The Blunt Truth About Medium Tips And People Who Write Them

Some people are worth listening to. Some less so. Here's how to tell the difference. Because tough conversations are worth having.

Some guy left a clever and interesting comment on one of my posts on Medium so I went to check out his profile. Which is what I do when people interact like humans and have real conversation instead of saying thanks for the information or I read your post now come read mine.

Can’t tell you how disappointed I was. Vast majority of his posts were about Medium. Specifically, how to succeed on Medium like he is. Screencaps of his traffic. Screencaps of his earnings. Omg, I earned $100 for one story you guys!! At the bottom of every post was a link to check out his Medium course. You, too, can succeed like him.

Curiosity being the beast it is, I went to see what’s on his course page. You already know what’s on his course page. Screencaps. Traffic. Images showing his monthly income growing month by month. Screencaps of his best paying stories.

Here’s the funny part. He doesn’t have 1000 followers yet. But for him, no big deal. Just another selling point. You don’t need a big following to succeed. Because look, he’s doing it. Proof’s right there in the pudding, folks. At least that’s the pitch.

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First up, if you know who I’m taking about, no names please. For that matter, no names about anyone selling Medium how-to courses. I would not want to find myself being picked apart on someone else’s Substack and I won’t do it to anyone else. I will delete any comments that use names, no exceptions. This isn’t about who. It’s about what.

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Several years ago I was building a website for a Hollywood Celebrity. She was wearing killer diamonds to the Oscars and wanted her site pretty and new. Which is whatever. Anyway, she called me up one day and asked me to add some photos to her IMDB profile because she didn’t know how. I’m wondering who doesn’t know how to log into a website and upload photos, but I say okay sure. She paid well, why not.

Once I logged in, a notice appeared, for members only. It was a warning. Telling new actors not to buy “how to succeed in Hollywood” programs. It said preying on the newbie is a cottage industry in every field and if those people really knew how to succeed they’d be too busy acting to be selling acting courses on the internet.

It made me laugh. But I want to talk about that. Because some courses are scams. There’s no shortage of products and programs that prey on newbies because they don’t know what they don’t know. (Keyword stuffing died a decade ago folks.)

That little notice was also correct that it happens in every field. Not just marketing and making money. Health, beauty, how to anything one can do. It’s all out there.

But here’s the thing. They’re not always outright scams. They really aren’t.

Sometimes, people have the best of intentions. Maybe they just don’t think it through, I don’t know. Can’t answer for their motivations. Maybe a man sees his own earnings going up month after month, really does believe he can help new writers.

Here’s the problem.

Do you really think someone who writes “make money” posts every day have any clue how to get people to read my personal essays or your poetry? He has no clue.

We live in a world where 66.2% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck and half have less than $500 in their savings account. 29% have between $501 and $5,000 and only 21% of Americans have more than $5000 in their savings account.

Stop and think about that. 21% of Americans have more than $5000 saved up.

Here’s what happens when people are financially tapped all the time. They get sucked in by numbers and screencaps. Think omg, maybe this guy really can help me.

Sorry. No. He can’t.

Unless you want to do what he’s doing. Write make money posts. Push hot buttons. Make people who are cash strapped think you’re some kind of answer to their money stress. But if you want to write essays and poetry? Maybe not so much.

I don’t talk about results because I think it’s gauche at best, tacky at worst. But here’s what I can say. A year ago I had 18K followers. Today I’m pushing 40K. I struggled so hard on Medium. So hard. Took me a whole year to get 900 followers. Took me six years to get to 18K. Six. Years. Figured a few things out in the last year.

Can I help you if you’re struggling like I did the first six years? Probably. And I will. In the coming weeks I’m going to start writing more about Medium, Substack and also marketing your book or writing. But that’s all I’m going to say for now because this isn’t about me. It’s about frustrated writers looking for help. And I just want you to stop and think before you jump to buy programs like the one I stumbled across.

Here’s what I wanted to tell that guy. And I might still. Not sure.

Wanted to say, sir? Go start a new profile. Don’t write anything about Medium or money. Write personal essays and poetry. Show me those results. Maybe then we talk about if you can help writers get better results.

It’s blunt and harsh, but it’s true. And it’s worth thinking about. Talking about.

I’d love to know what you think. (Please remember, no names. And thank you.)

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