The Writer's Life: Life After Medium and Writing Short Books

It has been around six months since I left Medium (you can find out why in this six part series — The Truth About Medium).

I no longer post on Medium as much as I once did. Most of the time, I will import a post from this blog, to keep things going, and see if anyone reads it.

That was one of the difficulties at Medium: finding the audience and getting reads. It is a site that says it does all the SEO stuff for you. If it did, I’m not sure that it helped in any way. It sounds like a good idea, just post and trust the algorithm to find readers for you, but I can’t say it worked that well.

I tend to do my own SEO and keywords on this blog, with a little help from ChatGPT. AI is useful in that regard. In fact, I would say that I get a better response doing this on my own blog than I did on relying on Medium's algorithm.

The Truth About Medium, An Interlude - Writing For Pennies - A Poem

Writing for pennies, I wait and dream,

Writing for pennies, is not what it seems.

Writing for pennies, just you and me,

Writing for pennies, stories no one can see.

Writing for pennies, time moves so fast,

Writing for pennies, good times never last.

Writing for pennies, I want my reward,

Writing for pennies, I’m getting so bored.

Writing for pennies, too good to be true,

Writing for pennies, no time to feel blue.

Writing for pennies, for every penny earned,

Writing for pennies, a life lesson learned.

Writing for pennies, where stories unfold,

Writing for pennies, more precious than gold.

Writing for pennies, a tale to be told,

Writing for pennies, I won’t sell my soul.

I originally published this poem on Medium in early September. 

The Truth About Medium - Part Six - Here's the One About Money

 

This post covers my earnings at Medium for 2024-25. 

2024 earnings from the time I joined the Medium Partner Program to the end of December.

Sep — $11.55

Oct — $7.47

Nov — $36.52

Dec — $10.19

2025.

Jan — $2.49

Feb — $1.46

Mar — $2.04

Apr — $2.88

May — $0.63

Jun — $2.74

Jul — $1.24

Aug — $0.54

Sep — $0.04 

The Truth About Medium - Part Five - Let's Talk About Money

One of Medium’s biggest attractions for writers is the chance to earn money right away. You join the Medium Partner Program (MPP), write, publish, and with every read from a paying member, you earn a little something in return.

Exactly how much per read? Well, that’s the mystery.

There’s a formula used — some calculation involving views, reads, and “engagement.” I’ve tried to figure it out, but like many others, I never cracked the code. Only Medium and the algorithm have the answer to that.

Still, some writers were making good money on Medium. It felt like if you show up, engage, publish regularly, and build a loyal following, you too could join the platform’s top earners.

Then comes the reality check.

Where the Money Comes From

Let’s start with where the money for writers actually comes from. It’s drawn from the pool of funds that paying members contribute — the same members who subscribe through the MPP.

Here’s where things get tricky.

How many people join Medium to just read? And how many sign-up hoping to write and earn? We roughly know the number of members, but Medium doesn’t break it down. If most members are writers, not readers, then for every person making a decent monthly, "side-hustle" income — say $500 — hundreds of others would need to make almost nothing. The money doesn’t stretch far enough.

The reason is simple: the money writers earn comes largely from the same pot they pay into. If the membership is mostly writers, it is clear that most cannot get back more than their membership fee.

If Medium had millions of paying readers who didn’t write, the pot would be much bigger, and there’d be more to go around.

Medium’s Business Model

The Truth About Medium - Part four - A few stats

Medium tends not to release too many details of stats relating to the platform. The details provided here are based on finding numbers across the web. Many are probably out of date.

How many members does Medium have?

I read elsewhere that to find an up-to-date number of registered users on the platform, you should check the number of followers of the official Medium Staff account for news and updates.

As of writing, Medium has 108 million followers.

Does that mean 108 million active accounts? I would guess not. It probably includes inactive accounts, including those who were once members of the MPP.

The number of subscribers who pay to read content on Medium?

