Happy 300?
For my 300th (actually 302nd) article on the Medium platform, I’d like to share what I’ve learned so far …
I’ve been writing here like a fiend since November 1, 2019, having started on Medium two years ago when I had knee surgery, then taking over a year off before returning. As my business (independent writer-producer for television and film) is inconsistent when it comes to payment, I figured I had nothing to lose by again picking up the mantle. My first thought was, “I write on Facebook for free. Why not extend those posts and get paid for them?” After all, I saw that some scant exceptions on this platform were earning in excess of $10,000 monthly.
I wanted to be one of those scant exceptions. I never do anything half-way.
Something happened, though, along the way. The money and connections began coming organically; what became equally important if not more so was the fun I had writing and posting here. As an opinionated former Brooklyn-ite, this worked for me. I’d share my articles on social media and let the debates begin.
And I’d make new friends along the way.
I wouldn’t have it any other way.
My most well-received articles over the past two months have generally encompassed several categories: Writing, Movies (“Star Wars” prominently), Television, Politics, Social Issues, Mental Health and highly-personal stories related therein.
I’ve had some luck with Lists (Top 10 Television Shows Ever) and categories of that nature, but those posts have generally been lacking in my opinion.
Feel free to drop me a line at joel_ecmedia@yahoo.com and let me know the type of posts you would most like to see from me.
Rules I Follow on Medium
First, I’m not big on rules (yeah, I’m one of those pains in the asses) as I always prefer to make my own way.
That said:
- I never write for curation. Many of my stories are curated; many are not. To me, it’s subjective. I share my work on social media and get views that way. If I’m curated, great, but while I always try to put the best writing out there that I can, I don’t stress it.
- Honesty. In my opinion, even when writing fiction and exposing a point of view, a reader will always know when you are being disingenuous. Be honest with your thoughts, and the words you share in public.
- Leave a legacy. The internet lives forever; your work can always be found with a simple Google search. If Medium ever goes out of business, you can still be read via cache. My late father used to tell me, “Life is too short.” I agree. I’m 56 now, happily married with a four-legged hairy daughter named KOKO (a boxer-pit and our “Double Knockout”) and no human kids. My legacy will be through my writing — my articles, novels and screenplays. I never post, or write anything, “for the hell of it.”
- Write what you want to write. Be free. Let your readers follow. If you are in this game only for the money, well, there’s nothing wrong with that. In that event, read as many articles on this platform that you can regarding real earnings and methods to achieve them, and go from there.
- Take pride in your work. I’m as guilty of the occasional grammar slip as anyone. Still, proofread your work before posting. Your reputation follows, you know.
- Set goals. Whether your goals here are for your Medium work to become your full-time writing income, or you intend to use the platform to trigger your writing life and career towards other end goals (public speaking, exposure), set those goals then do what you must to meet them. Such as, a) write, with no excuses, b) set a number of views and reads you expect for yourself on a daily basis, and share your Medium pieces on Facebook, Twitter, news.ycombinator.com, Quora, Reddit, Mix, Instagram and others, and c) begin a newsletter while building your audience. As you can see below, I am just beginning one on Substack.com. Check it out.
Medium is a terrific platform for new and advanced writers. Decide what you want to achieve here, set your goals, and meet them. Be sure to also manage your expectations, be patient and persistent.
I hope your results will be as surprising and gratifying as mine.
Thank you for reading. Please check out some of my work and let me know what you think.
If you have found this article of value, feel free to recommend, share and follow me here on Medium (and I will follow you back), where I publish new stories daily on a variety of topics.
If you would like new stories and exclusive content sent directly to your inbox, please subscribe to my upcoming newsletter, “Writing For Your Life.” CLICK below.
