This is interesting to me. An editor is supposed to edit, to take a piece and help the writer make it better or more aligned with the voice of the publication. Any writer who publicly bitches out an editor for trying to help them is in the wrong business. Take your Prima Donna self somewhere else and then find things are no different. Your words are not sacred, not yet. We live in a society where useful criticism is a lost art because we’ve brought children up to believe they are never wrong.
Voice of the publication is a powerful part of the equation and a lot of writers don't understand that. But then, a lot of people confuse writing and typing. Thanks, Martin.
There is, unfortunately, a large sense of entitlement in the digital writing world. For every writer that appreciates the work, there are 10 that see it as a personal attack. And in my experience, the ones that protest the loudest are the ones that would benefit the most.
I agree. And they're not always right for the writer, especially with books and fiction. But they do know their publication when it's medium publications or print publications. Thanks David. :)
I take suggestions to edits a step further and feel honoured when a publisher takes the time to help me bring the story to become the best it can be. I'm surprised there are so many who get offended.
You brought up a valid point regarding writers' complaints. "Your writing has not adapted to changes on the platform." Professional, freelance writers must always adapt to the publication and editors to whom they are submitting. I also do not submit to any publication if I doubt the expertise or integrity of the editor(s). I learned that lesson early in my Medium journey. The lack of writing craft knowledge I saw and an attitude of "we accept everything" caused me to pull back from the platform.
You have given me hope and the desire to get back to Medium. But my approach and expectations will be no different than if I was sending my work to literary journals. And, just for the record, you are a knowledgeable and trustworthy editor. I will always remain open to your suggestions and guidance.
I have a handful of writers that are journalists and/or write for literary journals, print magazines and newspapers. They say much the same. And you know, it shows! Also, thank you for the last sentence. You always show up with an armful of kind, and I appreciate that. :)
Some stories, I'd welcome the edits. Other stories (mostly personal ones written to get it out), not so much. But either way, the anger and calling out is unnecessary drama.
When I was new to Medium, I made some waves. The longer I wrote, though, the less comfortable it was to "back and forth" my articles. I never took it very far, but seeing how far others would take a personal gripe put me off the idea completely. I'll tag to call out positives, but the negatives don't need public attention like that. It's my problem, not the world's.
Receiving edit suggestions- even unsolicited ones- is a good thing to me. Even if I didn't want them. It shows that someone saw something special in my work. I can always politely decline- and later change my mind and update it. Or just factor those suggestions into the next article.
Or, I could ignore them completely and simply appreciate the spirit with which the suggestions were given.
With so many respectful options, I don't see the value in wasting my words, my times, or my emotional energy on being upset by well-meant suggestions. Sure, I have more words, but if I'm not choosing how they're used then my writing will suffer greatly overall. Some things are better left in a literal journal, hidden away where we can review and grow without public influence. (My humble opinion.)
Your humble opinion is a valid and insightful one. There are some things that are better in a literal journal hidden away. Because that's the thing about publications on Medium. Much like print magazines, they are getting distributed to the world basically. A boosted post can hit 10K people if it resonates and spreads. I've had a couple hit 30K. And not all writing is meant for that kind of widespread exposure. We would not write a heartrending post about something exceedingly personal and send it to a big magazine and say here, send this to 50K strangers but don't you dare edit it to fit your publication -- and we shouldn't do that on Medium either. And thank you for adding that, because it's an important thing for writers to think about. xoxo
It's important to note that I am all for requiring writer approval for changes- sometimes an edit can change the tone unintentionally, and the writer might have a better way of changing something to keep that tone. But that may mean the publication and tone don't match- and that's ok! I'd rather know that before publishing. There's always another publication. There's always self publish. There's always leaving it unpublished to review later. Writers have options, and taking them isn't a personal statement against editors or publications.
And I don't have to tell you, but there are always more writers. Publications have options, too, and aren't any more personal statements than a writer doing what they believe is best for their articles.
This is an excellent post, Linda. I love what some of the other people have said on here. I, too, would trust you as an editor. I can only imagine how frustrating it is to be leery of attack in today's environment, when you're only trying to help. I once knew a person who was in the film industry (sort of) and I could've seen him doing something like that. He had a great idea for a film, and when he presented it to some investors, they wanted him and his partner to provide a proof of concept, or short, essentially to prove they had what it takes and were willing to put in the work; very common. They refused an said they wanted the funding first, and they'd just have to trust the talent. Ridiculous. They were miffed they didn't get the funding. The rest of us wondered why they thought they would get it.
