Here's Why You Should Join Medium

I see many creators in Vocal Media social media groups asking if Medium is worth their time. As someone who writes regularly on both, I thought I would answer common questions and give more insight into what Medium is about.

I've been on Medium for six months now and I can honestly say it's one of the best things I've ever done. I published 3-4 times a week - unless I'm having a bad week - and I've connected with writers all over the world.

Medium has a lot less negativity in comparison to Vocal Media in regards to comments. I've seen some seriously disgusting and even racist comments from Vocal creators but this is not really found on Medium. I guess this is because Medium is a much bigger company and has rules and regulations for these types of horrid comments. I'm not saying there are no negative comments because there are one or two, but it's not as frequent as Vocal Media.

Can you make money from Medium?

There are writers on the platform that make five figures a month. However, they make Medium their full-time job and some publish 3/4 times a day. I do also make money from Medium and for the first month, I'm on track to walk away with three figures.

The way that Medium pays is NOT per view. The only time a view counts is if the person viewing has a member account and is part of the Medium Partner Programme, which is $5 a month.

Now, this sounds as if it's unfair but if you do connect with writers, build up your followers and get curated (similar to being a Top Story but there's no bonus) then there's a higher chance of you getting views. Also, on Medium the front page shows the top 6 trending articles on the platform - so if you ever make it on there then congratulations to you.

You do NOT get curated for writing about Medium - they do not like it when you do that which is the total opposite of Vocal Media.

How does it even work?

It's really not the same as Vocal. You have the choice to either self-publish your work or you can submit it to a publication. For beginners, you definitely need to submit to publications, to begin with in order to establish engagement and get a feel for what kind of response your writing gets. Just like your personal page, publications also have followers and the bigger the page usually means the bigger your engagement is going to be - but this is not always the case.

Unfortunately, it's common that some publications will turn down your work as it's not an appropriate fit. Do not be disheartened, there are plenty of other publications to submit to or you can just self-publish.

Some publications will pay $500 for your work if you pitch to them and they see it as a fit - but it's rare they will respond to you (well, they don't respond to me!)

Differences

Firstly, instead of hearts which we get on Vocal Media, on Medium. we get claps, highlights, and responses. None of these will make you more money, but they're good indicators as to who regularly engages with your writing and how popular your piece is.

Secondly, I feel like Medium is a lot more professional than Vocal Media. You will find people from all walks of life but a lot of writers will have their LinkedIn connected and have professional photos which make them look as if they earn six figures a year.

Thirdly, you cannot get tipped on Medium nor are there any challenges. Apparently, there used to be but this was when the platform wasn't so big. Some of the publications will host an odd competition - The Writing Cooperative is one I know of.

Unlike Vocal, you can follow and subscribe to your favorite writers.

Finally, the platform allows you to talk about anything. Nothing will be removed unless Medium flag it - but you will get an email letting you know why.

Similarities

Both platforms use Stripe which is good news for most but bad for those who aren't eligible for Stripe as they're not from a qualifying country.

Both platforms are also American. This might be a benefit to some countries if the currency conversion rate is currently high but for me, it is fairly bad news as £1 gets me $0.72.

Why does Medium get a lot of slander?

A lot of folks on Vocal Media will slander Medium in the comments - simply because they haven't made money from it or because there's not as much engagement. Please remember that Medium has millions of writers/readers whilst Vocal is fairly new with only thousands.

Medium has also decided to change their algorithms a lot lately which hasn't really benefited writers at all. In fact, it hasn't benefited any of us as our writing has gotten a lot fewer viewers and readers. Additionally, the CEO of Medium announced that there will be changes to the editorials that they publish which means a lot of editors will be out of work but they can stay with the platform if they want to.

It's definitely not a get-rich-quick overnight platform. But if you play your cards right and have patience, it can make you four/three figures a month. Here's a quick summary of what I feel you need to bring to the Medium table to be successful:

1. Publish regularly - 3 times a week minimum.

2. Be patient - writing is not for everyone and it takes some more time to build their skills than others.

3. Try different niches and styles of writing as you never know where you might end up.

4. Dream big and have faith at all times.

At the end of the day, if you join Medium and it doesn't work for you, at least you gave it a try. It may give you the confidence to expand your writing in other areas (e.g. Fiverr or Upwork).

If you do join Medium, please give me a follow and I'll follow you right back! I tend to write about spirituality, writing, personal experiences, and other pretty random stuff.