How to Maximize Your Experience on Medium
A hat tip to my 100 new friends
I don’t want to become the cliché that talks about how many followers they have made on social media, although I was guilty of it before joining Medium. I wanted to write this article to thank anyone who follows me, whether you’re a stranger or a friend. I know 100 followers isn’t a lot for social media anymore, but it is to me when I know that my account grew organically. I came from WordPress, where customization grows an audience, which became expensive, and you had to make it work all on your own.
I’ve only been on here for a little over a year, but I’d love to share some tips I have learned along the way. I don’t have it all figured out, but I enjoy reading articles about navigating this expansive website, and I wanted to write my own.
Write, write, write
When I joined Medium in 2021, I had no idea how this worked. I wrote an article and published it on my own. I don’t think many people saw it, but I put my best foot forward. I didn’t want to minimize myself into a corner, so I made sure my first few articles were about different topics.
My advice is to start. Write an article that you’re happy with and hit the green button. Don’t complicate the process for yourself; otherwise, writing becomes a chore. Don’t overthink the topic of the article. Whatever happens, will happen.
Publications vs self-publishing
I haven’t written enough to know if publishing your work in a publication matters, but it certainly doesn’t hurt. I think it’s a great place to start if you want to maximize interaction with fellow writers. There are so many diverse publications to choose from that will accept new writers. My biggest tip is to make sure your article is free of grammar and punctuation mistakes, which is emphasized in all publication guidelines, and rightfully so.
Don’t force anything
Try to avoid the infamous follow-for-follow and interact with other writers. Keep in mind that they don’t owe you anything in return. Read their articles, applaud the ones you enjoy or relate to, and follow them if you genuinely like their content. I follow many people and publications that don’t publish the same genre of content as me, which is my intention. I want to see what else is out there.
Write what you love
Don’t publish an article because it’s a popular topic if you don’t enjoy what you’ve written. This advice is everywhere on this website, but it’s true. It’s okay that nobody reads it or applauds it. What matters is that you dared to release it. Write for yourself, and if you don’t enjoy writing process, then evaluate why you’re here.
My intention with this article was to share advice with brand-new writers, but it’s also an article to hold me accountable. I don’t want to lose myself as my audience grows. It’s important for all parties involved. I enjoy this little community on the internet and refuse to take it for granted.