I would be grateful for a quality editor's feedback; it's meant to help a writer improve. Even bestsellers get feedback.
Excellent points, Joy. Most people have no idea how many times bestsellers were rewritten from front to back. Sometimes the issue is that writers need to give a piece time to breathe and they'd see some of the same things the editor sees.
I'm surprised by so-called "writers" who've had their little feelies hurt so bad that they responded negatively and/or blocked you. In my view, these folks aren't actual writers at all. Nothing screams amateur louder than someone who gets insulted when an editor suggests changes. Like others who commented, I am totally grateful for any suggestions an editor makes which will improve my story/article. When a reader catches a grammar mistake or typo, I LOVE that they point it out! I don't want to look like a dumb ass! Also, like others, I've been writing and editing professionally for many years but that doesn't mean my work doesn't need editing and changes. I'm glad you put that piece out there. If people want to improve their writing skills by creating content on Medium then they need to understand how good editors can help them!
Yeah....I know what you mean. But then, I put myself in the writer's shoes. I sure would want to know if someone points out that I spellled something incorrectly or had some cra#y tipo!
One of these days you'll write something I disagree with, but today is not that day. Once again, I find myself saying "yes!' to everything you've written.
As a fellow Booster, it can be hard to describe what makes a particular article work. Je ne sais quoi is probably as close as either of us can hope to get. Those complaining the lioudest about the new program are often the ones most resistant to adapting. And who could blame them? For years, paint-by-numbers articles about "health and wellness" or "productivity" delivered. Now they don't. That's just how it goes.
As an editor, I've found that those that bristle the most at you touching their work are often the ones that could most use the help. I have a few writers that, if I have to add a comma somewhere, that's something. Those people are a gift. They've also figured out how to navigate this new landscape, and tend to get boosted early and often.
I have a couple of those, too. I'm like -- why are you eating or sleeping? No, come write more! lol. I find it's not just the ones who had a paint by number of what worked. They're the top of the list for sure. But also people with journal entries. And sure, the people who know you, they want to read that. They want to know what's happening in your life because they know and like you. But that's not going to get distributed to thousands of strangers. It's just not. Fyi, the first sentence is pretty mutual. It makes me laugh. lol
Nov 17, 2023·edited Nov 17, 2023Liked by Linda Caroll
We got quite a clusterfuck going on Medium. The main problem is that if writers adapt to Medium's recent changes, they will lose readers. I keep joking that the worst thing writers can do right now is give Medium what they want.
Their recent pivot toward Chicken Soup for the Soul personal essays will lose subscribers. Sure, those essays are well-loved with high read ratios but they do not get shared. And sharing is everything if you want high read counts (and subscribers).
For example, many writers keep complaining that their boosted stories are still not making much. That’s because they are writing to get Boosted. I don’t get many boosts but the one that are boosted are making over 1k. The reason is because I am giving readers what they want - hard hitting journalism on subjects people want to debate.
I was told “if it bleeds it ledes" articles are out. Feel good personal stories are in. The problem is that people can get tons of baby daddy drama and self-help inspiration on TikTok…for free. They can’t get quality informations. Thus, they will pay for that.
Medium also thinks AI can write nonfiction. It can't. The hallucinations make it absolutely unusable. AI can write beautifully crafted James Frey personal essays, though. The reason AI exceeds at creative writing is because most of art is patterns and bullshit. AI is a master bullshitter. So the logic to move again from nonfiction due to AI is faulty.
I predict that Medium will continue this trend for a few more months before they realize it is losing readers. I am waiting this one out, but will also be experimenting on Substack to see if I can grow a following.
As far as editorial feedback goes, Medium no longer wants people writing on this platform full-time. Or at least that is what they told me. They want the hobbyist and the gig writer, mostly because they can pay that person less. Unfortunately, you can't have it both ways. You push away the professional writers and you are going to get a lot of unprofessional behavior. Duh.
Btw, I really wish you would start a feminist publication. We need more focus on equality and less on man bashing.
Hey Carlyn. It seems to be all over the place. The only nominations I've had accepted so far this month aren't the feel good Chicken Soup posts. They're factual posts with a personal angle. In summer they did an experiment where they did send us feedback on posts that were declined to say why. With history post they said look, if I can read the same info on a reference site like wikipedia or history.com, it's not bringing anything new. They need to bring something unique, not just rewrite what's floating around the internet.
