Do you love to write?
Is it something you want to do but have not found the courage to start?
Do you have a blog, but no one seems to be reading your work?
The third point is especially frustrating. This is how I used to feel until I found a platform that changed my life completely.
You’ve probably heard of it, but if you haven’t, I want to tell you about Medium.com.
On Medium, all kinds of writers come together to share their ideas, opinions, and expertise. There are thousands of writers and millions of readers. This means that the probability of you getting read is very high.
Writers publish all sorts of topics on Medium — politics, satire, feminism, religion, art, business, fiction, anything. Think of a topic, and you’d probably find it on Medium. This means that you’d find an audience for any topic you want to write about.
I recommend that everyone writes on Medium. But what’s in it for you? Why should you write on Medium?
Here are four good reasons why:
Reason #1: You practice your craft.
To start writing on Medium, all you need to do is create an account — add your name, profile pic, and a simple bio. Then you’re good to go.
You don’t have to dwell on the technical aspect like logos, fonts, colors, accents, and all those other things that usually distract new bloggers. You’re able to focus on what matters; writing.
Besides, the platform has no shortage of excellent writers. The more you read their work and practice your own writing, the better you become. I can say with utmost certainty that Medium made me a much better writer than I used to be.
You’ll also eventually get feedback from readers that will help you know if you’re on the right track or not. If you want to become a better writer, try Medium.
Reason #2: You get readers and grow an audience.
I used to write on my WordPress blog. However, I found to my disappointment that people weren’t reading it. No comments, no followers, nothing. This was very discouraging, to be honest.
But all that changed when I went to Medium.
In November 2022, I posted my first story there. Well, it was an old story from my WordPress blog. Like everyone else, I started with zero followers and zero views on Medium. As of April 2023, I have over 700 followers and thousands of views.
This is insane growth compared to anything I’ve ever had from years of writing on WordPress.
Of course, this kind of growth doesn’t happen overnight. But I assure you it’s possible.
Medium has a large community of readers who are ever ready to consume your content as long as it’s entertaining, informative, or inspiring. If you consistently provide them with this, it’s only a matter of time until you succeed on Medium. I am living proof of that.
The best part of growing an audience is that Medium allows you to collect email subscribers right on your profile. Mine looks something like this.
So far, I have ten email subscribers on Medium. These are people who intentionally sign up to receive your stories directly in their inboxes. That’s a powerful tool to grow a relationship with your readers.
There are also publications on Medium you can write for. These publications are digital magazines that publish niche-specific topics. You can join any publication of your choosing and as long as you submit a piece they’re looking for, it will be accepted. Publications are one of the ways you attract more eyeballs to your work. These new readers can eventually become fans of your writing.
Besides, Medium has a high SEO presence on Google. You can get a lot of external views, especially if you write on topics that are highly sought after. I’ve seen a lot of Medium articles featured on the first page of Google.
This platform was purposefully designed for writers. If you use it wisely, you’ll definitely do great things there.
As for me, I write fiction, creative nonfiction, and everything in between.
Visit my Medium profile right here.
Reason #3: You can earn money on Medium.
Yes, you read that right.
Medium has something called the Medium Partner Program. This program allows writers to earn money from their writing. To be eligible, however, you must fulfill two requirements simultaneously:
You need 100 followers
You should be a resident of a country where the partner program is available.
The first requirement is easily obtainable.
The second, unfortunately, disqualifies so many people, including me. Only a few countries are on this list. If you live in such a country, then of course, you get to enjoy the program.
So why not?
How is Medium able to pay writers though?
Actually, it isn’t Medium paying the writers. It’s the readers who do. What does that even mean? I’ll explain.
First of all, Medium is run on a subscription basis. While it’s free to create an account and write on Medium, many stories aren’t free to read. These stories are locked behind paywalls, and you can only read them if you pay $5 per month.
People who pay to read are called Members. I became a Medium member in February 2023, and it’s one of the best investments of my life. But that’s not what I’m talking about here. In fact, you don’t have to be a member to join the Medium Partner Program.
I bring the membership up because that’s what makes it possible for writers to be paid. You’re paid based on how long members read your stories.
So the more you write, the longer your reading time, and the more money you earn. That’s basically it.
But what if you aren’t eligible for the partner program? Well, that shouldn’t discourage you from writing on Medium.
There are other benefits you can enjoy apart from earning an income. Personally, as someone who isn’t eligible to join the partner program, I think the best thing a writer can get from writing on Medium is to grow their audience and get a loyal following of readers.
I mean, why else publish online if you’re not looking for readers, right? Medium makes that possible.
Reason #4: The Medium community is amazing.
One of the most amazing things about Medium is the community. The platform has some of the most intelligent, thoughtful, and positive people you’d ever meet on the internet.
I’ve seen all kinds of toxic nonsense on different platforms, especially Twitter. You go to Medium, and it’s like you’re in a different universe.
As someone who loves to read the comment section on most social media platforms, I strongly believe that Medium is the least toxic place on the internet. You’ll have to see it to believe it.
People talk to each other with dignity and respect. There’s no tolerance for hateful speech or just flat-out assholery. Nope. You won’t survive on Medium if you’re a jerk, I promise you that.
The community is very uplifting toward each other. It’s what I love most about it. Of course, sometimes there are bad apples. I guess that comes with being human. But it’s rare to find those people.
In fact, I haven’t yet had any disrespectful or hateful comments on my stories. Maybe that’s because my audience isn’t large enough. The larger you get, haters will inevitably come. I just find that it’s far less likely on Medium as compared to any part of the Internet.
Final thoughts
In case I haven’t already said it like two million times, Medium is amazing. If you’re still deciding what platform to write on, then worry no more. Just come to Medium.
Start writing there, and someday, you’ll realize that you have made something amazing for yourself.
If you want to write on Medium but have no idea where to start from, you can follow my publication The Write Network.
I created this publication to help new writers find their way. I have a lot of resources that will help you get started.
Welcome to Medium.