TIPS FOR SUCCESS

What It Takes to Be a Successful Writer on Medium

Hell if I know, but here’s my guess

Katelyn Perry
For Unsplash+

I was recently asked what it takes to be successful as a writer on Medium. I was both flattered and flummoxed. How could I possibly know? How often have I experienced Medium success?

I don’t count boosts, followers, subscribers, or any of the quantitative data that might render a judgment. I certainly don’t count dollars earned. If you asked me to provide one adjective that describes my Medium experience, I wouldn’t have said “successful,” but I could imagine myself saying“turbulent.” There have been many highs, lows, and in-betweens.

So, to consider the question, “ What does it take to become successful on Medium?” I reviewed my hits and misses from the 825 articles I wrote over the last six years. I considered the pieces that drew attention and the ones that flopped.

Below, I share what I’ve learned.

Four Attributes Define My Hits

Of course, I could point to attributes beyond four, but the areas I’ve called out in this piece repeated themselves over and over again. It’s no more complicated than addressing a reader’s need and showing your own humanity.