I read that about not wanting full time writers too. And you're right. Push away the professional and you get a lot of unprofessional and that makes it damn hard to run a publication. But the more troubling part is that they shouldn't be making that call at all. That's not up to them. If a story is good, boost it. How much a writer earns shouldn't be something they comment on at all. The change in August was supposed to pay writers better. That has not been my experience. My writing in June paid better than anything since the change.
I have thought about starting a feminist publication. I'm just not sure there are enough writers to carry it. Because as you point out, there's a lot of bashing, and if it's not bashing, it's "he was an ass" breakup stories. I haven't ruled it out, but if wishes were horses I'd love to start a publication that draws some of the talent pool that I'm not reaching yet. I'm just not sure what that might look like. As you know, it's a ton of work to run a publication so I'm still sitting on the idea.
A Medium writer recently asked me for feedback on a headline he wrote. I told him the headline sounded click bait(y) and was a tad too punchy. I suggested a slightly more santized headline. He responded that he couldn’t use my suggested headline because The NY Times had already written an article with almost the exact same headline.
Ah, ok. Why are you writing an article on this subject when a NY Times journalist just covered the same exact thing…a week ago! This is the reputation Medium has. That we pilfer professional journalist’s work and do third grade reports on them. I have had friends tell me that when they see a provocative headline that is also a Medium link, they do not click through to the article but instead google to get the original source.
So let’s talk about the other branding problem. That Medium is too liberal and has a bunch of angry feminists. Whether it is true or not that is the public’s perception. I recently met with Medium and asked to be a nominator in the feminist category. They basically told me to go pound sand. Yes, my ego was dinged but I am a professional and when one door closes, I find another.
I am just throwing it out there…if you ever want to start a feminist pub, I promise to do the grunt work of finding new writers and editing their work. Medium trusts you. With your nomination power and my passion to get this conversation going, I know it would be a hit.
Btw, in the meeting in which I asked to be a feminist nominator, I was told I should start putting my work on other platforms. You know you are out when the platform you write exclusively on tells you to go to their competition. I have to mention this is all honesty because my name attached to any pub might hurt the pub. (But if I was working behind the scenes…maybe we could get around it.)
(And I am writing this publicly and not privately because I am hoping other Medium writers will see it and want to contribute to a feminist publication that focuses on equality and not zero-sum game male bashing.)
So pleeeeeease....think about it. I know you want to spend less time editing and more time writing (which you should!) but I have a few talented writers who have already told me they would contribute to a more balanced feminist pub.
I think half the problem at Medium is that people aren't writing because they love to write, they are writing to supplement their income. With some of them, if their day jobs paid significantly better, they wouldn't give a crap about Medium. I get "writers" grabbing a book synopsis from storygraph, cover image off amazon, throw in a couple of affiliate links and try to pass that off as a book review. Then I have to say no, you didn't write that, no affiliate links, and they go do it elsewhere or block me, or whatever.
So much of Medium is people trying to leverage the audience there into an income and not by writing and what's worse, Tony encourages it. Yeah, Yeah, you should be making income more than one way off this site. No. You shouldn't. It's a writing site, for cripes sakes.
I am gobsmacked that they told you to put your work elsewhere. Where? There's Medium and Substack. That's it. And they are different business models. Vocal has gone the fiction route mostly, and nothing else pays even a fraction of what Medium does and they don't pay enough. Not for good writers.
I'm not surprised they said no to nominating in the feminism space. They have nominators from Fourth Wave, Modern Women, Bitchy, and a couple of middle age / menopause publications so I guess they figure women's issues are covered. But they're looking at a topic/tag not the content of the publications, of course. Here's the part I don't know. Are there women who want to read actual issues? Or is there a glut of man-hating because it gets reads? Nothing like a good hate post to rile people up and get clicks, you know? I will think about it, for sure. If you know women who would contribute, feel welcome to tell them to shoot me an email. Maybe if I was starting with a team of writers ready, it might help with the hesitation.
If your writing is strong, the platform shouldn't matter. So yes, when I was told that I should be writing on multiple platforms, that's when I realized it was time to listen. And it's not just me who they have said that to. They have been trying to get that message out for some time - Medium is a gig job. It should not be your main source of income. The problem is professional writers don't need to take that approach. So here we are. The Oroboros eating its tail.
So the writers that I would recruit would be men too. The GoodMen project is doing its own thing now. Medium has a gaping hole now to talk about men's issues. Of course, the focus would be on equality still. But with boys falling so far behind, we need to talk about men's issues too. Many feel unheard. I would like to change that.
