.
The Final Step: Rinse and Repeat.
By following the steps in this article, you will have tackled the biggest hurdle writers face — getting started.
In addition, you’ll have a:
Monetized profile
Collection of publications to submit to
Base of engagement from like-minded humans
From there, it’s a matter of reading, writing, learning, and improving each time you post. If you’re a paid subscriber of Writer’s Hub, feel free to send me your stories for feedback.
I dedicate Thursdays and Fridays to chatting with paid members via Substack DMs.
Happy writing! 🙌
You are cordially invited to join Writer’s Hub! 💌
Hey, I’m Hudson! I created Writer’s Hub to help you make money as a writer. 🙋♂️✍️
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🙋♂️ Everything else I’ve got going on
Hey, this is the best way to start. This is my first month and I have already got some traction, Thanks for putting it out.
As always, great advice in a concisely written manner. I'm going to be implementing some of your tips. I'm very new on there and navigating the system, so your guide here was a huge help.