How I Feel about Medium

There has been a lot of debate over which writing platform is better; Vocal or Medium? It's kind of like apples and oranges, only for indie writers. And I've seen it go both ways in my Facebook groups.

For those of you who haven't heard of it, Medium is another great online writing platform for anyone who wants to write.

But I'm not going to say which one is better. This is me telling you about Medium and my journey with the platform.

Why I Went on Medium

I first started writing on the platform in May of 2021. Well, it wasn't so much writing as it was importing stories from Vocal and my blog onto Medium.

I wanted more people to read my stories, and I heard about Medium (I don't even remember how anymore), so I figured, why the hell not? And I signed up for the free version.

But I didn't put too much thought or care into it. And not for quite a while. I was focused on becoming a better writer on Vocal and viewed Medium as simply an extension.

Plus, it focuses more on personal stories and articles rather than fiction, which I didn't care for at the time.

But then I decided to become a paying member on the platform so I could read more than three stories a month.

Slowly, I got more into it, and when the platform decided to limit payment to only those who had 100 or more followers, I busted my ass to meet the requirement.

And guess what?

I did! And right before the deadline too, which was at the end of March this year. So now I have over 120 followers and growing on Medium, and at least one person on my email list.

The Different Features of Medium

Here are some of the cool features of the platform.

1. Instant Publishing: You can publish your work on Medium as soon as you're ready, without having to wait for approval from moderators.
2. Reads=Money: Another platform to earn on. Some say they've earned hundreds or even a thousand dollars a month. But you have to be in the Partner Program.
3. Tags: You can give your stories up to five tags to describe the content. And make your own if none of them work for you.
4. Followers: Like Instagram or Twitter, people can follow you and vice versa.
5. Likes/Comments: You can do both for Medium stories on the platform.
6. Importing Links: You can import story links from other websites to publish them on Medium.
7. Email List: Yes, people are able to sign up, so they get your stories emailed to them as soon as they appear without having to do the extra work, as well as import people onto your Medium email list.
8. Referral Links: You can create your own link for people to sign up with to get some of the money that people pay when they get a membership, which is no extra cost for them.
9. Publications: You can either submit to publications to gain more reads and exposure or create your own.
10. Profile Design: You are able to play around with how your homepage looks fairly easily.
11. Social Media Connecting and Sharing: If you have Facebook and/or Twitter, you can link your Medium page to either. And you can share on more platforms, such as LinkedIn.
12. The App: It makes it so much easier to read stories, and I believe it's available on apple, android, and desktop.

There are probably more, but those are the main ones.

What Changes Would I Make to Medium?

That's a tough question. But I suppose I have a few ideas (grins evilly).

I'd like there to be more challenges sprinkled throughout the year on Medium, and for them to be more accessible and creative.

I'd also like fiction stories to be more popular since I am a fiction writer at heart. But I don't know how they'd accomplish that.

Another great feature would be compatibility with editing software extensions like Grammarly or ProWritingAid. Because no story should be riddled with grammatical issues.

It would also be fantastic if you could import documents from places like Word or Google. And be able to move paragraphs and headings up and down without having to copy, paste, and delete.

Was Medium a Good Decision for Me?

For me, although it took time to build the motivation and momentum to focus on the platform, yes, it was.

It's helping me take my writing more seriously, with me creating two publications and an email list, as well as expressing my personal journies and opinions.

Plus, because it has an app, I'm able to consume content daily and gain inspiration.

Is Medium Right for You?

Well, that depends on your writing goals.

If you're just starting to write online, or if you prefer writing fiction, then I would suggest at least starting with Vocal. You are more able to discover your online presence and writing voice without all the pressure.

However, if you like writing articles or if you are feeling confident and ready to stretch your online wings, then Medium is a great place to go.

So check out the link below and give Medium a try!

Thank you for the read! Likes, comments, shares, tips, subscriptions, follows, and pledges are always cherished.

https://medium.com/@4299amethystc