It depends how we define professional writer because there are so many types. A copywriter needs a different kind of business presence than an author, for example. There's no way on god's green earth I'm going to build a successful business based on women's history, for example, but I can send Medium a crap ton of readers if I write about it there. That's what Medium offers that's unique. Good reading on a variety of topics.
There's not a lot of places that writers can just write about what they want to. A lot of paid writing is "for" someone. I do a lot of copywriting for clients but they don't want my hot takes on anything. Just write about the product, thank you very much. A tiny handful of people have managed to build a following on Substack, but many of them brought their audience with them, which makes the platform look like more than it actually is. The real question is why would people pay "me" $5/month to read on Substack when they can get an all you can eat buffet on Medium. You know? And you need at least 1K paying members to make a decent income, and the averages say that under 10% of subscribers actually pay. Writing is a hard gig.
The irony is that Medium's business model IS to profit off good writing. They sure aren't profiting off the crap that the algorithm used to float to the top. But yet their approach is to say hey, bring us your good writing -- but not too often and not too much because this is just a gig thing. That would be like Etsy telling people to go build their own business, which people do, but Etsy loses their profit when the top sellers build a successful presence off Etsy. By telling people to go write elsewhere, Medium is driving away the people they make most profit off. It seems dumb and counterintuitive and makes no sense to me at all. Like they're peeing in their own pool and seem oblivious to it. As it is, 9% of writers there make over $100 month and probably 5% make over $1000. But they want those people to go elsewhere? How stupid is that?
On the topic of equality and men/women issues, it might be interesting to throw a few of those types of pieces at a publication like An Injustice to see if (a) it gets boosted and (b) to see what kind of reception those get from readers.
Yeah, women's history in general is really hard to make money. I told you before that I rely on my controversial viral pieces on sex and feminism to make money so I can write about history. It's an approach that has worked for 4 years and now I am being told to do that elsewhere. Sigh. But this was the biggest advantage of Medium - you can write on any topic. I fear I will have to niche myself on Substack.
I can give you a few examples of recent men's issues pieces I have done that have managed to get boosted and done really well. I will email you separately on that because this is not the place for shameless self-promotion. ;)
But let me know if any other writers express an interest in such a publication on both women's and men's issues.
Excellent and well-said. I've had to block writers who became extremely hostile over suggested edits. I love writers, but the level of entitlement out there can be astonishing. It's a sad state when you have to ask "are you open to edits?" Also, I wish the note feature on Medium gave us a few more characters. Sometimes it takes a long time to explain why I want to make a change and I'm fearful I'll provoke the writer if I don't have the space to express myself clearly. Maybe you should put it on the form for writers who apply to write for you, "Are you willing to accept edits, yes/no" and if they put no, then don't add them. Thanks for all the hard work you do Linda! I hope you feel free to send me suggestions when you see something that you think might make an article stronger!
Yeah, those 200 character boxes are something else. lol. Good point on my form -- maybe I'll go a step farther and say if you aren't open to edits, don't submit. lol. And yes, absolutely I know you won't bite my head off for suggestions but glad you said it anyway. :)
I started my writing career with children's stories about 40 odd years ago. Got about 200 rejections before I got published. That sorted out any sense of entitlement I might have had and replaced it with a stronger work ethic. I always listen to editors - they're people too. Cheers 😊
Hating on an editor just because they suggested edits is a little extreme to me lol. Yes, writers are sensitive about their work but for me, it’s how I get feedback that counts. If an editor approaches me telling me they liked my work but made a few suggestions, I’m totally open to that.
I didn’t realise how important it was to get feedback until an editor suggested changes for my short story. It allowed me to see how someone else perceives my writing. That’s what makes us good writers.
Thank you for saying that some boosted stories have something special about them. Before, I used to think that I wouldn’t get boosted and lost a bit of confidence but I’m really grateful that three fiction pieces in my series got boosted recently.
This is interesting to me. An editor is supposed to edit, to take a piece and help the writer make it better or more aligned with the voice of the publication. Any writer who publicly bitches out an editor for trying to help them is in the wrong business. Take your Prima Donna self somewhere else and then find things are no different. Your words are not sacred, not yet. We live in a society where useful criticism is a lost art because we’ve brought children up to believe they are never wrong.
Voice of the publication is a powerful part of the equation and a lot of writers don't understand that. But then, a lot of people confuse writing and typing. Thanks, Martin.
