Fiction on Medium

Fiction on Medium is a great way to earn money writing fiction online.  Yes, the popular blogging platform is probably best known for writers' articles on their pets, politics, daily life, and so many other "serious" topics.  However, there is a huge following for the fiction niche that lurks beneath the surface.  If you are a fiction writer and you are not on Medium, then you are missing out on a new readership as well as potential income.

Fiction on Medium vs Article Style Posts

If separate the posts you'll find on Medium into two categories: article style posts and those that tell a fictional story, you may be surprised to find that both often receive an equal amount of reads.  People love to get lost in the make believe and they want to invest in characters.  Of course, there is less pressure writing as well as reading a story, when compared to that of an article post that teaches or even scolds someone.  Yes, even writers who are writing about their pets, kids, or how to improve their marriage, are still projecting a different vibe than a fictional story.

The problem is that most writers don't think that they can make money on sites like Medium or Vocal  Media by writing fiction stories.  Those that do may even believe that the story has to be based in reality or "true life" type of tale.  That's not right.  Medium is a serious platform and many people are there reading the latest and greatest of news, opinions, and more.  However, just as many people are there just to escape the crazy that's going on in the world.  They will read about dragons, vampires, futuristic worlds, and yes... even erotica.  What does that mean for you?  Well, every time they read your story, that read goes toward earning you money.  After all, you get paid for reads.

How You Earn Money Writing Fiction Online with Medium

As I mentioned, regardless of what type of post you write, you are paid according to the number of reads that post receives.  Fiction stories are no different.  If the same number of people read your story about a dragon and an elf, that read another post about the latest political news; both posts will earn the same amount of money for the writer.  In fact, here is a little secret I'll let you in on; every month, my top 3 earning posts are fiction stories.

After creating a free account on Medium, you will need to join the partner program if you want to earn money.  Yes, this is also free to do.  You can have a free account and still earn money based on the amount of reads your posts get.  Of course, if you upgrade to the $5 per month account, then your reads will earn you more.  That part is up to you.  Typically, the difference is an upgraded account earning double per thousand reads when compared to a non-upgraded account.

You are able to place affiliate links into your posts, if you can find a way to tie in the link to the story or place it at the bottom, however, you need to be aware that Medium doesn't like it when you do this.  Affiliate links will cause your post to never get sent out to members by Medium itself.  However, your story will still show up on searches and other places.  The ideal situation is to gain a following on the platform that are waiting to read your next story.  It is also worth mentioning that the newsletter function on the platform allows you send messages to followers who sign up for your list.  A newsletter can be a powerful instrument in earning more money by driving more reads as well as a little affiliate marketing.

Structuring Your Fiction Story

Regardless of the type of content you share on Medium, every post must follow the same structure.  Don't worry though; it's a very easy structure to follow.  First, you must have a banner image with photo credits underneath.  Second, you must use headers.  Third, you must have at least 600 words total per post.  Generally, any story is going to have at least six hundred words; likely even more.  As you can see... the structure is not a problem and will not hinder your story or creativity in any way.

Of course, a big part of structuring your story will also be ensuring that you use the proper SEO when posting.  Yes, search engine optimization still matters even for a fiction story.  In fact, it is an even greater factor because of Medium's domain authority on search engines.  Currently, Medium has a domain rank of 94 and a URL rating of 89!  This means that it shows up very high in search results, so your story has a great chance of being on the first page of Google if you utilize SEO correctly.

Videos For More Information You'll Need

I wanted to provide two videos I did recently that will help you in your journey to earning money as a fiction writer online with  Medium.  If you have not yet seen these videos then you would be well served to check them out now.  Don't worry, they aren't that long, but they will provide critical information in a visual way.

If you have any questions or would like to speak with a digital writer that has over 20 years of experience... just click the button at the bottom of the page and submit a ticket for a quick response.  Happy to help.  Go ahead and check out the videos now.