The main issue you've identified is that Medium's business model doesn't align with writer success. Substack makes money when writers make money - Medium makes money regardless of whether anyone reads your work. That explains everything really.
Agree completely, Marcus. Starting over on Substack was hard. I was tied emotionally to my work on Medium, the publications I published to and those I edited for, and the community I had created through my followers. So many of the truly
good writers I followed have moved on. I still have a minor presence on Medium, but each day draws me farther from the platform. I am enjoying the new camaraderie of similar writers here on Substack. Altogether depressing what has occurred at Medium.
I used to love Medium, but I haven't renewed my membership this month. I did have a thought whilst reading your post. I wonder if I can move my subscribers from Medium to Substack? Second thought... That's a terrible idea, even if I could. I think many of the genuine people have moved on.
"In fact, disappearing might be the smartest growth strategy on Medium, because at least then your stats can’t get worse." - Bro you burnt them without an oven 🤣🤣. I love your witty, sarcastic way of writing. It actually makes me chuckle. Keep doing what you do!!
Unless you know the person, I wouldn’t believe them. I know of a couple of people who make around $700-$900, but I really doubt anyone is making $2k these days.
“Sure, Medium will collect subscribers for you, and then hide your posts from them like a deadbeat renter hiding from the landlord on rent day.” I noticed it too, and it is clear why M does it. Because if people read your pay-walled posts, M will have to pay you something, but if nobody reads your posts, then you won’t get anything, not even a penny. And yet, you have to pay your Partner Program membership or FOM fees to be able to use the paywall feature. What a nice arrangement! M collects writer’s fees but hides their posts so that they will never be read by anyone so that M will keep all the membership money to themselves. Isn’t it wonderful? …
I’m still there, on M, God knows why. Most of my fav writers moved to Substack during the last several months. Maybe I should do that too….
It’s such a crappy place these days….I crossposted this article to Medium yesterday and I even featured it. Guess how many reads? 34.
This same post on Substack has 1.28k views. It’s also true that Substack can count views from the same person multiple times, but it still provides a much better reach than Medium and I only have 600 something subscribers compared to my 7.5k followers on Medium.
I wrote one article on Meduim a year ago! But, still it hasn't generated any view, meaning not a single click! This is too much. On the other hand, Substack is doing well for me, at least in comparison with Medium.
I came here to tell you to go fuck yourself because I hadn’t read the entirety of your title. Then I realized what this post is about.
The “Write on Medium if you don’t have an Existing Audience” line is true, but only if you don’t expect your work to be read. Unless, of course, you work is boosted by the leftists that run the place, in which case you’re preaching to the choir.
As for growing email subscribers, Medium changed the way email subscription work recently. Now, if someone becomes an email subscriber through the new, streamlined subscription mechanism, you don’t get their email address. All you get is a series of asterisks.
You don’t have to have a niche on Medium, but you also won’t have an audience.
And Medium is right, I don’t have to have a calendar to post on Medium. On the other hand, I don’t need a calendar to post anywhere, so I don’t see how this is supposed to be a plus.
The hate speech thing is hilarious. Medium is full of leftist bile. They keep pointing to the Nazi thing that occurred on Substack what, three, four years ago? And what did Substack conclude? There were barely two handfuls of Substacks that were dedicated to neo-Nazisism, only one was monetized if memory serves correctly and the rest were dormant accounts.
At the time, Substack claimed they weren’t in the censorship game. And there was immediate backlash when Substack announced they removed some of those neo-Nazi accounts because people were fleeing Medium for Substack so they could say what they wanted. And of course, the answer to speech that one doesn’t like is more speech, not censorship.
Medium is a haven for those who like leftists echo chambers and censorship…just like the Nazis they claim to hate!
Haha great post! Nice work with the 600 Substack subscribers! Happy for you. :) Medium is still user friendly. Ended up getting it back but NOT to earn the extra income. That ship has mostly sailed lol but it's under an alias name to keep the pressure low.
I think Medium is fine if you don’t expect too much with the earnings. It seems to only reward a few writers with a ton of traffic, while everyone else is lucky to get 10 reads. It’s good to see you here!
