When has there been a time when some disgruntled writer wasn't talking smack about Medium? It seemed while I was there that some of them made a good living doing just that.
Baudelaire is correct within reason- some stuff is not worth getting drunk over.
I feel that what Medium has done over the last year is really amazing. I find myself putting a LOT more effort into what I publish there. I feel fatigued after I've written a story, and though they don't all get boosted, I know they're better than what I was writing a year ago. Frustration is inherent in the craft of writing, and I too can feel frustrated from time to time with Medium, but I'll always be grateful for the opportunity and the visibility they've given me. It's a wonderful platform and a kind community. Thanks for writing!
On the editor side, I find myself putting a LOT more effort into submissions, and am a lot quicker to turn a piece back. I'm not the only one with (relatively) higher standards, and I think it's reflected in an overall raising of quality on the platform.
EDIT: Worth noting that someone spammed the entire thread with those "contact me on Whatsapp" posts we always see on medium. That's some serious irony.
I see those occasionally and figure they are some kind of account hack because the authors are NOT the types I would expect that from. What am I missing?
You’re not missing any thing; that’s exactly what’s happening. Just kind of odd to seem them on a Substack post instead of Medium, and doubly so since they the post was about Medium.
I agree Walter. Boost has made me think more about what I post. Growth as a writer is the best outcome, I think. Because if we're not growing we're stagnating
This has been true for me too, Walter. Especially at first, I took boost beta as a challenge to improve my writing. I’ve lost a bit of that motivation over time and I still find it hard to overcome the sadness I feel when worthy articles get so few views in the new system. But I have felt encouraged by your positive view and willingness to show other writers your approaches to writing stories that are more likely to get boosted. I’m grateful to you and to Medium as well. There’s no other platform like it.
I still giggle at all of the "email is dead" articles that flew around from 99 to 2001 or so as enterprise 2.0 reared its head -- and then quickly morphed into all this social sh..., er, stuff. What made them even funnier, to me, was that everytime I signed up for a new social platform, confirmation, alerts, etc. all delivered via email. Dead. Sure.
I've been on Medium for a bit and have only started posting regularly over this year. I only get dribbles of reads and I'm fine with that since I'm more focused on building here. Anything on Medium is lagniappe.
As for folks whining about Medium -- you don't get to whine about a platform's decision that you have decided to live on. Don't want to play by someone else's rules, don't build on the land you rent from them.
Thank you for writing this, Linda. I don’t drink myself but every time someone mentions that Medium or Substack are dying, I’m tempted to wallow like they do. Tbh those posts dishearten me as a writer. Imagine climbing up a mountain and then someone tells you at the top that the view isn’t so great.
I don’t want to feel like that. I’ve never liked doom and gloom situations and I still don’t. Truthfully, if I was in a more stable situation, this wouldn’t bother me because I love to write. But when you’re trying to earn through your writing, you just don’t want the negativity. I get some people are realists but there’s no harm in dreaming, is there?
This got a bit long lol, but knowing me, I’d still write on Medium. I just have to figure out how to support myself outside the platform.
It's real easy to wallow. I've done my share of that, for sure. It's why I almost left. I think a middling approach works better than either of the ends, you know?
I have so many thoughts about Medium, and almost all of them conflict with one another. It's a platform that helped (re)launch my writing career. It's also one that is still awash with the sort of writing I try to avoid, and the revenue model puts a lot of downward pressure on writers.
I mentioned it in the comments on the post you've cited, but for me Medium's rock bottom was the writing contest they held. IMO, it was a good idea horribly executed and one they botched at every step. The only thing they managed to do was unite writers in their resentment. On the bounce back we had to wade through endless meta posts, and false prophets making pennies lying to everyone about how to make thousands. We love us a hack.
In a similar vein, there are a lot of Medium refugees here on Substack (I'm one of them), and a few writers have cynically figured out how to capitalize on that, learning quickly that writing about Medium's faults drives eyeballs. We love us a hate read.
Today, it's in a better spot, and much of that is down to the Boost program. People have a love/hate relationship with it, but for those of us determined to improve the platform, this was a no-brainer. Getting paid to help surface objectively good writing? Yes, please.
