A Writer: I Upgraded My Medium Membership to Member Status
I’m trying to get serious as a writer and thought leader. All the good articles on Medium seem to have a pay wall. I like to be paid for my work, and Medium pays writers for their work.
Becoming a Great Writer
To become a great writer, you have to practice your art (what I’m doing now), and get feedback from your readers.
In order to get that feedback, you have to not only get readers, but also entice them to take the time to give you that feedback.
Getting readers is becoming more difficult on any platform as competition for eyeballs increases as the value of the particular platform grows. More people chasing the attention of it’s users, with the internet consolidating attention to less creators.
I’m not complaining here (for once), it makes sense. People are busy, they are trying to get things done, improve themselves and their lives.
The Value of Medium
Medium’s homepage title is as follows:
“Medium — Get smarter about what matters to you.”
They know what they are doing. Medium’s founders include the likes of Biz Stone and Evan Williams of Twitter fame.
People want to learn. They are self interested. I am self interested. Without getting too deep, it is a good thing. Often on the internet, lies and clickbait are what drives revenue, so we see the proliferation of that content.
Most of the major and local newspapers survive by selling ad space, so they have to take care in what they publish.
Medium is trying to build a subscriber base that pays writers to write what is important to them and their readers. A place, perhaps, where people read thought that doesn’t have distribution in other formats.
These are the subjects I think deeply about and have manages to put to writing:
While I think they are cool and relevant and should be discussed, they are critical. In the fast paced, social media enslaved internet of 2020, this stuff doesn’t fare so well.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t do so well on this platform either. I haven’t figured out if it is my fault, human nature or Medium’s flaws yet. Probably a mixture of all.
Most of the gated articles I read initially were clickbait self help. I gained some insight from them, but was ultimately disappointed their lack of depth and repetitiveness.
I’ve also read a couple good articles on Medium. These mostly come from larger internet publications such as The Atlantic.
Getting Found on Medium
It’s not easy. There are prolific writers on this platform that already have a huge network of readers and supporters. Their work gets featured and is what floats on Medium and other social media.
This isn’t just a problem here on Medium, but throughout the internet, economy and society. Power and opportunity — capital — tend to consolidate. Politics in a nutshell.
I’ll take some blame too. I could be more consistent. I could write more and better. I could write for many more years before I become popular.
Jordan Peterson wrote “Maps of Meaning” in 1999. It didn’t sell well. He continued to work for near two decades as a professor, Psychologist and father, until he released a best selling book in 2018.
“12 Rules for Life” is a great book that I am on my 3rd time reading through. I don’t agree absolutely with every part of it, but it has earned a top spot on my reading list. If you look at the title, it is click baitey just like popular Medium articles or the ones you used to see on Facebook before they decimated organic reach.
Luckily, I’m a Founder of the small business marketing company, New England Marketing & Efficiency.
The Content Marketplace
People are busy, and don’t have time to read a bad article, let alone a bad book. Remember, they want to “get smarter”, get better and improve. That’s why my next book will be a self-help book.
When I wrote “Incentives and the Environment”, I thought it was a great title; still do. Unfortunately it didn’t resonate with the readers I wanted. No one but academics are searching those keywords, and I am at times critical of them.
I also didn’t market the book. It is registered in the Library of Congress and I own the copyright. I am proud and stand behind it’s messaging. Further, it compliments my work on EmissionsTax.
If you want to make money as a writer, you have to discover and cater to a specific market.
While I would prefer to write original pieces like this:
I want to make money. That doesn’t necessarily mean it has to come from Medium. It does mean that people have to see my work.
Final Thoughts on Medium Membership
While not perfect, I enjoy having the power to support work I like. There is good work on Medium, and a lot people with more talent than I.
I still have articles bookmarked that I couldn’t read prior as a free member. This platform is still growing; still evolving. So am I.
Let’s keep in touch.
Robert Tanguay is a content creator, environmentalist and all around good guy. You can subscribe to his YouTube channel here.
