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How I Became a Top Writer On Love, Relationships & Travel on Medium

And how you can do it too by implementing this Medium Success Formula.

Anna Rova
Anna Rova
Aug 28, 2017 · 8 min read

This was a crazy, random idea.

This was an experiment.

On January 13, 2017 I quit my full-time remote job in online marketing.

Inspired by Gary Vee’s advice on documenting our journeys and not having anything else better to do after quitting my job, I decided to start my 99 Days of Wander Writing Project.

Results 99 days later:

- Top Writer in Love, Relationships and Travel- Suggested Writer in Travel, Relationships, Entrepreneurship & Life Lessons- 570 followers- Published author on Be Yourself (top Publication on Medium with 120,000 followers) - 6,047 views on all articles- 3,028 reads on all articles- Read rate: 50%

The two most important numbers on Medium are read rate and recommends. This way even the new writers with 10 followers can get to top writer status. Medium’s goal is to spread great content in a non-invasive way where headlines and clicks matter less than great stories.

Even Williams, the founder of Medium, put it beautifully himself:

“Through a combination of algorithmic and editorial curation, posts on Medium get spread around based on interest and engagement. Some get hundreds of thousands of readers — and not because they were written by famous people. Medium is not about who you are or whom you know, but about what you have to say.”

In 99 days I have published 38 stories or one story every four days.

Before I started 99 Days of Wander, I only had five published stories from May 2016 to January 2017 with 1,090 views and 648 reads throughout that period which is still a 59% read rate.

Medium Success Formula

Curiosity x Focus x Consistency x Frequency = Success

Curiosity.

Writing is an introspective experience. It is a journey into your own self.

How I am constantly staying curious and keeping the inspiration flowing? I’m preparing a 3 hour free mini course on my success formula. Stay tuned, it’s coming.

Focus.

Writing became my top priority. Five days a week I would show up and write. First 11 days I published one story a day. I actually thought I could do that for 99 days. #overachiever. So I slowed down after I realized that quality is more important than quantity.

Yes, it was difficult. Yes, I wanted to do other things instead. There is always something else that will want your attention. And yes, sometimes I was hating it. But I was committed and focused.

How I am keeping my focus? I’m preparing a 3 hour free mini course on my success formula. Stay tuned, it’s coming.

Consistency.

You can pick your own frequency of publishing your work (on that below) but you have to publish consistently. No matter what. Every day, every 10 days, every month. Whatever. Just show up and publish.

Sometimes it will be rubbish. Sometimes it will be brilliant. Sometimes it will be about nothing (or so you think.) Sometimes it will be about everything. It doesn’t matter. Just show up, write and publish.

You need to show up consistently. Even if rains. Even if you’re hurt. Even if you’re shitting rainbows. Even if you’re depressed. Even if you think the world is ending. You wake up, do your morning routine and write.

Don’t know what to write about? Write about the rain or how you’re hurt, shitting rainbows, depressed or about how the world is ending.

Just write.

This single factor is what differentiates those who succeed on any platform. So many of us (including myself) started something and then dropped it. We don’t have the discipline, we don’t have the motivation, we don’t have the drive.

How I am doing it? I’m preparing a 3 hour free mini course on my success formula. Stay tuned, it’s coming.

Frequency.

For example, when I didn’t publish anything about travel for about a week, I got removed from the “Top Writer in Travel” status. As soon as I publish something about travel (keeping my read rate at minimum) in 24 hours I am again a Top Writer in Travel. I tested it with other categories as well. So I know what I’m talking about.

Publishing consistently and often is the ultimate success formula. Of course, given that you write quality stuff. But without the curiosity and focus, you’ll be another “guru” running after numbers.

Remember:

Curiosity x Focus x Consistency x Frequency = Success

The beauty of writing on Medium is that it’s a platform where your SEO knowledge on writing the top headlines doesn’t matter (as much). I was just writing intriguing headlines that I thought would be cool but I had never checked any keyword research tool.

Study Medium.

Want to know what I found about Medium and how I write my stories? I’m preparing a 3 hour free mini course on my success formula. Stay tuned, it’s coming.

My Marketing (aka Traffic)

As soon as I published my article on Medium I did three things only:

  1. Post the link on Facebook.
  2. Post the screenshot on Instagram.
  3. Email my subscribers with it (all 45 of them ;-)

I also made sure to write a really good description to the post. From the heart. All raw. All me.

Want to see how exactly I did it as well as an inside look on all my Medium stats? I’m preparing a 3 hour free mini course on my success formula. Stay tuned, it’s coming.

Turning points.

2. Top Writer Status in Love, Relationships and Travel.

This was killer. Instant credibility. People were searching for good stuff to read and I was showing up as top writer in three categories so that brought me a lot of new traffic and followers.

3. Suggested Writer Status.

New members who are just signing in were seeing me as suggested writer in Travel, Relationships and Entrepreneurship (I suspect that I am close to being top writer in entrepreneurship as well)

4. Being published by Be Yourself.

Exposure to 120,000 followers of a major publication? Yes, please!

I’m preparing a 3 hour free mini course on my success formula. Stay tuned, it’s coming.

Here is a quick round up of the top posts from this project:

Top 3 posts in terms of views:

  1. Let Him Lead — Day 84 of 99 Days of Wander (376 views)
  2. What My Mother’s Death Taught Me About Life & Love — Day 94 of 99 Days of Wander (347 views)

Top 3 posts in terms of reads:

  1. Let Him Lead — Day 84 of 99 Days of Wander (176 reads)
  2. Why I Stopped Giving “Wanderova” Calls For Free — Day 44 of 99 Days of Wander (156 reads)

Top 3 posts in terms of read rate:

  1. I Am A Foreigner Here — Day 9 of 99 Days of Wander (74% read rate)
  2. The Story of Emma & Jack — Day 31 of 99 Days of Wander (72% read rate)

Top 3 favorite posts to write:

Letter To My Younger Wandering Self — Day 50 of 99 Days of Wander

A Thank You Letter To Men — Day 55 of 99 Days of Wander

Interestingly, my top favourite post to write is also the most read one.

Two of my favourite posts to write are also the most viewed and read.


So recap:

Success = Curiosity x Focus x Consistency x Frequency

Now, you might be asking yourself: Anna, what’s next?

Next is your turn. I’ve put together in writing and video everything I learned in detail from this journey.

I didn’t want to put it all into Medium because it will become like a 3-hour read. Besides, I’m doing a personal video series for you with my face (yay!), screen shares and stats. Here is what you will see:

I’m preparing a 3 hour free mini course on my success formula. Stay tuned, it’s coming.

Girlskill

Female Success. Redefined.

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Anna Rova

Written by

Anna Rova

Femininity & Relationship Coach| Girlskill Podcast Founder & Host girlskill.com

Girlskill

Girlskill

Female Success. Redefined.

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