Medium Membership: A Retrospective For More Quality Writing
A MISTAKE TO AVOID AND TIPS FOR BEGINNERS ON MEDIUM
The day when I finally reached my goal as a beginner writer on Medium— 100 Followers, I was feeling anxious at the revelation of the amount of responsibility I must carry.
The ladder I successfully climb over the past 35 days, it’s not mean that now I could make money from my story, it’s a hope with a long journey ahead.
But firstly, I must put extra focus on the quality and this mindset is rationally more sustainable.
You surely don’t want to keep tagging the #FollowforFollow or #100Followers, or the situation where you are forced to read a story where the writers only treat their Medium account as a diary canvas.
Like this published story of mine for instance, Though to Stop Writing.
An article I wrote when I basically struggle to write a film-review genre that requires deep analysis and structural writing, especially if you want to get published on Fanfare by Eric Pierce.
One thing about your readers/audience, they have a million option articles to read, so why read yours? Perhaps, they are miserable as you are, and reading a pessimistic and stagnant story where the writers abandoned their conclusion paragraph it’s a waste of capitalistic opportunity, especially if you’re an American.
Take a look at this story, How Ambition is Killing My Happiness.
You will realize how the writer failed to adjust the aesthetic wording of its raw and naked memoir. Plus a very bad choice of headline, isn’t it?
See this article “Everything You Need to Know About Writing Memoir…You Didn’t Think You Needed to Know” by KiKi Walter (Co-Publisher of The Memoirist) and why you have an obligation as a storyteller to improve your writing.
Yes, you are allowed to put a nuance of melancholy in your articles, but always and forever or without technique to attract empathy from your readers? Ugh, I might report your account as spam to Medium or click the “show less like this” button.
This is why you will lose the opportunity to monetize your Medium account if you can’t be a killer to your own published story. You need to open the door of your own mistake and create a race between The You Who Refuse to Change and The You Who Crave Improvement.
4 Things to Retrospective After Paying the $5 Membership
- Personal Branding Remodeling
Take a look at your bio and profile section. Use a universal language that people could understand and be curious about who you are, what your preferences are, what your hobby is, and what your achievement is.
Don’t try to tell that you are smart because the word “smart” in writing discourse only could be shown by your work. It just reminds people of one of their classmates being a teacher’s flatterer for the shake B+ grade in a mid-term exam.
- Before: a very ambiguous bio and I don’t have a track record for writing, so why should people care about my book?
- After: Philosophy is amazing, why do you hate philosophy? I Hate Philosophy is my most-read story and a link to my work history outside Medium. Plus a new profile picture to tell people that I’m real.
I mean, why do I like to make everything seems complicated and unappealing? What do you think? Do you get a bigger picture of me?
- Niche Writing
This is something I just realize the “Why” of I’m not progressing. Anyway, it’s better late than never.
Niche writing could be an exemptional motivation, for you as a beginner writer and for growing your audience. And pragmatically, your audience wants to find a solution. You can spot Niche writing with a title that includes a number or question-based article.
You have the option to create all your article on niche strategy, but if you happened to be like me, a beginner writer, just ley your tongue taste everything. From a red apple, green apple, a yellow dragon fruit, you know what I’m saying?
You can read a more comprehensive story “Become the Most-Popular Writer in Your Niche — Don’t Make this Mistake” by August Birch.
- Format Writing and Images
My mistake is to play safe in Images, Unsplash.
It’s definitely important to use royalty-free or open copyright platforms like Unsplash, Freepik, and Vecteezy. But, you can put more effort to find the most standout Images for your beloved article.
About your writing format. Perhaps, you feel the content you wrote is essentially good, but the packing aspect is also part of the essential list to do.
I find this article really helpful in understanding the Medium writing format “The Best Medium Article Formatting Guide” and everything about the blogging guide by Casey Botticello.
- Ugly Truth: I will never be able to make money from writing on Medium
I’m not being pessimistic, but as long as Medium sticks to its current policy on Partner Programs then my chance to earn money from Medium is nearly impossible.
This is what happened when I tried to start applying for my Partner Program. Can you see Indonesia?
I hear from my fellow writer from India who share this unacceptable policy especially since their country is among the 2nd consumer groups for the Medium platform after America. You can listen to their story here “Can Indian Writers Earn Money From Medium And How” by Karan Dubey.
I wonder why and as a minority in this platform, I could only hope Medium is able to spread its wings to my country, Indonesia, tagging Medium Staff.
After all, I will never stop writing on Medium just because its policy holds me back to monetize my writing.
Perhaps, someday I will be considered to stop paying $5 every month for Medium Membership, but right now I just want to read, take a note, and learn the way to write more quality content. Because there are abundant writers/content creators who put so much effort into their work and I guess I have a part to support them.
Anyway, thank you and long life the fighters!
