Reflections on me writing for 3 Months
I decided to dedicate my free time to do more writing. Here are some takeaways I’ve gotten in the first 3 months.
Why I wanted to start writing in the first place
As someone interested in business, creativity, and a lover of writing I thought why not share some of my ideas online. For the last year and a bit, I have been an avid journaler and often use writing as escapism so it seemed quite natural to write about some topics on my mind other than diary entries. A big inspiration to this was the book; ‘What I talk about when I talk about running’, it’s a beautiful, memoir-styled nonfiction in which the author talks about his habits, writing career, and the stillness of his routine of writing. So with that, I got to it.
How I found out about Medium
For those of you who know me personally, you’ll know I have quite an obsessive personality. Whether that be nerding out on obscure running gear, delving deep into the coffee world, or consuming lots of books. So when I decided I wanted to write I did some research about copywriting, writing blogs, and blogging platforms. This is when I stumbled across a platform called Medium.
Born out of the creators of Twitter. The makers wanted a space for more long-form content without the distractions of advertisers and instead a more community-based feel. A small membership fee to support the writers you like, rather than ads of things you don’t want to be dictated by people you don’t know. I loved the idea so I signed up.
(Just as a side note as it currently stands Medium is where I primarily write as it provides an audience to me and also financially helps me out. To join the platform and support me at no extra cost click here. However, there is no stress as I publish all my blogs on this site for free as I believe no one should be forced to pay for content).
What I did coming in
Simply put it I knew nothing about the platform but I knew I enjoyed writing. I launched my first article about a book I really enjoyed and within 24 hours it received over 500 claps (Medium’s appraisal system). I was over the moon. I could already picture it:
“Noah Douglas- author/ blogger/ all-round cool dude”
Oh boy, I was wrong.
I don’t know whether Medium’s algorithm likes to boost your ego before you’re hit with the reality about writing on the platform but that's what it felt like. Articles two and three didn’t do anywhere near as well as I expected.
Then I realised simply writing and publishing work wasn’t good enough.
How I tweaked what I was doing as a writer
I also recognised that consistency and quantity win when starting out. I was taking 3 to 4 days to write one blog and being very perfectionist over it. Articles I shed blood, sweat, and tears on often were uploaded and barely received any reception. Recently I have been releasing closer to 4–5 blogs a week and this has been great for me. An article that took me half the time as one of my older ones ended up getting double the amount of revenue. Just write more. It enables you to practice your craft and have more chances of landing a great story.
Hand in hand with writing lots is the actual content you choose. Coming into blogging I thought I would write about one topic and become a master. But you don’t know what content works online especially on sites like Medium. You may love cat stories but the demographic simply may not be there on your website or platform. Personally, I’ve moved on from exclusively writing about business to now branching out to things like running, books and faith. This has not only made writing a lot easier as I have multiple topics to choose from but I’ve seen more people enjoy them too. You can’t expect to be an expert in your area in the first few months of writing- experiment, experiment, experiment!
For earning cash as an author, read time is what really matters so articles with tips and tricks or soulless lists didn’t go well as people can read one point and easily leave. The more personal my article, the more enticing it was and ultimately the longer people read. Upon noticing this I moved to integrate more personal stories and interests into my articles. To date one of my least clapped articles on Medium is actually one of my highest earners as people got invested in the story. The read time was high as they were invested in me. If you like running I highly recommend it.
Knowing your platform and the place you want to write is essential to growth. Spending time to research the updates, new features, and how to optimise articles. Things like learning how to title blogs well, using images to my advantage, and knowing the best publications to feature in. Although, I definitely don’t know it all I try to implement as much knowledge as I can.
What I am going to do moving forward
Personally, I don’t believe in cheating your way to success or overnight cash grabs. I joined Medium to write and share wisdom and stories I’ve acquired over the years as well as a way to join a community of writers. I don’t expect anything of it nor want to put pressure on that to happen. I’d also recommend to all new writers don’t focus on the numbers as you will get discouraged and is not a sustainable source of motivation.
So as steps going forward I’m going back to the basics. Simply put it I am going to write as much as time allows. I’ll invest in myself with courses, reading more, and practicing my craft to improve my articles. None of this is out of a desire for money but an enjoyment of the art of writing. If I never achieve a writing career that's fine but I’m content with the journey and I’m grateful for the challenge it provides for me.