I Joined Medium in October and Just Hit $4,000 — Here’s How

9 May 202212 January 2023 Mike Lewis

19 quick tips for succeeding on Medium

I checked my Medium earnings today and realized that I’ve already earned over $4,000. The exact figure is $4,011.82. That’s in just under 6 months. I’m just getting started though. I have a 5-year plan.

Other writers often ask me how I’ve had such early success. I’ve shared many tips over the months, but here are 19 quickies to get you started.

Just write — This is where it all starts. If you never write you’ll never earn anything. If you can only focus on one thing, focus on writing.
Be consistent — If you want to become a successful writer you need to have some consistency. It’s no good writing 10 articles one week and then taking a month off. Publish regularly. Preferably daily.
Set your profile up properly — Look at the profiles of the top writers on here. Use those as inspiration to create your own great profile. Don’t copy them, but adapt them to your own circumstances.
Be yourself — Don’t just blindly copy topics that others write about. Readers want to read what you have to say. They don’t want a repeat of what a top writer just wrote.
Write 5–10 headlines for each story — Headlines matter. A lot. Choose the best headline of the ones you came up with.
Write for your readers — Don’t just write to make money. If you write what your readers love, the money will follow.
Make a long-term plan — I’m planning to write for at least 5 years. Writing isn’t a get-rich-quick side hustle. It takes time to hone your writing and build a following.
Don’t get burnt out — Some writers get burnt out. Make sure that doesn’t happen to you. If it’s getting too much, take a break and re-evaluate what you’re doing.
Don’t obsess over your stats — Your views will go up and down daily. That’s perfectly natural. Look at the bigger picture. View your stats over months or years. My views are down over 80% in the last two weeks. No big deal.
Experiment — In the beginning, you need to experiment a lot. Find out which topics work best for you. I’ve experimented with writing, side hustles, making money, wealth, economics, relationships, and more.
Don’t compare yourself to others — We’re all following different writing paths. It’s counter-productive to come yourself to writers that are years ahead of you. Instead, compare yourself with where you were 6–12 months.
Don’t write for different platforms — When you’re starting, write for one platform. For me, that’s Medium. Don’t write for 5 different platforms all at once. You’ll likely fail at all of them.
Carry a notebook with you — You never know when a great article idea will pop into your head. Write it down right away. I’ve had too many ideas that I didn’t write down. By later in the day I’d forgotten what they were.
Once a week take a day off — I don’t mean just from writing, but everything. Have a lie-in, lounge around, go for a walk, whatever. Have a totally relaxing day. It will keep you fresh. I don’t do this enough.
Review your stats once a month — See what’s working best and double down on those things. If certain topics work better for you, write more of those.
Create public lists — Group your best stories into lists. It’s an easy way to share all your best stories with just one link.
Pin your best stories — Pin your best stories to the top of your profile. Change them regularly. Maybe once or twice a month. Experiment. Maybe weekly will work best for you.
Reward yourself — If you have a great month, reward yourself. Take your partner out for a romantic dinner — paid for by your writing. They’ll think you’re awesome.
Enjoy yourself — Writing should be fun. Relax. Don’t stress about stories that don’t get views. Have fun. Don’t be so serious.