3 Uncomfortable Truths About Medium
Deal with them if you want to earn money here
I’m sure there are many here that want to earn money from their writing. And for the most part, this is a fantastic platform to be writing. There are a few uncomfortable truths that you’ll need to confront though.
The key to having fun here and earning money is to go with the flow. Everything in life has some downsides, but we shouldn’t let them put us off what can be massive upsides.
I see a few people get very upset by some of the minor annoyances here. That’s ok, but don’t dismiss the whole project just because there are a few downsides.
So, let’s get on to those uncomfortable truths.
Uncomfortable Truth #1 — It takes work to earn good money
Yes, I mentioned that 4-letter work that so many people find vulgar. Work.
It would be great if we could earn a full-time salary here by spending 30 mins once a week writing an article. Unfortunately, that rarely happens in life.
The reality is that you have to put in the work if you want to succeed. Burk mentioned in a recent post that he wrote 300 articles before he earned over $2,500 in a month.
It took me 5 months and 212 articles before I got to almost $700 in a month.
If you want to succeed here it takes WORK. Don’t let that word scare you.
Uncomfortable Truth #2 — Medium will keep changing
Medium keeps changing. It will always keep changing. The world keeps changing. It will always keep changing.
Imagine how boring life would be if nothing changed. Do you want to go back to what the internet was like 20 years ago? I certainly don’t. While not all change is always for the better, over the long term the world and Medium are improving.
When change happens we need to adapt. That’s how we survive.
It’s not the fittest that survive. It’s the most adaptable. Adapt or die.
Embrace change. Adapt to it. Go with the flow. Keep fighting change and you’ll be fighting a lonely, losing battle.
Uncomfortable Truth #3 — Lots of writers write about making money
One of the biggest complaints I see here is that too many writers write about making money. Extra money is what most people want and need, so it’s bound to be a popular topic.
You may be one of the lucky few that has so much money that you don’t need to make more. So, congratulations. But think of all those that don’t have earn enough. Some are in desperate situations. They need articles that show them how they can earn a little extra. Don’t begrudge them that.
If you don’t want to see those kinds of articles, just block or mute the writers. Follow writers that write stories that you love, then read from the following tab instead of the recommended tab.
Some people have long commutes to work every day. Surely you can put up with seeing a few stories in your feed that you don’t like. Keep things in perspective. The world doesn’t revolve around you.
I would never have joined Medium if I hadn’t read the inspiring and motivating stories of other others earned good money here.
My take on this
I think you’d be making a big mistake if you give up on Medium just because of one or more of the above reasons.
We have the opportunity to write whenever we want and from wherever we want. And get paid for it. We have an opportunity today that our parents didn’t have. I write from my settee, bedroom cum office, kitchen, various cafés, different cities, and even different countries. You can do the same.
Let’s show some gratitude instead of complaining.
We have an opportunity here that we should grab with both hands. Ignore the minor annoyances. Focus on the positives. There are many.
Good luck on your writing journey. Who knows where it will take us.
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