If Medium sucks right now, this might be why...
Hi and happy Friday,
Teaches me to pre-plan. I was going to show you my book covers this week and ask which you like better. But no, because I’m not happy with the second one yet. Next week, I hope. Knock on wood.
Instead, I’m going to complain about Medium. lol.
Not really — but I am going to show you something you might not be aware of. So, if Medium has been kind of sucking for you lately, this might be why.
Normally, I can count on decent read ratio.
In all the time I’ve written on Medium, here’s one thing I’ve always been able to count on. If I can write a decent title, I usually get a decent read ratio.
FOR EXAMPLE, HERE’S JULY…
Side note: I crossed out the titles because it’s not about the title or topic or any of that. It’s simply that I’ve always been able to count on a decent read ratio.
AND HERE’S LAST DECEMBER
See? Generally, a decent read ratio. Up to now. Past tense.
And now? Wth?
Lately, I thought I sucked… Because that’s what and how writers think. When our results change, we (too often) wonder what *we* are doing wrong. Because surely it’s our own fault, right?
I’ve only published 5 pieces in September so far — and 3 have ratios under 35%.
It’s a natural thing to think, right? I mean — when 78% of the people who click on a story can’t be bothered to read it, I must be doing “something” wrong. Right?
Turns out Medium is doing an experiment…
Some people are seeing “related posts” in the sidebar when they read on Medium.
Apparently only some people see them. It’s a beta test, but not all members see them. I don’t, so I didn’t know it was happening. Just thought I fell off a cliff or something.
Kristina God was chosen to be part of the experiment. She sees the related posts sidebar and they appear on all posts — including her own. So she screen capped and wrote about it. Reading the comments is how I learned not everyone sees them.
She first saw them on August 26. Now I can’t help but wonder if that explains the really lousy read ratios I’ve been seeing. Which kind of sucks.
I don’t like it.
If I (or you, or anyone) managed to write a title that made someone click in to read, I don’t think Medium should be adding a sidebar to take the reader away. They already have posts at the bottom of the page.
Plus?
The *related* posts aren’t *really* related…
Related like Marilyn Munster, maybe. Sesame Street has a song for that.
One of these things is not like the others…
Even in Kristina’s screencap, the “related” stories — aren’t. Her article was an analysis of the articles that went viral for her. The “related” stories include erotica and a call for submissions. How are those related?
It’s their site. They can do what they want. But I do wish they’d be more transparent about what they’re doing. It wouldn’t have killed them to tell us they’re doing a beta test and showing the sidebar to randomly selected people.
So I’m curious…
Are you seeing the related sidebar?
Have your numbers dropped, too?
/rant
Did you miss these?
An Open Letter To The Man Whose First Book Is Dying On Amazon
20 Unsplash Photos That Have Been Used To Death. Please. Stop.
I'm not upset that you lied to me, I'm upset that from now on I can't believe you.”
― Friedrich Nietzsche
Clicking the ❤ is a nice way to say you enjoy my writing. Reading in email? Click the title to leave a comment. Thanks for reading and have a great weekend!
xo,
Linda
I don't see it but my numbers are still sucking worse than ever before.
I have not seen the side bar. I don’t pay much attention to the read ratio. Why? I don’t care.