Figures that I found on the web:

• 2019: 400,000 paid subscribers

• 2021: 725,000 paid subscribers

• 2024: 1,000,000 paid subscribers

I asked GPT-4o for user stats.

Monthly Readers: Over 100 million.

Monthly Visitors: Approximately 45 million.

Monthly Payout to Writers: Over $2 million

I have read variations on that 100 million figure — up to 110 million. 

The numbers are important, because writers are paid from member reads. 

You have to be a member of the MPP to be paid.

The 100 million+ reads a month figure looks impressive, but writers do not get paid for non-member reads. And non-members only get three “free” articles/stories a month to read. It is also possible to provide a free read link with each story, but I’ve found that most writers don’t use this.

As a writer on Medium, it is the member reads that will pay you. 

Finding those readers is the difficult part.

The Truth About Medium - Part Three - Hopes and Dreams

So, I decided to try writing on Medium as a member of the MPP, just to see if things improved.

And they did — a little.

My first decision was to be accepted by a publication. There is a clear advantage to this, in that each publication has its own built-in audience — at least in theory.

When it comes to being accepted by a publication, there is a lot of choice. There are specialist and generalist publications in terms of what they will publish.

And with some, it is easier to be accepted than others. 

I tended to go for the publication(s) that had an “open door” policy. They generally accepted anyone who adhered to Medium’s rules. They would publish a story, unless it was really bad or poorly written.

All of my stories were accepted and published, and I began to get some views and reads.

The biggest surprise was that by the end of my first month, I qualified for a payment — $11.55. I had decided to only check at the end of the month, so I was happy with the result. 

I did not expect it at all.

Now, $11.55 is not a life-changing amount, but it was a start. One of the things that drew me to Medium was the possibility that over time you could build up a passive income. Old content qualified for payment for as long as you were a member. 

But, as time passed, reality set in.

The Truth About Medium - Part Two - I Decided to Join

When I first joined Medium, I was not a paid-up member. I decided to give the platform a try, and the free membership allowed me to do that.

I thought it would be a good idea to see what kind of response I got. How much of an audience would there be? It would give me a chance to see what it was like and then use the option to join the paid programme later.

At first, I decided to write one or two longer-format stories each week. After all, everything I had read indicated that it was long-format, personal stories that do well on the platform.

As advertised, the platform was easy to use. 

The only criticism I would make is that there is not a grammar or spell check option, but other blogging sites don’t have that either. I just had to use other available options.

I wrote my first story, posted it and waited.

In fact, I didn’t have to wait long before I got a response.

The Truth About Medium - Part One: What is Medium?

It is September 2025, and I have just completed one year of being a paid member on the writing platform, Medium.

Having completed that year, has Medium delivered what I thought it would?

Read on.

But first, what is Medium?

Medium presents itself as a unique online writing platform that has transformed the way individuals share their thoughts, stories, and expertise with a global audience. 

It was launched in 2012 with the aim to provide a space where writers could express themselves freely. A platform where readers could discover high-quality content across a wide range of topics. 

It was to be a community of writers, and readers.

The platform itself offers the writer simplicity and accessibility. The user interface is fairly straightforward to understand and minimalist in design. It is not complicated to use. It allows writers to focus on their writing without the distractions often found on other platforms. 

It also helps that you do not need to be a tech genius to write on the platform. No widgets to install, or updates to deal with.

Just get on with writing.

The Day I Met An Investment Advisor

It was about twenty years ago that I was offered the chance to meet an investment advisor at my local bank. The meeting would be about the new opportunities they could offer, and the best long-term strategy to adopt.

                                                                      Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

I decided to go along, more out of interest than any likelihood that I was going to pursue any of the options offered, but I wanted to hear what they had to say.

I knew that the bank probably had something that they wanted to sell me. A fund, or maybe a market tracker?

So, I met with one of their advisors.

He was a young man who had the look of a banker. Swept back black hair and wearing what looked like an expensive suit.