Are we there yet? I don't think so. But we're closer, and I think that's a win.
I saw your comment Kevin. Almost made me break my silence and reply. lol. I agree with all your points. On the first one, the writing we try avoid - most of it is driven by the fact that half the country has no savings. Content becomes bread for the hungry. But that doesn't mean I have to like it. Agree with the conclusion. We're not there yet, but we're getting closer.
P.S. That contest was a gong show. Rock bottom indeed. They shouldn't have tried to be Vocal. It wasn't a good look.
I read Medium for two hours daily, and your postings are always part of that read. Then I write my stuff, post it on Substack or Medium or both, look around to see what else interests me enough to write about, and enjoy my life. Medium and Substack give me an audience for which I'm grateful.
The problem with the world is that there’s always a tiny minority at the top who control everything. It’s frustrating. Medium is a microcosm of society, and the way it works here is reflective of the wider capitalist system. We’re beholden to the Medium gods and we lack control and agency, praying to them to boost us or at least to allow people to read our offerings. When an article we gave our blood, sweat, and tears to create earns a sum total of $0.87 then we’re gonna be pissed off. Unlike the real world, in this world we can quit and exit to another to suffer the same injustices. Quitting is the highest form of protest.
You're absolutely right that quitting is the highest form of protest. There's a lot of power in quitting when it's for the right reasons. For me, it has to be *my* reasons, not someone else's. You know? :)
There is even more power in quitting when you scoop up all that energy and move it to something better, somewhere, likely a place or time or situation far away. Remember, a place can be a goal...a goal other than writing on the medium platform. Quit with intent and take your power with you!
Easily one of the best things I've read in a while. You're 100% correct. Nice work.
Having a love fest, like the one we're seeing some people have with Substack lately, is never a good idea. They are running businesses. And so are we. Act respectfully, but accordingly.
Medium is a place to go to write and read and it does that pretty well. It's not perfect but I don't see how it can be. With a million stories entering every month how can one get seen consistently? The boost program gives writers a chance and that's it. On Vocal you have to win a contest to make any money. On Newsbreak you have to local stuff that's usually about crime and fires and hit & runs, stuff that's depressing to write & read. But on Medium there's great poetry, fictions, non-fiction, humor, etc. It's worth the $5, it's worth the wait to get boosted. It's the best stadium in town to watch the game, where you're not stuck in the bleachers with a telescope trying to see what's happening. It's not perfect but name what is.
I read the article you mentioned by “he who shall not be named.” I get where he’s coming from. At one time he was in Medium’s top 1%, making a tidy living wage with a follower count of legions. His success on the platform convinced him (and a lot of his course subscribers) that he was a genius. Then, one day, his reads tanked. Medium’s pivot humiliated him. He didn’t just lose money, he lost his identity and his claim to fame. Now he wants revenge, biting the hand that once fed him so well, and hoping to cost Medium subscribers. His energy would be better spent figuring out his next big thing. Tastes change, companies change direction and priorities. It’s the way it goes. Ask any journalist who used to support a family with a newspaper column.
Yup, you're absolutely right. Would be much better to figure out his next big thing. I know a guy who used to feed his family on a newspaper column. He's now a caretaker. And it's sad, but winds change. Companies take care of their own bottom line first.
Medium. They built it. I saw. I came. It conquered me into weaving in and out, deciding not to monetize it, using it like using the beach as a sandbox (which is fun to play in until stray cats use it as a litter box)...and even then...it's all rain, roses, shit, dirt, rocks, and the potential for searing heat to arrive to make it all molten and leave us all with stained glass. Linda, you are the lighthouse on the medium's rocky shore. Keep writing, because I care.
I remember commenting on one of your posts that websites were irrelevant. You pushed back--hard. So, I hired a website designer who doubles as a business coach and got serious about upgrading mine. Today it is the hub of my business.