Last month was the first month in two years that I earned less on M than $5 (my membership fee). This month’s earnings looks even worse. But I haven’t published anything on M since the end of January. (I was still riding the wave of my mortgage story so I focused on Substack.) I’m hoping to start publishing stories here about my health and sleeping breakthrough. (Yeah, some good news finally.) So, it seems prudent to crosspos to M because of the topic. But if nothing comes of it on M and I continue to be underwater with my membership there, then I’ll pull the plug. Regardless, I’m on Substack to stay. Glad you’re here, too! 😊
It seems like this month is worse than normal for a lot of writers on Medium. I cross-post some of my Substack articles to Medium, and I make a few dollars. It's nothing like it used to be. What I love about Substack is that my articles actually reach people, and I don't have to rely on a broken algorithm. My posts average around 600 something views on Substack, and I get around 60 reads on Medium.
That's awesome, Marcus! I haven't been publishing as much this summer, so I haven't been able to build up views. Not worried, though. I enjoy the interaction here with you and a handful of others. That's about all I have time for right now anyway. Cheers, buddy!
The main issue you've identified is that Medium's business model doesn't align with writer success. Substack makes money when writers make money - Medium makes money regardless of whether anyone reads your work. That explains everything really.
Happy Tuesday Marcus …
see I didn’t make a joke.
Yes…It’s nice to actually have a platform that makes an effort to help you earn instead of hunting for pennies like at the other place!
I hope he doesn’t see the restack and his photo lol
He lives in the comments section! 😅
Hopefully, he is too busy counting his pennies and he doesn’t have time to visit Substack.
are you kidding?
He’s here all day, everyday lol
The ‘self congratulatory article’ is the devs trying to mask the obvious downfall of Medium.
Agree completely, Marcus. Starting over on Substack was hard. I was tied emotionally to my work on Medium, the publications I published to and those I edited for, and the community I had created through my followers. So many of the truly
good writers I followed have moved on. I still have a minor presence on Medium, but each day draws me farther from the platform. I am enjoying the new camaraderie of similar writers here on Substack. Altogether depressing what has occurred at Medium.
I had a difficult time moving over to Substack, but I like it much better than Medium now….It’s crazy how much can change in a year.
Agreed!
I used to love Medium, but I haven't renewed my membership this month. I did have a thought whilst reading your post. I wonder if I can move my subscribers from Medium to Substack? Second thought... That's a terrible idea, even if I could. I think many of the genuine people have moved on.
You can import them, but it doesn’t seem like many people are too active anymore. It feels like a ghost town.
"In fact, disappearing might be the smartest growth strategy on Medium, because at least then your stats can’t get worse." - Bro you burnt them without an oven 🤣🤣. I love your witty, sarcastic way of writing. It actually makes me chuckle. Keep doing what you do!!
I appreciate it! Medium provides a lot of writing material…
Hey what do you mean? I doubled my income on Medium last month! Instead of $1.50 I made $3.00 (true story).
I haven’t written on Medium for ages. Every now and then I put up an old Substack post.
I’ve heard some people are still making a couple of thousand US a month, though. Not sure how they achieve it.
That’s progerss! 🤣
Unless you know the person, I wouldn’t believe them. I know of a couple of people who make around $700-$900, but I really doubt anyone is making $2k these days.
Really! That's disappointing. No, I don't know them personally. Just people online.
50-60 reads for 7500k follower writer is alot even maybe 20-30 reads might do.
And tell them to try no to be too active or they'll get thrown out. They don't take shit😀
I think a big shift is about to come. They just got their new community manager in place. So I'm predicting some major shake ups are about to happen.
Do you have inside info? Don’t get my hopes up!
“Sure, Medium will collect subscribers for you, and then hide your posts from them like a deadbeat renter hiding from the landlord on rent day.” I noticed it too, and it is clear why M does it. Because if people read your pay-walled posts, M will have to pay you something, but if nobody reads your posts, then you won’t get anything, not even a penny. And yet, you have to pay your Partner Program membership or FOM fees to be able to use the paywall feature. What a nice arrangement! M collects writer’s fees but hides their posts so that they will never be read by anyone so that M will keep all the membership money to themselves. Isn’t it wonderful? …
I’m still there, on M, God knows why. Most of my fav writers moved to Substack during the last several months. Maybe I should do that too….