There is, unfortunately, a large sense of entitlement in the digital writing world. For every writer that appreciates the work, there are 10 that see it as a personal attack. And in my experience, the ones that protest the loudest are the ones that would benefit the most.
Last sentence nailed it Kevin.
If I work with editors, I usually accept their feedback. They see my work differently than me and notice how it can be improved more than I can.
I agree. And they're not always right for the writer, especially with books and fiction. But they do know their publication when it's medium publications or print publications. Thanks David. :)
I trust editors to whom I submit or I wouldn’t submit there. You seem as trustworthy as one could imagine. I love ‘I have more words.’ Exactly.
Thanks Kathy, that's a nice thing to say. Sometimes people confuse their story with the words they used to tell it and they're not the same.
I take suggestions to edits a step further and feel honoured when a publisher takes the time to help me bring the story to become the best it can be. I'm surprised there are so many who get offended.
You brought up a valid point regarding writers' complaints. "Your writing has not adapted to changes on the platform." Professional, freelance writers must always adapt to the publication and editors to whom they are submitting. I also do not submit to any publication if I doubt the expertise or integrity of the editor(s). I learned that lesson early in my Medium journey. The lack of writing craft knowledge I saw and an attitude of "we accept everything" caused me to pull back from the platform.
You have given me hope and the desire to get back to Medium. But my approach and expectations will be no different than if I was sending my work to literary journals. And, just for the record, you are a knowledgeable and trustworthy editor. I will always remain open to your suggestions and guidance.
I have a handful of writers that are journalists and/or write for literary journals, print magazines and newspapers. They say much the same. And you know, it shows! Also, thank you for the last sentence. You always show up with an armful of kind, and I appreciate that. :)
Some stories, I'd welcome the edits. Other stories (mostly personal ones written to get it out), not so much. But either way, the anger and calling out is unnecessary drama.
When I was new to Medium, I made some waves. The longer I wrote, though, the less comfortable it was to "back and forth" my articles. I never took it very far, but seeing how far others would take a personal gripe put me off the idea completely. I'll tag to call out positives, but the negatives don't need public attention like that. It's my problem, not the world's.
Receiving edit suggestions- even unsolicited ones- is a good thing to me. Even if I didn't want them. It shows that someone saw something special in my work. I can always politely decline- and later change my mind and update it. Or just factor those suggestions into the next article.
Or, I could ignore them completely and simply appreciate the spirit with which the suggestions were given.
With so many respectful options, I don't see the value in wasting my words, my times, or my emotional energy on being upset by well-meant suggestions. Sure, I have more words, but if I'm not choosing how they're used then my writing will suffer greatly overall. Some things are better left in a literal journal, hidden away where we can review and grow without public influence. (My humble opinion.)
Your humble opinion is a valid and insightful one. There are some things that are better in a literal journal hidden away. Because that's the thing about publications on Medium. Much like print magazines, they are getting distributed to the world basically. A boosted post can hit 10K people if it resonates and spreads. I've had a couple hit 30K. And not all writing is meant for that kind of widespread exposure. We would not write a heartrending post about something exceedingly personal and send it to a big magazine and say here, send this to 50K strangers but don't you dare edit it to fit your publication -- and we shouldn't do that on Medium either. And thank you for adding that, because it's an important thing for writers to think about. xoxo
It's important to note that I am all for requiring writer approval for changes- sometimes an edit can change the tone unintentionally, and the writer might have a better way of changing something to keep that tone. But that may mean the publication and tone don't match- and that's ok! I'd rather know that before publishing. There's always another publication. There's always self publish. There's always leaving it unpublished to review later. Writers have options, and taking them isn't a personal statement against editors or publications.
And I don't have to tell you, but there are always more writers. Publications have options, too, and aren't any more personal statements than a writer doing what they believe is best for their articles.
This is an excellent post, Linda. I love what some of the other people have said on here. I, too, would trust you as an editor. I can only imagine how frustrating it is to be leery of attack in today's environment, when you're only trying to help. I once knew a person who was in the film industry (sort of) and I could've seen him doing something like that. He had a great idea for a film, and when he presented it to some investors, they wanted him and his partner to provide a proof of concept, or short, essentially to prove they had what it takes and were willing to put in the work; very common. They refused an said they wanted the funding first, and they'd just have to trust the talent. Ridiculous. They were miffed they didn't get the funding. The rest of us wondered why they thought they would get it.
I would be grateful for a quality editor's feedback; it's meant to help a writer improve. Even bestsellers get feedback.