In 2022, I shifted from writing to primarily creating videos. I still write--in fact, I just started working on a new book. In this process, I've struggled to build a platform on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube. The algorithm on all of them is constantly shifting. What worked last year probably won't this year. The challenge has been how to use them so that I make money. What if TikTok gets banned, or if Instagram goes back to favoring photos over reels? What am I doing to do to drive traffic to me?
Until this year, all of my efforts have amounted to an expensive hobby. That has finally now changed.
Linda, thank you for these weekly articles. You've consistently have challenged me not to fall into this mindset. It's not about Medium, TikTok, Amazon, etc--it's about my target audience. How can I show in a way that they need? Thank you so much!
Yes! So much fear, motivating so many people. I've read that our brains are wired to focus on possible dangers rather than lucky strikes and "wins." (I think it was The Buddha's Brain where I got this.) It makes evolutionary sense, but like so many other things that make evolutionary sense, it doesn't make us happy -- nor does it make us good people.
Yup. You said it. Except you missed one. We can screw up, learn, revise, grow. That was my path. lol
When has there been a time when some disgruntled writer wasn't talking smack about Medium? It seemed while I was there that some of them made a good living doing just that.
Baudelaire is correct within reason- some stuff is not worth getting drunk over.
lol. You are so right. Some people made a living at it.
I feel that what Medium has done over the last year is really amazing. I find myself putting a LOT more effort into what I publish there. I feel fatigued after I've written a story, and though they don't all get boosted, I know they're better than what I was writing a year ago. Frustration is inherent in the craft of writing, and I too can feel frustrated from time to time with Medium, but I'll always be grateful for the opportunity and the visibility they've given me. It's a wonderful platform and a kind community. Thanks for writing!
On the editor side, I find myself putting a LOT more effort into submissions, and am a lot quicker to turn a piece back. I'm not the only one with (relatively) higher standards, and I think it's reflected in an overall raising of quality on the platform.
I think that's true. The opportunity to work with fantastic editors is one of Medium's biggest draws!
Same. I reject so much more.
EDIT: Worth noting that someone spammed the entire thread with those "contact me on Whatsapp" posts we always see on medium. That's some serious irony.
My comments get spammed and I’m barely in Medium as I concentrate on my novel. Absurd
Wait. What got spammed?? I don't see any of those here so I'm curious where you mean.
Oh sorry; I meant on the post we’ve been talking about, not here. They’ve all been deleted now.
Oh lol. Well at least I don't have to wonder anymore. Thanks for that.
I see those occasionally and figure they are some kind of account hack because the authors are NOT the types I would expect that from. What am I missing?
You’re not missing any thing; that’s exactly what’s happening. Just kind of odd to seem them on a Substack post instead of Medium, and doubly so since they the post was about Medium.
I agree Walter. Boost has made me think more about what I post. Growth as a writer is the best outcome, I think. Because if we're not growing we're stagnating
This has been true for me too, Walter. Especially at first, I took boost beta as a challenge to improve my writing. I’ve lost a bit of that motivation over time and I still find it hard to overcome the sadness I feel when worthy articles get so few views in the new system. But I have felt encouraged by your positive view and willingness to show other writers your approaches to writing stories that are more likely to get boosted. I’m grateful to you and to Medium as well. There’s no other platform like it.
I still giggle at all of the "email is dead" articles that flew around from 99 to 2001 or so as enterprise 2.0 reared its head -- and then quickly morphed into all this social sh..., er, stuff. What made them even funnier, to me, was that everytime I signed up for a new social platform, confirmation, alerts, etc. all delivered via email. Dead. Sure.
I've been on Medium for a bit and have only started posting regularly over this year. I only get dribbles of reads and I'm fine with that since I'm more focused on building here. Anything on Medium is lagniappe.
As for folks whining about Medium -- you don't get to whine about a platform's decision that you have decided to live on. Don't want to play by someone else's rules, don't build on the land you rent from them.
That's a real solid point. Their land. Their rules.
I can't remember exactly who I picked that concept up from, but it was around that same time -- 2000ish.
The other tidbit that sticks in my brain regarding social media is "If you ain't paying for it, you're the product."