It’s such a crappy place these days….I crossposted this article to Medium yesterday and I even featured it. Guess how many reads? 34.
This same post on Substack has 1.28k views. It’s also true that Substack can count views from the same person multiple times, but it still provides a much better reach than Medium and I only have 600 something subscribers compared to my 7.5k followers on Medium.
“Medium says there’s “no grind” and “no schedule.” They left out the part where there’s also no money, no growth, and no point.”
LOL! THIS SO THIS!
They leave out some important things! 😅
I wrote one article on Meduim a year ago! But, still it hasn't generated any view, meaning not a single click! This is too much. On the other hand, Substack is doing well for me, at least in comparison with Medium.
That’s crazy….At least we have Substack!
Excellent article, Marcus. And every word of it is true.
I came here to tell you to go fuck yourself because I hadn’t read the entirety of your title. Then I realized what this post is about.
The “Write on Medium if you don’t have an Existing Audience” line is true, but only if you don’t expect your work to be read. Unless, of course, you work is boosted by the leftists that run the place, in which case you’re preaching to the choir.
As for growing email subscribers, Medium changed the way email subscription work recently. Now, if someone becomes an email subscriber through the new, streamlined subscription mechanism, you don’t get their email address. All you get is a series of asterisks.
You don’t have to have a niche on Medium, but you also won’t have an audience.
And Medium is right, I don’t have to have a calendar to post on Medium. On the other hand, I don’t need a calendar to post anywhere, so I don’t see how this is supposed to be a plus.
The hate speech thing is hilarious. Medium is full of leftist bile. They keep pointing to the Nazi thing that occurred on Substack what, three, four years ago? And what did Substack conclude? There were barely two handfuls of Substacks that were dedicated to neo-Nazisism, only one was monetized if memory serves correctly and the rest were dormant accounts.
At the time, Substack claimed they weren’t in the censorship game. And there was immediate backlash when Substack announced they removed some of those neo-Nazi accounts because people were fleeing Medium for Substack so they could say what they wanted. And of course, the answer to speech that one doesn’t like is more speech, not censorship.
Medium is a haven for those who like leftists echo chambers and censorship…just like the Nazis they claim to hate!
Well damn, Professor. 😳
I’m just speaking the truth.
Haha great post! Nice work with the 600 Substack subscribers! Happy for you. :) Medium is still user friendly. Ended up getting it back but NOT to earn the extra income. That ship has mostly sailed lol but it's under an alias name to keep the pressure low.
Happy to read you are doing well on here.
I think Medium is fine if you don’t expect too much with the earnings. It seems to only reward a few writers with a ton of traffic, while everyone else is lucky to get 10 reads. It’s good to see you here!
Pls check your messages
I just replied!
Last month was the first month in two years that I earned less on M than $5 (my membership fee). This month’s earnings looks even worse. But I haven’t published anything on M since the end of January. (I was still riding the wave of my mortgage story so I focused on Substack.) I’m hoping to start publishing stories here about my health and sleeping breakthrough. (Yeah, some good news finally.) So, it seems prudent to crosspos to M because of the topic. But if nothing comes of it on M and I continue to be underwater with my membership there, then I’ll pull the plug. Regardless, I’m on Substack to stay. Glad you’re here, too! 😊
It seems like this month is worse than normal for a lot of writers on Medium. I cross-post some of my Substack articles to Medium, and I make a few dollars. It's nothing like it used to be. What I love about Substack is that my articles actually reach people, and I don't have to rely on a broken algorithm. My posts average around 600 something views on Substack, and I get around 60 reads on Medium.
That's awesome, Marcus! I haven't been publishing as much this summer, so I haven't been able to build up views. Not worried, though. I enjoy the interaction here with you and a handful of others. That's about all I have time for right now anyway. Cheers, buddy!