Excellent points, Joy. Most people have no idea how many times bestsellers were rewritten from front to back. Sometimes the issue is that writers need to give a piece time to breathe and they'd see some of the same things the editor sees.
I'm surprised by so-called "writers" who've had their little feelies hurt so bad that they responded negatively and/or blocked you. In my view, these folks aren't actual writers at all. Nothing screams amateur louder than someone who gets insulted when an editor suggests changes. Like others who commented, I am totally grateful for any suggestions an editor makes which will improve my story/article. When a reader catches a grammar mistake or typo, I LOVE that they point it out! I don't want to look like a dumb ass! Also, like others, I've been writing and editing professionally for many years but that doesn't mean my work doesn't need editing and changes. I'm glad you put that piece out there. If people want to improve their writing skills by creating content on Medium then they need to understand how good editors can help them!
I had such a laugh -- I have been that dumbass with the typo NO ONE saw including me. And agree with all the rest, too.
It's funny; as a writer, I also LOVE when someone points these out to me. As a reader, I always feel awkward writing someone to tell them.
One of the pubs I write for, she says "did you mean (corrected word)" - I post back and say yes, I sure did. She's the best. lol
Yeah....I know what you mean. But then, I put myself in the writer's shoes. I sure would want to know if someone points out that I spellled something incorrectly or had some cra#y tipo!
These are absolutely my favorite writers, and they keep me engaged and interested in Medium. The others make me want to scream into the void.
100%
wish I could clap more than once here lol
One of these days you'll write something I disagree with, but today is not that day. Once again, I find myself saying "yes!' to everything you've written.
As a fellow Booster, it can be hard to describe what makes a particular article work. Je ne sais quoi is probably as close as either of us can hope to get. Those complaining the lioudest about the new program are often the ones most resistant to adapting. And who could blame them? For years, paint-by-numbers articles about "health and wellness" or "productivity" delivered. Now they don't. That's just how it goes.
As an editor, I've found that those that bristle the most at you touching their work are often the ones that could most use the help. I have a few writers that, if I have to add a comma somewhere, that's something. Those people are a gift. They've also figured out how to navigate this new landscape, and tend to get boosted early and often.
I have a couple of those, too. I'm like -- why are you eating or sleeping? No, come write more! lol. I find it's not just the ones who had a paint by number of what worked. They're the top of the list for sure. But also people with journal entries. And sure, the people who know you, they want to read that. They want to know what's happening in your life because they know and like you. But that's not going to get distributed to thousands of strangers. It's just not. Fyi, the first sentence is pretty mutual. It makes me laugh. lol
We got quite a clusterfuck going on Medium. The main problem is that if writers adapt to Medium's recent changes, they will lose readers. I keep joking that the worst thing writers can do right now is give Medium what they want.
Their recent pivot toward Chicken Soup for the Soul personal essays will lose subscribers. Sure, those essays are well-loved with high read ratios but they do not get shared. And sharing is everything if you want high read counts (and subscribers).
For example, many writers keep complaining that their boosted stories are still not making much. That’s because they are writing to get Boosted. I don’t get many boosts but the one that are boosted are making over 1k. The reason is because I am giving readers what they want - hard hitting journalism on subjects people want to debate.
I was told “if it bleeds it ledes" articles are out. Feel good personal stories are in. The problem is that people can get tons of baby daddy drama and self-help inspiration on TikTok…for free. They can’t get quality informations. Thus, they will pay for that.
Medium also thinks AI can write nonfiction. It can't. The hallucinations make it absolutely unusable. AI can write beautifully crafted James Frey personal essays, though. The reason AI exceeds at creative writing is because most of art is patterns and bullshit. AI is a master bullshitter. So the logic to move again from nonfiction due to AI is faulty.
I predict that Medium will continue this trend for a few more months before they realize it is losing readers. I am waiting this one out, but will also be experimenting on Substack to see if I can grow a following.
As far as editorial feedback goes, Medium no longer wants people writing on this platform full-time. Or at least that is what they told me. They want the hobbyist and the gig writer, mostly because they can pay that person less. Unfortunately, you can't have it both ways. You push away the professional writers and you are going to get a lot of unprofessional behavior. Duh.
Btw, I really wish you would start a feminist publication. We need more focus on equality and less on man bashing.
