Can Investing in Medium Pay for Itself?
How An Hour and a Few Dollars a Month will Leverage Your ROI
Is this one of your free articles for the month? I know the feeling, “is this one worth it?” After spending far too long limited to three articles a month, I decided it was time to subscribe to Medium in exchange for the price of a morning coffee. The value I was seeing from the limited articles I read, made the decision much easier. The articles were well written, included references, and had in-depth analysis. As an electrical engineer, this was right in my wheelhouse. For five dollars a month, I already knew the investment would be worth it.
Now, in my second month of membership, I’ve realized that I completely underestimated the true value of the articles presented on this platform. I happily struggle to keep up with the content in the topics I’m interested in, and it seems the quality of the writing continues to improve the further I venture down the rabbit hole. I’m continuously discovering and following new writers spread across several topics on a daily basis. I find myself, not only reading the articles, but also the responses! Most of them are just as well written as the piece themselves.
I’ve always been an avid online reader, from Reddit to e-Books to peer-reviewed whitepapers, and I’ve only learned about Medium now! I’ve missed out for years on the information available on the platform. Since joining, I’ve recognized a few important key factors to belonging to Medium.
Experiential Information from Hobbies to Careers
There’s raw, unfiltered material on an expansive range of topics and ideas. Anything from writing to running to quantum computing. The expertise and knowledge available on Medium are unrivaled. It’s a collective space for those with personal experience and/or training to share and educate, unlike other sites where obtaining information is like pulling blood from a stone. If you’ve found yourself here, you’ve found yourself an excellent resource of first-hand accounts on almost any niche you could imagine.
If entertainment is what you seek, then I suggest browsing the poetry, fan fiction, and short stories written by amazing writers who are either established or trying to make a name for themselves. You’ll not only satisfy your desire, but you’ll be supporting artists and their work in the process.
Your ROI Will Increase Exponentially as You Provide Value
The ability to write clearly while simply expressing your message is an art. There are some technical aspects behind it which makes it a science as well. Many people doubt their abilities and never try to write for themselves. The self-doubt provides them an excuse to hide behind. I was one of those people. I never labeled myself a writer, I was an electrical engineer who provided technical reports for clients. I failed English three years in a row in high school, yet I was placed in AP Physics and Calculus senior year. Numbers were my thing, words seemed to elude me.
As I grew older, and spent more time reading, I developed a better understanding of the written word. When I found Medium, I noticed that when you join as a member, you have the opportunity to write and potentially make money, so I decided to give it a try. What’s the worst that could happen? No one reads my work. I decided to write about a personal experience, how I became a morning person. After a few days, I checked my stats, and some people had read it! So, I decided to write more, and in my first month I ended up writing nine articles, all of which I tried to bring value to others through my own life experiences. I wound up making almost ten dollars in my first month on Medium. That covered my first month’s payment, and then some!
I don’t compare myself to any other writers. For me, there’s no comparing. If what you’re doing is explaining your story, how you explain it is your unique way. No one else has experienced your life; therefore, no one is more of an expert on your experience than you. As long as the reader can understand your message, and they take value you from it, the depth of your vocabulary is irrelevant. You have experiences, just write about them and what you’ve learned from them. By adding value back into Medium, your return-on-investment will be amplified. Your stories could help change someone’s life, and potentially reduce your monthly payment.
The Community is Vocal and Supportive of New Writers
If you’re afraid of judgement as a new writer, this is one place you shouldn’t worry as much. The community of writers on Medium are extremely helpful and will usually provide guidance if requested. The responses (comments) you receive, or read, are typically positive and well thought out. There will always be people who disagree with your point of view, but that’s not limited to writing. I’ve read debates on the site which aren’t negative and attacking, but respectful and challenges you to view the situation from a different vantage point, to have an open mind.
Find a publication or tag that aligns with your interests. Follow those tags, publications, and authors. Read, highlight, clap, and deliver responses to the articles that provide value to you. There’s never a shortage of excellent reading, spanning back to articles from more than 15 years ago. The views and experiences are presented from all over the world. The knowledge is poured into the Medium servers from the minds of all generations. If this is your first free Medium article or you’ve been a contributing member for years, thank you and I hope this provided some value!
