I maintain that the social structures developed by the end of third grade remain throughout a human's life. By third grade, there are the popular kids, the ones who get followers and get detractors as well. There are the playground games such as King of the Hill which remain throughout work and life in general. There is a burgeoning awareness of Status which then rules life. If you ever need a refresher on social dynamics, watch the third grade class at your local elementary school. Every element is there.
I think dark snarky humor and mental health awareness have been my most read pieces. Haven't made alot money from it but I'm compelled to write it anyway.
The writing topics that have done the best for me are my over-50 dating stories and what I’ve learned after marrying (and divorcing) a sex addict. Interestingly, I do much better on TikTok and Instagram Reels when discussing how to cope with or heal from a narcissistic relationship or as an adult child of a dysfunctional family. Each platform has a unique vibe. It’s been fun and challenging to figure out their eco-systems so that the message resonates. A common error I used to make is to fail to bring myself into the story. The more real or vulnerable I am, generally, the better my writing performs. At first, though, getting “naked” is scary as hell; lately it’s been liberating. I’m about to proof my book and start taping the audiobook’s narration. I’m so excited.
Grief and loss has been my money bag for the last year. Angels are my highest earner EVER. Before that it was relationships I guess. But of course, the occasional thing I post about Medium trumps most topics. Ugh.
I've published so little on Medium that I don't want to read too deeply into the stats, they may just be noise.
On my Wordpress blog, the topics which get the most views are crafts (which is especially interesting since I've written so few DIY crafts posts), wuxia/Chinese-pop-culture (especially posts which discuss female characters), and posts about sexual incompatibility within relationships. Most of the traffic to my most viewed posts is driven by search engines.
Great question and a topic area many of us wonder about. I write mainly humorous pieces about cats and dogs, but my read stats are bleak. The pets category doesn't appear to be a great one on Medium. I wrote a while back about writing, and while I got more views, it felt like I was not adding anything new to an already overloaded area. I will stick to my niche, and slowly add a couple more.
Except for my first two curated stories which are my highest earners, the most interest I get is for writing about writing on Medium. The most I've ever achieved is $42! I try so hard not to write the writing about writing stories, yet it's impossible not to when there's good news to share. Pretty much all my chosen ones and top writer staus in Climate Change and Sustainability do little. It won't stop me trying to get the message out, though. NewsBreak readers, read and appreciate (or disagree with) my work in the hundreds and thousands. Sometimes hundreds of thousands. Medium readers not so much, lol!
"Maybe that she writes about abuse and rape (albeit in poetry) is part of her success?" Absolutely. I'd rather focus on light and healing so I'm destined to die 'poor' but rich in joy.
I've just jumped back on Medium and will try and stick at it this time. I'm not sure about topics, but there's not a lot of traction for fiction and silly poems. 😪 I looked up the writers I follow and note many have not posted for ages. Since returning, I've read widely. I'm a total sucker for clickbait. One thing I've noticed this time around, many writers tend to point out the obvious and treat it as ground breaking. Also, they repeat the same points over and over to the point of tedium. I don't clap for these. A mean part of me wishes there was a negative clapper.
I maintain that the social structures developed by the end of third grade remain throughout a human's life. By third grade, there are the popular kids, the ones who get followers and get detractors as well. There are the playground games such as King of the Hill which remain throughout work and life in general. There is a burgeoning awareness of Status which then rules life. If you ever need a refresher on social dynamics, watch the third grade class at your local elementary school. Every element is there.
I think dark snarky humor and mental health awareness have been my most read pieces. Haven't made alot money from it but I'm compelled to write it anyway.
The writing topics that have done the best for me are my over-50 dating stories and what I’ve learned after marrying (and divorcing) a sex addict. Interestingly, I do much better on TikTok and Instagram Reels when discussing how to cope with or heal from a narcissistic relationship or as an adult child of a dysfunctional family. Each platform has a unique vibe. It’s been fun and challenging to figure out their eco-systems so that the message resonates. A common error I used to make is to fail to bring myself into the story. The more real or vulnerable I am, generally, the better my writing performs. At first, though, getting “naked” is scary as hell; lately it’s been liberating. I’m about to proof my book and start taping the audiobook’s narration. I’m so excited.
Grief and loss has been my money bag for the last year. Angels are my highest earner EVER. Before that it was relationships I guess. But of course, the occasional thing I post about Medium trumps most topics. Ugh.
My highest earning story to date has been about my hearing loss. Otherwise, I've done best with history.
Having trouble with computer. Pressed heart button numerous times. Please excuse if you're getting repetitive responses. Benjamin
I've published so little on Medium that I don't want to read too deeply into the stats, they may just be noise.
On my Wordpress blog, the topics which get the most views are crafts (which is especially interesting since I've written so few DIY crafts posts), wuxia/Chinese-pop-culture (especially posts which discuss female characters), and posts about sexual incompatibility within relationships. Most of the traffic to my most viewed posts is driven by search engines.
Great question and a topic area many of us wonder about. I write mainly humorous pieces about cats and dogs, but my read stats are bleak. The pets category doesn't appear to be a great one on Medium. I wrote a while back about writing, and while I got more views, it felt like I was not adding anything new to an already overloaded area. I will stick to my niche, and slowly add a couple more.
Except for my first two curated stories which are my highest earners, the most interest I get is for writing about writing on Medium. The most I've ever achieved is $42! I try so hard not to write the writing about writing stories, yet it's impossible not to when there's good news to share. Pretty much all my chosen ones and top writer staus in Climate Change and Sustainability do little. It won't stop me trying to get the message out, though. NewsBreak readers, read and appreciate (or disagree with) my work in the hundreds and thousands. Sometimes hundreds of thousands. Medium readers not so much, lol!
I enjoy your Substack emails, Linda, thank you.
Keep it up and thank you for all the good work :)
I don’t write a lot; mostly poetry.
Pieces that have done the best are spiritual ones that implicitly (or explicitly) invoke gratitude and beauty.
"Maybe that she writes about abuse and rape (albeit in poetry) is part of her success?" Absolutely. I'd rather focus on light and healing so I'm destined to die 'poor' but rich in joy.
"We all live with the end results of each other's decisions." So well-put!
I've just jumped back on Medium and will try and stick at it this time. I'm not sure about topics, but there's not a lot of traction for fiction and silly poems. 😪 I looked up the writers I follow and note many have not posted for ages. Since returning, I've read widely. I'm a total sucker for clickbait. One thing I've noticed this time around, many writers tend to point out the obvious and treat it as ground breaking. Also, they repeat the same points over and over to the point of tedium. I don't clap for these. A mean part of me wishes there was a negative clapper.