How Can You Make Your First $5 On Medium?
There is a difference between having a hobby and using the same hobby to make money.
Should I tell you the secret?
I know — this is about making the first $5, but bear with me, I need to talk about other things first.
Actually, you know what?
There is already a substantial number of articles that talk about making money on Medium. There is no need for another one. Therefore, we will talk about how writing on Medium is not about making money.
And once you start thinking that way, you might start making money. Well, that’s how it was in my experience!
The reality?
I, like many of you dear readers, have heard about this platform called Medium, where we “all” have a chance to earn something extra. So, we try.
We try again and again, but we never earn anything substantial. Sometimes the only reader of our work is one person. Yourself.
This made me sad time and time again, because all of the content was mine, my baby, that I wanted to grow. It was never just some random words or sentences. They had a meaning, they brought some practical use to the world and yet no one else seemed to care.
It stayed that way for quite some time — until it all changed.
What to learn from my experience?
I have always enjoyed writing and once I found out about Medium — boom! Life-changer. I was writing even more often, with more energy, but the real passion was gone. I was doing it just for the money. Which I got none of, as you can guess.
The writing motivation was starting to disappear and with it the amount I wrote. Weeks have passed without me even thinking about creating something new.
I loved creating and then the love was gone.
Gone because of the money. Gone because I wanted my hobby to become something that it wasn’t.
I stopped writing for several weeks, but the spark was still inside me. One day I decided to try again, just for myself and for fun. And yes, it all came back to me. Thankfully.
Now I don’t check on how many views I get, I don’t check on my earnings. I write simply because I like to write and most of the time I don’t feel the need to make my work public. Don’t get me wrong — I enjoy publishing as well, especially if I get some good feedback.
Maybe one day, I will reread and enjoy what I have created.
Do it like it doesn’t matter.
Don’t think about the money. Think about what you are creating and how your writing is improving other people’s lives.
Actual practical advice?
Yeah, yeah, okay, I’ll tell you something useful. If you want readers, you need subscribers. Go on Facebook, there are a ton of Medium groups with beginner writers that will gladly help you out and you can help them out.
If you like my content don’t forget to engage! I will gladly do the same if your writing will improve who I am as well.
And don’t forget — don’t write for money. Write for yourself and if you make some money along the way — good for you!