The Medium Gambit
I told myself, By the end of the month, I will make my five dollars back. I am certain that I will not meet that goal by the end of the month. I am very happy that I will not reach my goal.
It has been about three weeks since my start on Medium. For many these may seem like humble beginnings. They are just that. What I notice is that they are organic and honest. I am not worried about the financial implications of this website. They have streamlined the process of content with creator. My hope is that my work continues to keep me connected to like minded people.
My brief observations have shown me that this platform has organic traffic. I am a writer by nature and profession. This platform as far as I can tell — honors that. I would actually like to applaud the applaud the team creating and continuing the maintain a space for space for people to write.
I essentially have the next year to write, but would it be worth it no matter the outcome. What truly matters is that I learn to write and build an audience that likes to read my work. As of 2025 there is a larger audience of Millennial and Gen Z males that I hopefully have a connection with.
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I guess the problem now is to figure what to write about? I guess anything right now is valid, since I don’t have much of an audience. I don’t want to look back at my work though and be super embarrassed. It’s not hard to write, but to be on a deadline or daily schedule is hard. I can tell you right now that I am not that interesting.
I was watching a YouTube video that you need somewhere around 50 article posts to start seeing real traction and payments on Medium. I would rather not put my writing behind a paywall. I think at least for the first four months just continue to write quality posts and enjoy the process.
I have been breaking my own rule from last week. Don’t post anything under 1,000 words. My short stories have had some success, but they are too long. I think the sweet spot size of a post is somewhere between 1,000–2000 words which is somewhere between 5–7 minutes. People want quick media. They don’t want to sink five minutes in to realize they hate a piece. It’s even hard right now. I am watching the numbers on my word processor. I am trying to not focus on the word count.
I have been really impressed with, stylistics and editing. I get super embarrassed when I write a piece that gets published with a lot of errors. At least you can tell with my writing that it is organic. I have nothing against AI generated drafts. I am trying hard not to look too familiar.
Obviously, if you have read my writing, I like to italicize words. This is me trying out a new style. I have been impressed with a number of writers and their style ability: * bullet points, italics, and underlining, are some of the techniques used effectively. There are also a number of visuals used strategically that if I had more time to edit, I would be more conscientious about. I really like how Word has the autocorrect feature so that I can keep writing. Tell me you can tell.
I guess I do have a lot to write about. I am trying hard not to write about my work to make myself easily identifiable. I am sure my mother would recognize my profile immediately. Hello mother. I guess that’s another point to address a nom de plume or name of the pen (actually feather). I think it is essential to write under a pseudonym, if you are going to write professionally. The added anonymity is not out of hostility for a loyal audience. It comes from the fear of someone who crosses the line, or tries to sue.
I remember the old days. The internet in modern terms, was in its adolescent years. Blogs were all over the place and not a penny to be earned. I realized long ago that I was a better writer than a business person. I can say that Medium has helped to grow my confidence in the craft. I want to thank you the reader for taking the time.