Thank you for writing this, Linda. I don’t drink myself but every time someone mentions that Medium or Substack are dying, I’m tempted to wallow like they do. Tbh those posts dishearten me as a writer. Imagine climbing up a mountain and then someone tells you at the top that the view isn’t so great.
I don’t want to feel like that. I’ve never liked doom and gloom situations and I still don’t. Truthfully, if I was in a more stable situation, this wouldn’t bother me because I love to write. But when you’re trying to earn through your writing, you just don’t want the negativity. I get some people are realists but there’s no harm in dreaming, is there?
This got a bit long lol, but knowing me, I’d still write on Medium. I just have to figure out how to support myself outside the platform.
It's real easy to wallow. I've done my share of that, for sure. It's why I almost left. I think a middling approach works better than either of the ends, you know?
I have so many thoughts about Medium, and almost all of them conflict with one another. It's a platform that helped (re)launch my writing career. It's also one that is still awash with the sort of writing I try to avoid, and the revenue model puts a lot of downward pressure on writers.
I mentioned it in the comments on the post you've cited, but for me Medium's rock bottom was the writing contest they held. IMO, it was a good idea horribly executed and one they botched at every step. The only thing they managed to do was unite writers in their resentment. On the bounce back we had to wade through endless meta posts, and false prophets making pennies lying to everyone about how to make thousands. We love us a hack.
In a similar vein, there are a lot of Medium refugees here on Substack (I'm one of them), and a few writers have cynically figured out how to capitalize on that, learning quickly that writing about Medium's faults drives eyeballs. We love us a hate read.
Today, it's in a better spot, and much of that is down to the Boost program. People have a love/hate relationship with it, but for those of us determined to improve the platform, this was a no-brainer. Getting paid to help surface objectively good writing? Yes, please.
Are we there yet? I don't think so. But we're closer, and I think that's a win.
I saw your comment Kevin. Almost made me break my silence and reply. lol. I agree with all your points. On the first one, the writing we try avoid - most of it is driven by the fact that half the country has no savings. Content becomes bread for the hungry. But that doesn't mean I have to like it. Agree with the conclusion. We're not there yet, but we're getting closer.
P.S. That contest was a gong show. Rock bottom indeed. They shouldn't have tried to be Vocal. It wasn't a good look.
I read Medium for two hours daily, and your postings are always part of that read. Then I write my stuff, post it on Substack or Medium or both, look around to see what else interests me enough to write about, and enjoy my life. Medium and Substack give me an audience for which I'm grateful.
Thanks Tom! That made me smile. I love both platforms, too. They each have their strengths and weaknesses for sure.
The problem with the world is that there’s always a tiny minority at the top who control everything. It’s frustrating. Medium is a microcosm of society, and the way it works here is reflective of the wider capitalist system. We’re beholden to the Medium gods and we lack control and agency, praying to them to boost us or at least to allow people to read our offerings. When an article we gave our blood, sweat, and tears to create earns a sum total of $0.87 then we’re gonna be pissed off. Unlike the real world, in this world we can quit and exit to another to suffer the same injustices. Quitting is the highest form of protest.
You're absolutely right that quitting is the highest form of protest. There's a lot of power in quitting when it's for the right reasons. For me, it has to be *my* reasons, not someone else's. You know? :)
There is even more power in quitting when you scoop up all that energy and move it to something better, somewhere, likely a place or time or situation far away. Remember, a place can be a goal...a goal other than writing on the medium platform. Quit with intent and take your power with you!
Intent. That's the ticket. Stomping away angry isn't nearly as empowering as taking that energy and using it somewhere else.
Your closing sentence is killer. Brought a huge smile to my face.
All around great points. Cheers.
Glad you enjoyed that. lol
Easily one of the best things I've read in a while. You're 100% correct. Nice work.
Having a love fest, like the one we're seeing some people have with Substack lately, is never a good idea. They are running businesses. And so are we. Act respectfully, but accordingly.
Thanks Rocco. And you're so right. They are running businesses. We should be too. Even if they're a little one person operation.
