I Received My First Payment From Medium
How much was it? How do I feel about it? Was it worth it?
I joined the Medium Paid Partnership Program on 18 February 2024, with very little expectation of how things were going to go. The last 8 weeks have been surprising and a little bewildering at times. I don’t quite understand how it all works yet, and perhaps I never will. Nevertheless, the journey has been a positive one so far.
How much did I earn?
To be honest, it is wild to me that I could earn anything from my writing. I was still stuck in the mindset of legacy writing. Medium has been an incredible platform for me to get my writing out there. To just do it. To publish easily and quickly and to deliver it to the screens of people who want to read.
In February, I made nothing. Due to my ignorance, I didn’t put my first three stories behind the Paywall. On reflection, I am happy that not all my stories are behind a Paywall. Hopefully, it will encourage other new writers to get started and join the Medium Partnership Program when they are ready.
For March I received a payment of $14.27. I am in profit! At this point, I have paid two months of membership at $5 per month. I can’t believe I have made anything from my six published stories, never mind a small profit.
How do I feel about it?
I didn’t come into this with a back catalogue of writing that I could upload to the platform. Everything I have written has been from scratch (bar one as yet unpublished poem). I have greatly enjoyed the process. It has reignited in me something that was lost long ago.
My first stories did not reach a publication, because I didn’t understand their significance. Thanks to the Medium Pub Crawl, I now know better and have submitted all subsequent stories to publications. I have been accepted to the following publications.
The whole experience so far has made me feel validated as a writer. Medium is such a safe space. There are no trolls, the platform is well-policed and I feel that it is a strong community of like-minded souls, working together to support each other. Sounds pretty idyllic!
I do get a bit jittery when I first submit to publication and then endure the wait until my story gets the go-ahead. I submitted a poem yesterday and it is still to be published. I find myself wracked with self-doubt. Was it a pile of crap? I thought it was good, but what do I know?
More than anything, I feel motivated. I feel optimistic. I feel encouraged. These will sustain me to stay consistent. To keep writing and to encourage others to do the same. There is space for us all.
Was it worth it?
In terms of hours to earnings, of course it isn’t, but that’s not what this has been about. I am a beginner. A learner. I have viewed these first weeks on Medium as my training ground. An opportunity to try things. To get comfortable with putting myself out there.
I made a $10 investment in myself and I made a profit. It has wildly exceeded my expectations.
It was absolutely worth it!