Hey Carlyn. It seems to be all over the place. The only nominations I've had accepted so far this month aren't the feel good Chicken Soup posts. They're factual posts with a personal angle. In summer they did an experiment where they did send us feedback on posts that were declined to say why. With history post they said look, if I can read the same info on a reference site like wikipedia or history.com, it's not bringing anything new. They need to bring something unique, not just rewrite what's floating around the internet.
I read that about not wanting full time writers too. And you're right. Push away the professional and you get a lot of unprofessional and that makes it damn hard to run a publication. But the more troubling part is that they shouldn't be making that call at all. That's not up to them. If a story is good, boost it. How much a writer earns shouldn't be something they comment on at all. The change in August was supposed to pay writers better. That has not been my experience. My writing in June paid better than anything since the change.
I have thought about starting a feminist publication. I'm just not sure there are enough writers to carry it. Because as you point out, there's a lot of bashing, and if it's not bashing, it's "he was an ass" breakup stories. I haven't ruled it out, but if wishes were horses I'd love to start a publication that draws some of the talent pool that I'm not reaching yet. I'm just not sure what that might look like. As you know, it's a ton of work to run a publication so I'm still sitting on the idea.
A Medium writer recently asked me for feedback on a headline he wrote. I told him the headline sounded click bait(y) and was a tad too punchy. I suggested a slightly more santized headline. He responded that he couldn’t use my suggested headline because The NY Times had already written an article with almost the exact same headline.
Ah, ok. Why are you writing an article on this subject when a NY Times journalist just covered the same exact thing…a week ago! This is the reputation Medium has. That we pilfer professional journalist’s work and do third grade reports on them. I have had friends tell me that when they see a provocative headline that is also a Medium link, they do not click through to the article but instead google to get the original source.
So let’s talk about the other branding problem. That Medium is too liberal and has a bunch of angry feminists. Whether it is true or not that is the public’s perception. I recently met with Medium and asked to be a nominator in the feminist category. They basically told me to go pound sand. Yes, my ego was dinged but I am a professional and when one door closes, I find another.
I am just throwing it out there…if you ever want to start a feminist pub, I promise to do the grunt work of finding new writers and editing their work. Medium trusts you. With your nomination power and my passion to get this conversation going, I know it would be a hit.
Btw, in the meeting in which I asked to be a feminist nominator, I was told I should start putting my work on other platforms. You know you are out when the platform you write exclusively on tells you to go to their competition. I have to mention this is all honesty because my name attached to any pub might hurt the pub. (But if I was working behind the scenes…maybe we could get around it.)
(And I am writing this publicly and not privately because I am hoping other Medium writers will see it and want to contribute to a feminist publication that focuses on equality and not zero-sum game male bashing.)
So pleeeeeease....think about it. I know you want to spend less time editing and more time writing (which you should!) but I have a few talented writers who have already told me they would contribute to a more balanced feminist pub.
I think half the problem at Medium is that people aren't writing because they love to write, they are writing to supplement their income. With some of them, if their day jobs paid significantly better, they wouldn't give a crap about Medium. I get "writers" grabbing a book synopsis from storygraph, cover image off amazon, throw in a couple of affiliate links and try to pass that off as a book review. Then I have to say no, you didn't write that, no affiliate links, and they go do it elsewhere or block me, or whatever.
So much of Medium is people trying to leverage the audience there into an income and not by writing and what's worse, Tony encourages it. Yeah, Yeah, you should be making income more than one way off this site. No. You shouldn't. It's a writing site, for cripes sakes.
I am gobsmacked that they told you to put your work elsewhere. Where? There's Medium and Substack. That's it. And they are different business models. Vocal has gone the fiction route mostly, and nothing else pays even a fraction of what Medium does and they don't pay enough. Not for good writers.
I'm not surprised they said no to nominating in the feminism space. They have nominators from Fourth Wave, Modern Women, Bitchy, and a couple of middle age / menopause publications so I guess they figure women's issues are covered. But they're looking at a topic/tag not the content of the publications, of course. Here's the part I don't know. Are there women who want to read actual issues? Or is there a glut of man-hating because it gets reads? Nothing like a good hate post to rile people up and get clicks, you know? I will think about it, for sure. If you know women who would contribute, feel welcome to tell them to shoot me an email. Maybe if I was starting with a team of writers ready, it might help with the hesitation.
If your writing is strong, the platform shouldn't matter. So yes, when I was told that I should be writing on multiple platforms, that's when I realized it was time to listen. And it's not just me who they have said that to. They have been trying to get that message out for some time - Medium is a gig job. It should not be your main source of income. The problem is professional writers don't need to take that approach. So here we are. The Oroboros eating its tail.
