I Don’t Publish to Medium Daily and Here’s Why:
I Don’t Want to Cheapen It
I’ve been on Medium for a little while, but it doesn’t really show in my stats or my monthly deposit from Medium. I’ve barely published a dozen or more articles. It’s not that I don’t have the drive because I do. Its quite literally all I think about. In that sense, I know I’ll eventually come into my own. There’s something special coming. I can feel it.
I follow people I know I can learn from and take note of the type of articles they publish. Tim Denning, Tom Kuegler, and J.J. Pryor are some of my favorites, but they aren’t the only ones. Sometimes I covet the success they write about and I wonder how much is unequivocally true and how much is a little exaggerated. A short scroll through their published list tells me they don’t really need to exaggerate because the devil is in the details and it shows in the stories that are buried in their work.
They do publish to medium regularly, sometimes multiple times per day. I don’t, which is why I’m not nearly as successful as they are — yet. Of course, that all depends on the way you define success. Here’s the thing, I’ve been working as a paid writer for well over five years now and I’ve worked for some pretty big names. I started writing just as a side hustle to make some extra money. Let me tell you, it wasn’t much at first but I was glad to have it. Sometimes it still isn’t much, but my bills are paid and there are a lot of perks. I could be more comfortable, and I’ll get there in due time.
I write for two reasons. One reason is money and the other is sanity. I keep a handful of regular clients who keep me busy and well fed. In exchange I keep the content flowing and help drive the traffic they need. I rarely go looking for work because my schedule stays pretty full for the most part. I write just about every single day and have for a long time. In fact, I just started taking weekends off in February. I have a bank of thousands of articles I’ve written on all sorts of subjects, literally memory sticks full. Sometimes its fun to look back at the way my writing has evolved. I can read an article I wrote in 2015 and I think, “I can’t believe somebody paid me for that.”
I love working for myself, making my own schedule and being able to set my own rates. If I need a raise, I can give myself one. If I need time off, I can schedule that too. I guess my point is that I’m not on Medium to try to make it as a writer. That validation is nice but certainly not necessary. Medium is where I write for pleasure. I enjoy the practice and I get something out of it because it makes me a better writer. It also gives my brain a rest from deadlines, optimization, keyword strings and meta tags.
You see, my clients hire me to provide content, usually on a long-term basis. We forge a relationship and build on it over time. Like anyone, they’re usually looking for a good deal and I give it to them, but the work is on par with the pay. I do hold myself to high standards but someone paying my rock bottom rates isn’t going to get my all-time best work. I think that’s fair. Most of my clients fall squarely in the middle. They pay well for good work and nobody gets raked over the coals. They also know if they need something on the fly or on a holiday, I will certainly oblige them but they’re going to pay handsomely for it. My rates double on holidays. Its only fair.
I’ve never written a book or started a blog, though I think I’d like to soon. I live out in the country surrounded by pasture and woodlands where I tend to my garden, take care of my chickens and gather fresh eggs. I homeschool my daughter who’s in seventh grade and the youngest of five children. I love that I don’t have to drop her off countless hours per week for someone else to raise according to their personal views. Writing affords me the opportunity to live the way I want, within reason. It allows me to take care of my family the way they deserve to be taken care of and make them a true priority.
Medium is where I post articles that haven’t been pre-purchased. I try to publish my better work on the platform. I’m sure there’s still plenty of room for improvement but that’s why I’m here. Medium is where I get to use my voice. Its where I can share that private part of me that people don’t normally get to see. I can pour my heart out about something I may not want to share with people close to me. This is where I can practice my gift and give the world a little bit of myself just because I want to.
So, I don’t publish to Medium daily. Eventually I might but right now I don’t want to cheapen it. Its that something special that’s just for me and I get to share it with my friends on the platform when the time is right. Sometimes I get a few claps or a comment and I’m okay with that. It means a lot to me when someone I’ve never met reads my work and takes the time to comment about it, good or bad. That’s my validation. This way I get to look forward to publishing on Medium instead of checking it off my list of daily chores. The way I see it, I’d rather publish a few really good articles than a hundred of so-so quality that nobody cares about reading. Medium is my special place and I’d like to keep it that way.
