8 Ways To Improve Your Chances On Medium
#5. Life Won’t Stop While You Figure This Out
Three milestones, one month: publication in a local daily, first-time curation, increase in views from 3 to 600.
Was this a fluke or can these results be duplicated and improved on?
What processes can I apply over and over again?
These are the areas I intend to focus on.
1. What Will I Write About?
Medium is a testament to the fact that a good writer can make any topic interesting.
From tech to erotica, futuristic ideas to self-help, readers have a chance to get lost in stories.
My focus is not on finding the right topic but on improving my skills. Learning to use attention-grabbing headlines, choosing eye-catching images and writing evoking content with lingering takeaways that will make my readers come back for more.
As Stephen King said: Writing is seduction.
2. Take A Long Term View of Writing
It is tempting to search for a formula that will jump-start my success. A secret ingredient that will make me write articles along the lines of:
How I Made $5,000 In My First Year On Medium And I Live In A 3rd World Country.
While I admire the success of Medium greats like Tim Denning, Shannon Ashley and Shaunta Grimes, I am aware of a common thread in their stories. They have been writing for more than five years, confirmation of Malcolm Gladwell’s 10,000 hours theory.
Success at Medium will require a lot of hard-work, determination and talking myself into hitting the keyboard every day.
Plus that constant need to prove to myself that my writing is worth all the effort I am putting in.
3. Write On a Schedule, Not Inspiration
Procrastination, the obstacle in my writing journey. Locations, drinks, music and exercise have not cured the avoidance.
Behind the procrastination is a sense of inadequacy and fear. A nagging feeling that I do not have what it takes to write, to put my stories out there.
Who will read my stuff, blogging is saturated, artists starve, there is nothing new to write about and on and on goes the inner critic.
Seating my ass down with a song on loop, timer running has quieted the goblin. The notification button observed from a distance like a toddler’s supermarket tantrum.
Lowering the bar on unrealistic expectations and spreading my tasks out makes this mountain less forbidding.
Time is my currency and I am placing a high value on it.
4. Live, Read and Eat Like a Writer
No more mindless consumption. Binge-watching, running, cooking, church sermons are lessons in creativity.
What is about “Suits” that has me repeating seasons month after month, yet I never watched a single episode of Game Of Thrones?
How does the pastor talk history and ancient practices to an enthralled yuppy congregation?
Is it just me or does Atomic Habits feel like a rehash of Power Of Habits?
How is it that ginger can add zing to tea, meats and vegetables?
Ideas are all around me; I need to take my eyes off my cellphone long enough to notice them.
5. Life Won’t Stop While I Figure This Out
Illness, poor sleep, long work hours and travel. Mixed in with the rollercoaster of emotions of this healing journey and writing quickly takes a back seat.
Enter the minimum consistency dose- a contingency plan for the times I can only give a bit.
The MCD is a simple and quick option for when I do not have time to put in a lot of effort.
Setting a minimum dose helps maintain my momentum; a bit is better than nothing.
My minimum dose is ten minutes number of words notwithstanding.
6. Hang Out With The Cool Kids
Paying for membership adjusted my thinking about the platform; I now had a seat at the table.
Limited access to Medium articles leaves you feeling like an unwanted guest; the one who got a courtesy invite at the last minute. You hang around on the edges knowing that your host didn’t want you there.
Being on the inside allowed me to highlight stories, to read countless articles and share my favourites to my social media platforms.
Knowing I was contributing to another writers paycheck increased my sense of abundance.{Eew Mom cringy, says my daughter}
7. If You Build It They Will Come
I hate to break this to you, but your reader is not seated at his desk patiently waiting for your next article to hit his inbox, then to share it widely with his circle of friends.
You will need to figure out how to promote your content. Creating email lists, giveaways and social media posts that draw readers back to your blog.
To dedicate time on Quora, Reddit and Facebook giving feedback that establishes you as an expert in your industry.
All the while knowing that opening your work to more readers comes with the possibility of trolls and haters.
8. Stop Checking Your Stats
Stats; the bane of online writers. Another reason to abandon this venture. A daily {hourly} ritual that kills motivation and increases the sense of doubt.
No amount of refreshing changes what your results are telling you- there is more to learn, you still have some way to go.
There is no end to writing, yesterday’s successes do not guarantee today’s results.
Dedicate your energy and attention to improve your writing.