So the writers that I would recruit would be men too. The GoodMen project is doing its own thing now. Medium has a gaping hole now to talk about men's issues. Of course, the focus would be on equality still. But with boys falling so far behind, we need to talk about men's issues too. Many feel unheard. I would like to change that.
It depends how we define professional writer because there are so many types. A copywriter needs a different kind of business presence than an author, for example. There's no way on god's green earth I'm going to build a successful business based on women's history, for example, but I can send Medium a crap ton of readers if I write about it there. That's what Medium offers that's unique. Good reading on a variety of topics.
There's not a lot of places that writers can just write about what they want to. A lot of paid writing is "for" someone. I do a lot of copywriting for clients but they don't want my hot takes on anything. Just write about the product, thank you very much. A tiny handful of people have managed to build a following on Substack, but many of them brought their audience with them, which makes the platform look like more than it actually is. The real question is why would people pay "me" $5/month to read on Substack when they can get an all you can eat buffet on Medium. You know? And you need at least 1K paying members to make a decent income, and the averages say that under 10% of subscribers actually pay. Writing is a hard gig.
The irony is that Medium's business model IS to profit off good writing. They sure aren't profiting off the crap that the algorithm used to float to the top. But yet their approach is to say hey, bring us your good writing -- but not too often and not too much because this is just a gig thing. That would be like Etsy telling people to go build their own business, which people do, but Etsy loses their profit when the top sellers build a successful presence off Etsy. By telling people to go write elsewhere, Medium is driving away the people they make most profit off. It seems dumb and counterintuitive and makes no sense to me at all. Like they're peeing in their own pool and seem oblivious to it. As it is, 9% of writers there make over $100 month and probably 5% make over $1000. But they want those people to go elsewhere? How stupid is that?
On the topic of equality and men/women issues, it might be interesting to throw a few of those types of pieces at a publication like An Injustice to see if (a) it gets boosted and (b) to see what kind of reception those get from readers.
Yeah, women's history in general is really hard to make money. I told you before that I rely on my controversial viral pieces on sex and feminism to make money so I can write about history. It's an approach that has worked for 4 years and now I am being told to do that elsewhere. Sigh. But this was the biggest advantage of Medium - you can write on any topic. I fear I will have to niche myself on Substack.
I can give you a few examples of recent men's issues pieces I have done that have managed to get boosted and done really well. I will email you separately on that because this is not the place for shameless self-promotion. ;)
But let me know if any other writers express an interest in such a publication on both women's and men's issues.
I love when an editors share their expertise and critique of my writing. It only helps me get better.
I agree. I'm a reasonably seasoned writer, but there are editors who have made me sit back and say huh!, good point! lol
Excellent and well-said. I've had to block writers who became extremely hostile over suggested edits. I love writers, but the level of entitlement out there can be astonishing. It's a sad state when you have to ask "are you open to edits?" Also, I wish the note feature on Medium gave us a few more characters. Sometimes it takes a long time to explain why I want to make a change and I'm fearful I'll provoke the writer if I don't have the space to express myself clearly. Maybe you should put it on the form for writers who apply to write for you, "Are you willing to accept edits, yes/no" and if they put no, then don't add them. Thanks for all the hard work you do Linda! I hope you feel free to send me suggestions when you see something that you think might make an article stronger!
Yeah, those 200 character boxes are something else. lol. Good point on my form -- maybe I'll go a step farther and say if you aren't open to edits, don't submit. lol. And yes, absolutely I know you won't bite my head off for suggestions but glad you said it anyway. :)
Thanks for all that you do for writers!
Thanks, Tree!
I started my writing career with children's stories about 40 odd years ago. Got about 200 rejections before I got published. That sorted out any sense of entitlement I might have had and replaced it with a stronger work ethic. I always listen to editors - they're people too. Cheers 😊
Hating on an editor just because they suggested edits is a little extreme to me lol. Yes, writers are sensitive about their work but for me, it’s how I get feedback that counts. If an editor approaches me telling me they liked my work but made a few suggestions, I’m totally open to that.
I didn’t realise how important it was to get feedback until an editor suggested changes for my short story. It allowed me to see how someone else perceives my writing. That’s what makes us good writers.
Thank you for saying that some boosted stories have something special about them. Before, I used to think that I wouldn’t get boosted and lost a bit of confidence but I’m really grateful that three fiction pieces in my series got boosted recently.