Most Medium Writers Make No Money
How I monetize Medium — no Medium Partner Program needed
I won’t sugarcoat my words here. A lot of Medium writers, I’d say most of them, are not making any money here.
And, it’s not why you’re thinking.
This was actually me when I first started writing on Medium. I was clueless about monetization but, to be honest, the money wasn’t a motivator for me.
Here’s what I changed and how I’ve avoided being broke Medium writer.
What makes a broke Medium writer and why I’m different?
First, let me clarify…
When I say broke Medium writer, I don’t mean a Medium writer who’s broke and has no money.
I mean a writer who doesn’t monetize Medium.
This is often because they don’t know how.
The clear pick is going for the Medium Partner Program.
But, there are some challenges there…
- You have to qualify
- You have to create content consistently
Then, even if you are in MPP, you’re not necessarily making a ton of money.
Your stories aren’t getting views. Your audience is shrinking. And you just aren’t making money here.
So, what are ways you can make money on Medium without MPP?
Let’s explore…
How I monetize Medium — no Medium Partner Program needed
MPP is a drop in the bucket, honestly.
While I was making up to nearly $6K/month with MPP alone in my peak writing days here, I’ve made FAR MORE with other monetization channels, like:
- Services
- Affiliate marketing
- Product selling
Medium is a great place for reputation building.
I attracted multiple features in publications like Business Insider because of my stories on Medium.
I’ve been offered podcast interviews and been hired for coaching and consulting.
And, sold thousands of my products because of my Medium writing.
You have to dive into each of these opportunities to see which one is the best for you. Sometimes all of them are and you can honestly explore it all and succeed.
But, before the money comes, the writing has to be good and you have to be creating content for a target audience, whether it be moms, writers, entrepreneurs, etc.
Work on your writing
Medium is a great place to practice this. What I love about this platform is that you can create content of all sizes, whether you cover a super long story or write a micropost.
It’s great practice.
It can help you develop your writing skills and submitting to publications that accept your work will tell you if you’re on the right path to this.
Everyone thinks they’ll write one viral post and start raking in hundreds. Medium doesn’t work like that…
Viral posts can help, let me be honest.
This is a screenshot from MPP for one of my top-performing stories on Medium.
Almost $10K.
It went viral.
It did boost my followers, make me more money and help my other stories gain visibility.
But, once the virality wore off, I was back to the drawing board.
What’s the difference between making a lot of money on Medium and not?
These things…
- Distribution
- No hook
- Low output (inconsistency)
- The wrong niches
- False expectations
- Relying only on the Medium Partner Program
What actually works?
These are things I’ve personally done that have helped me earn a full-time income from Medium alone, when I was actively writing (up to $2,500+ per week).
- Write in a high-paying niche
- Publish consistently
- Focus on headline + hook
- Capture emails
- Monetize outside the partner program
What are some things that have helped you succeed writing on Medium?
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