Member-only story
Am I An Outlier?
Does my lack of focus on earnings make me an outsider at Medium?
I’ve been writing pieces on Medium for 18 months now. I write when I feel inspired and am grateful when a reader gives me a clap. I check my stats page about once a month. When I see all the articles advising people about how to make money on Medium, I wonder if I should be trying harder to find success.
From the get-go, I decided not to focus on making money, though I do appreciate even a small revenue stream. In fact, I joined Medium because it provides the opportunity to be paid. Writing is work just like any other profession and I’m not comfortable giving my labor for free to an anonymous corporation whose managers are largely unknown and unseen.
I write because I love words, love language, love to communicate and share my thoughts.
I’m glad that I don’t focus on money because I think it would drive me insane. I write sporadically, when I have the time and inspiration, so my meager earnings should come as no surprise. It would be frustrating if I banged out a piece daily and still didn’t earn much dough.
The latest missive to Medium Partners shows how few writers can eke a living from the platform. It reports that “59% of writers or publications who wrote at least one story for members earned money.” One lucky writer earned $24,438.59 in a…