Reminded me of the Wolf of Wall Street, except this was Middle England.

I was casually dressed. I don’t think that I looked like a high-wealth individual, but there again, I knew there were many business leaders who dressed smart and casual.

I was not a business leader, though.

We had a conversation, and I was asked what my investment goals were.

To make money, or at the very least, not to lose it? That was too obvious.

In the stock market, there is a chance that you could lose it. You can lose every penny. Companies do go bust. Or you just get unlucky, and the bull market that has been running for several years comes to an end just as you invest.

But it is also possible to do very well. Timing and time can work in your favour.

Midweek Musings: Latest Stories on Medium.

A Walk To The Market 

The fruit and veg market is a completely different shopping experience than the average local shopping mall. There are no bright lights, and it’s a bit of a mess. There are no tempting advertisements designed to encourage spending. There is just the fruit and veg and people looking for a bargain.

It’s like a farmers market, but without the farmers.

The Dreaming Spires of Oxford 

Most of my friends were impressed when I told them that I was going to Oxford to study. Well, they were impressed until I told them that it wasn’t the actual Oxford University that I was going to, but the “other place” in Oxford, the polytechnic. “A polytechnic?” They would say, “There’s a polytechnic in Oxford?”

Interesting place, Oxford.

 

Image by Isabell Demuth from Pixabay

Writing and Reading: The Struggle to Find Time For Both.

I am struggling to find the time to read any of the books on my "to read" list. 

The struggle exists because most of my spare time I now spend writing, or researching for writing. 

 Image by wal 172619 from Pixabay

I have four writing projects in progress right now.

My Medium Writing Journey: The Little Bell Icon

My experiment with the writer's platform Medium continues.

Anyone who is a creative can become a slave to the little bell icon. That little bell icon. Twitter X has one, YouTube has one, Medium has one. I assume that all the social media platforms have them. It is a reminder of how popular, or not, you are.

 Image by Neal Brian from Pixabay

Let me explain.

Medium Update: Latest Article and Story.

The following article and story can be found on Medium.

The Grammar Check 

I have, what you might call, a love-hate relationship with grammar check software. We all make mistakes when we write. I know that I do. The mistakes are corrected during editing, but...

Welcome to The House of Fun 

My journey into Bedsitland had begun when I rented a small, partially furnished single room on the ground floor of a terraced house, close to where I had lived as a boy...

Medium: Links to All Stories and Articles

Find links below to all current stories and articles that I have posted on Medium to date.

If you like, you can leave a clap. Apparently, you can clap as much as you like (I think so)! 

You can also leave a comment.

My Journey to Bedsit-Land Part Two: Welcome to the House of Misfits 

My Journey to Bedsit-Land 

The Bully and my Aston Martin 

The Man with the Meat Cleaver

Walk More, Live Better: The Health Benefits of Going For a Walk 

Why I Write

 

Medium: Trying Something New.

It has been a while since I posted, but I do have an excuse. Well, two excuses, actually. First, I have a book to write. Well, I'm trying to write. For now, the book is my priority, and it takes up a lot of time, as any aspiring author will know.

Next, I was in the process of writing a second book when I realised that these true stories might be more effective as articles. After reaching twenty-six thousand words, I have decided to set it aside.

Which led me to the website for writers and readers, Medium.

What is Medium?

I went to their website to find their definition of what they offer. 

Medium is a home for human stories and ideas. Here, anyone can share insightful perspectives, useful knowledge, and life wisdom with the world—without building a mailing list or a following first. The internet is noisy and chaotic. Medium is quiet yet full of insight. It’s simple, beautiful, collaborative, and helps you find the right audience for whatever you have to say.

https://medium.com/about

I decided that the best place to go to find out more was YouTube. I mean, you can usually find someone on YouTube who has made a video about their experience. I was right, but some videos looked like clickbait. They offered a magic formula. Just do what they do, and you can do the same.  

Well, no, I don’t think it is like that.