2 popular myths about making money online writing on Medium
Contrary to popular belief and countless scam videos on the internet, you aren’t going to get rich overnight as a content creator.
Having said that, however, I know from personal experience that it is possible to make life-changing money in a relatively short period of time writing on Medium.
I’ve long argued that people need to recalibrate what they believe life-changing money to be.
Take me for example.
Later this month will mark the anniversary of my first year on Medium, and I’m about to reach $20,000 CAD in earnings.
While I’m not going to be running off to buy a Lambo any time soon, this has been life-changing money for me.
I now have a sizeable stock portfolio and a lot more breathing room financially thanks to my work here.
I honestly believe that anyone can achieve this level of success — even you!
But in order to do so, you’re going to have to let go of 2 popular myths about making money online writing on Medium
Let’s get to those now.
Myth 1: It’s easy
Recently on this site, on YouTube, pretty much everywhere, actually, the rising popularity of generative AI birthed a new batch of snake oil salesmen.
They’d write articles and post videos telling you that you could become a ChatGPT millionaire overnight by having an AI brain do all your work for you while you sip umbrella drinks on a beach somewhere.
(Side note: sitting around doing nothing would get boring real fast anyway).
It’s a myth that making money writing online is easy and/or fast.
Most creators will tell you it takes a minimum of 2 years of consistent grinding to make anything of yourself in this game.
And if you’re not consistent, if you’re not willing to show up every single day, you’re not going to get anywhere.
Which brings me to Myth 2.
Myth 2: It’s passive income
Some people present digital assets like articles and videos as passive income.
And while it’s true that once you publish something it can continue earning for you for a very long time, a flood of earnings can quickly turn into a trickle.
You must nourish your account by bringing new eyes to your work, and the way to do that is to publish, publish, publish.
One of the reasons I mentioned consistency above is that content platforms love, love, love consistency.
Creators who produce get rewarded.
And from what I’ve seen from Medium’s new Partner Program in the early going, this is truer than ever on this site.
Earnings from older stories appear to have been drastically reduced, while newer work is being rewarded handsomely.
The persistent fantasy
The persistent fantasy of easy millions has fueled countless get-rich-quick schemes on the internet.
But if you’re serious about being a content creator and making money online, know that it takes actual work.
Get-rich-quick-schemes are just that: schemes. Don’t be a sucker.
How has the new partner program affected your earnings? Let me know in the comments!
This post is republished from my Medium publication.