Medium is a place to go to write and read and it does that pretty well. It's not perfect but I don't see how it can be. With a million stories entering every month how can one get seen consistently? The boost program gives writers a chance and that's it. On Vocal you have to win a contest to make any money. On Newsbreak you have to local stuff that's usually about crime and fires and hit & runs, stuff that's depressing to write & read. But on Medium there's great poetry, fictions, non-fiction, humor, etc. It's worth the $5, it's worth the wait to get boosted. It's the best stadium in town to watch the game, where you're not stuck in the bleachers with a telescope trying to see what's happening. It's not perfect but name what is.
You got that right Joe. Name what is perfect. Nothing. Nowhere. The key is understanding what they offer and what they don't.
I read the article you mentioned by “he who shall not be named.” I get where he’s coming from. At one time he was in Medium’s top 1%, making a tidy living wage with a follower count of legions. His success on the platform convinced him (and a lot of his course subscribers) that he was a genius. Then, one day, his reads tanked. Medium’s pivot humiliated him. He didn’t just lose money, he lost his identity and his claim to fame. Now he wants revenge, biting the hand that once fed him so well, and hoping to cost Medium subscribers. His energy would be better spent figuring out his next big thing. Tastes change, companies change direction and priorities. It’s the way it goes. Ask any journalist who used to support a family with a newspaper column.
Yup, you're absolutely right. Would be much better to figure out his next big thing. I know a guy who used to feed his family on a newspaper column. He's now a caretaker. And it's sad, but winds change. Companies take care of their own bottom line first.
Medium. They built it. I saw. I came. It conquered me into weaving in and out, deciding not to monetize it, using it like using the beach as a sandbox (which is fun to play in until stray cats use it as a litter box)...and even then...it's all rain, roses, shit, dirt, rocks, and the potential for searing heat to arrive to make it all molten and leave us all with stained glass. Linda, you are the lighthouse on the medium's rocky shore. Keep writing, because I care.
I love the idea of using it as a sandbox. Truly, I do. Play. See what happens. And thank you for the last two sentences. Made my morning. :)
I remember commenting on one of your posts that websites were irrelevant. You pushed back--hard. So, I hired a website designer who doubles as a business coach and got serious about upgrading mine. Today it is the hub of my business.
In 2022, I shifted from writing to primarily creating videos. I still write--in fact, I just started working on a new book. In this process, I've struggled to build a platform on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube. The algorithm on all of them is constantly shifting. What worked last year probably won't this year. The challenge has been how to use them so that I make money. What if TikTok gets banned, or if Instagram goes back to favoring photos over reels? What am I doing to do to drive traffic to me?
Until this year, all of my efforts have amounted to an expensive hobby. That has finally now changed.
Linda, thank you for these weekly articles. You've consistently have challenged me not to fall into this mindset. It's not about Medium, TikTok, Amazon, etc--it's about my target audience. How can I show in a way that they need? Thank you so much!
Kerry I just want to sing that to the rooftops. Made me smile a mile wide reading this. 💗
Omg, the drama, masking a hard knot of fear hidden right behind it—thank you for pointing this out!
You are so right, Holly. Hard knot of fear hidden behind there. Funny how when we look hard enough, we often see fear staring us in the face.
Yes! So much fear, motivating so many people. I've read that our brains are wired to focus on possible dangers rather than lucky strikes and "wins." (I think it was The Buddha's Brain where I got this.) It makes evolutionary sense, but like so many other things that make evolutionary sense, it doesn't make us happy -- nor does it make us good people.
Am I the only one who had never even heard of the guy? I don’t miss him because I didn’t know he existed!
You sure aren't. I had to go look him up. lol
Isn’t that odd? You and I have been around long enough we should have heard of someone who’s supposedly so big.
Laughing at this :)
Well, aren't we just clued out? lmao. Maybe it's because we are too busy doing shit to read tips about how to get it together and do stuff?
I never did either. But I know the guy who wrote the Medium is dead hit piece. Blocked him on Medium years ago.
Rubbed you the wrong way, too I guess. lol
Iv never heard of him either and I've been on Medium about 4 years.