Medium vs. Substack: What I’ve learned so far

Photo by Andrew Neel on Unsplash

Friends,

I didn’t know what to expect when I embarked on my writing journey, but on September 8th, 2023, I published my first article on Substack. I set out to publish 2 articles weekly, usually covering a wide range of topics in the Sports world. The name of my newsletter is Nextmanup.

Sports is my passion, so writing anything sports-related doesn’t seem like a burden. The words flow from my keyboard onto the screen. But there’s more to creating a successful newsletter/ blog than the writing itself.

I quickly realized how much time needs to be dedicated to networking, advertising, and customizing the finer details.

I started to do a bunch of research on how to create a successful newsletter. I read hundreds of articles and talked to many people. While this was happening, I came across Medium, and I can honestly say, I’m glad I did.

Attention all new writers

Now, don’t get me wrong, I love Substack, I really do. But Medium is a different animal. In my humble opinion, Medium is best for new writers looking to establish a following, and Substack is best for those who already have a following.

This doesn’t mean that you can’t become successful on Substack without a following. Some people just have the grit and…