Hey Reader,
I recently shared that I'll be spending lots of time in my email inbox these days responding to questions on all things writing, audience growth, monetization, and Medium.
The reason I'm so passionate about learning more about your struggles as a writer is that I'm currently revamping my signature program, Medium Writing Academy. π
I've been making changes to the program every few months since we launched back in 2020, but this time, it's a complete makeover, and those conversations with writers help me be 100% clear and confident about the value of the program.
Last week, I received several messages from writers who told me their new "strategy" includes engaging with other creators to grow their audience and income.
This email in particular stood out to me:
Uh-oh, that's a big, BIG misconception (probably even a lie shared by "Medium gurus"). π¨
Let me clear things up in case you've been thinking the same or wondering about similar questions:
Writing on Medium is all about the writing.
Medium is not a social media platform. It's a reading platform and readers pay to find great stories to read.
You're not supposed to interact with others to get noticed on Medium.
Instead, you have to:
- Be clear about your message and the value you bring to the table ("Is this story useful?" is a great question to ask yourself if you're not sure whether you're creating value.)
β - Share your message regularly. I'm not saying you have to write or publish daily - not at all. But taking month-long breaks is not the best decision either.
β - Understand Medium's quality and distribution guidelines, so your stories get Boosted regularly.β
β - Create genuine and strong relationships with your readers by building an email list and encouraging real conversations. (See what I'm doing right now? π)
I've been writing on Medium for over 5 years.
I reached millions of readers on the platform.
And I made over $150,000 through the Partner Program.
I can confidently say "engaging with other writers" is not going to help you reach more readers.
You can connect and engage with other writers to meet like-minded peers, to learn from each other, and to ask for feedback. But it's (luckily) not a growth strategy.
Do this instead π
If you want to learn more about how to actually grow your audience on Medium, join me for a special live training with my friend and favorite writing buddy Zulie Rane, today at 5 pm CET:
Join us live today to learn:
- π How Medium's recent updates and distribution changes are affecting writers.
β - π€ What Zulie and I are doing differently when writing our own stories right now.
β - π‘ The 3 factors that make or break your success as a writer.
| Join the Live Training at 5 pm CET |
I'm really proud of this.. π
When people ask me what I like most about working with writers and entrepreneurs, I say it's the diverse backgrounds and expertise of my students and clients.
One of the many brilliant writers I worked with over the last few months is Jacqueline Hollows, a well-being coach, social entrepreneur, and author.
And I'm so proud to share the crowdfunding campaign Jacqueline launched last night for her new memoir, Wing of an Angel:β
Wing of an Angel is the story of a woman who overcame adverse childhood trauma to succeed in her career, and then gave it all up to build mental health programs with people in prison.
βWing of an Angel is for you if:
- π¦ΈββοΈ You believe that ordinary people can do extraordinary things.
β - β€οΈβπ©Ή You ever felt irredeemably broken.
β - π§ You would love to make a meaningful difference but donβt know where to start.
| Learn More About "Wing of an Angel"β |
β
Big love from my screen to yours,
Sinem
Want more?