Does anyone publish on Medium? And do you find it useful?

vhilal

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Hi everyone, I started writing on Medium in January 2018 as a way to get my creative juices flowing after months spent in editing mode on my first manuscript. I have mixed feelings about it and wonder what you think? I have enjoyed playing with different styles and voices, but I've also found that I get wrapped up in the "social" nature of it (need to publish regularly, how many views did a certain story get, etc.). In your opinion, is it a viable option for building a social media platform as a fiction writer or do you have other suggestions? Thanks and look forward to hearing your thoughts!
 

Cobalt Jade

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As with Wattpad, Quotev, Kial, etc. it can be fun to both read and write. (I didn't know Medium was being used for fiction -- I thought it was more for editorial pieces and personal essays.) There comes a time, though, when you want actual payment for all your hard work, and all your hard work to go towards something greater.

At its best, Medium seems like an online portfolio any editor can access and assess.
 

tharris

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I looked into this a bit and it seems like there is a market there, but it takes a lot of time to cultivate a following to make your private/paid articles viable. I think its a great place for a writer to start posting free blog posts to help build their brand, though. They do some stuff with SEO that can help out. It would be great if there was more of a writing craft community there (maybe there is, but I never really found it).
 

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I just made an account there. I'll upgrade to paid next week. I figured it would be a good place for all my flash pieces I have sitting around collecting dust. It sounds interesting and I'm looking forward to getting started. How is it going for you so far?
 

vhilal

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I just made an account there. I'll upgrade to paid next week. I figured it would be a good place for all my flash pieces I have sitting around collecting dust. It sounds interesting and I'm looking forward to getting started. How is it going for you so far?

Medium has been a fun way to test what works (and doesn't). I haven't actively tried to gain followers or write to a certain audience, so it's been a great confidence builder and rewarding to see people respond to my pieces. My advice is to find a publication that matching your writing genre/style to get your feet wet. Hope to see you there :)
 

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As mentioned, you can now monetize your articles on Medium by making them accessible only behind the paywall for Medium members. It's care the Partner Program. And the way you are compensated is roughly based on how many "claps" (or "likes") your article receives (though a "clap" is worth less from someone who "claps" for many many articles as opposed to someone who "claps" more discerningly).

I find there are a lot of Medium blogs out there about "how to be a better writer" that are focused on productivity "hacks" and generally geared more toward people who write b2b or blogging content, not necessary more literary writers.

I plan to start blogging on Medium but still figuring out my approach and researching. I find blogging can be very unsatisfying if you don't get many eyeballs on your content or responses/comments.
 

Svader

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I feel the same way. Blogging is rough, trying to figure out what attracts more people and what doesn't. I'm still struggling with that. That's why Medium seems interesting to me. It's a way of getting some of my stories out there. I plan on posting my first one on the first of July. It'll be interesting to see what works and what doesn't. I'm looking at it as a new adventure.
 

unthoughtknown

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I do from time to time. I published a few articles and then finishing my novel became a priority. Hoping to be active again there soon. I'll look you up now!
 

Devil Ledbetter

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I blog on Medium only when I have a desire to be ignored by an even wider audience.
 

tesda

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Medium is really useful and beneficial if you are re trying trying to establish a portfolio, expand your professional connections and your audience, and build up your professional profile.
 

mccardey

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I love Medium - I don't post, I just read. I only discovered it because my agent had linked to a wonderful piece there.
 

wonderactivist

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I just uploaded a WP post onto Medium for the first time today. I think it's just a way of extending audience--but then I freelance as much as write fiction. One problem: after the upload, it dropped some of the images, so I had to add them back--and it doesn't want to link out images to outside sites. Let me know if you have a fix.

I just followed those of you with Medium links in your sigs and wish y'all the best!

Lucie
 

HarrisonClemens

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I just started using Medium as a sort of scratch pad/entry level way of getting my writing out there. I really like it as a communications platform. It is so cool to be able to communicate not just words but also images, video and just about anything creative through it. But I find it limited in it is essentially a technology/business oriented platform. I feel there's a real lack of counterculture or alternative writing on there as anything besides technology/business seems very one-dimensional. Medium seems to be in very early phases of nuturing things beyond their niches. But I find it to be the best free online platform for writing but I don't have a whole lot of illusions about what it might lead to other than just a really cool gym to work ideas out in.
 

GinJones

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Any updates from people who have been using it for a while or planning to start? I'm thinking about it for a non-fiction project I'm working on. But I have real reservations about this model (the platform owner profiting from the largely unpaid work of the writers) and not really sure about the return on investment.
 

AW Admin

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I like a lot about Medium as a writing environment, but I've stopped posting since they changed their model.

It doesn't really offer much benefit in terms of traffic or pay, in my opinion and case.
 

Jason

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I bailed once they changed their model too...also find it increasingly annoying when they send me automated daily emails to certain articles, then on the 4th day I am greeted by the paywall saying "you've read your three articles for the month".