How to survive the Medium.com earnings rollercoaster (This Week in Side Hustling)
The other day, the great
posted the following note here on Substack.
It’s one thing for your views to taper off as, say, a viral story you wrote loses steam.
It’s another to see your numbers launch off a cliff like Thelma and Louise.
I’ve always been a fan of Jayden’s.
When Medium started paying about 50% less than before following the 2023 Medium Partner Program changes, I resolved to double my views to make up the shortfall.
I was a Top 5 writer in Health at the time, and my plan was to become a top writer in the Business/Money categories as well.
Always in the mix in both was one Jayden Levitt, so I’ve been aware of him for some time and have a lot of respect for his hustle.
Anywho, I reached out to let him know that I too had experienced the same.
Actually, things looked suspiciously like they did in early February, when Medium’s RPM recovered nicely but all newly published stories were dying off after 2 days.
My feed was full of old stuff again and my story distribution pretty much ended after 200-300 views.
I wondered, though, whether someone had flicked the wrong switch again and they’d flick it back before too long.
So I decided to keep writing.
Actually, with my Medium RPM now well into the $50+ range, I decided to publish more.
Views had been lower, sure, but the pay per view was good.
If at any point the views were to recover, I’d be in pretty good shape.
Well, lo and behold, it appears someone did flick the switch back.
I have two new stories running and my earnings have skyrocketed again over the past week (as you’ll see in the numbers below).
If there’s one constant about Medium, it’s change.
I’ve seen low lows and I’ve seen high highs.
I’ve changed my writing style several times, and I’ve changed topic focus more times than I can count.
That’s just the reality of writing there, like it or loathe it.
The only way to survive the Medium earnings rollercoaster is to keep adjusting, keep trying to get better, and just keep writing.
What I earned from Medium the past week: $845.61
The closest I ever got to quitting Medium was right at the start.
As I wrote in this piece called “If you say this 1 dumb phrase, you will always fail at everything”:
“About a month and a half into my online writing journey, a very dark thought slipped into my head.
“It’s a thought that has no doubt sunk untold millions of wannabe entrepreneurs, and often multiple times throughout their lives.
“That was certainly the case for me.
“It’s scary to think about in retrospect.
“Had I caved to that dark thought back in October of 2022, I would have cost myself close to $60,000 in writing, YouTube, and KDP royalties I’ve earned since then.”
While I was discouraged after the 2023 MPP changes that halved my earnings and fuming in late 2024 when my RPM was around $8, I resolved then to keep a pied-a-terre on Medium, even if it meant just writing a couple of times a month.
Over the course of 3 days last week, I made an average of $233.35 CAD per day (all other numbers in this post are in USD, btw) - very close to the $250 per day goal I set when I launched my Publish Every Day project 529 days ago.
Again, it’s a rollercoaster.
You can get off any time, but the possibility of thrills (and, yes, chills) awaits those who stay on.
What I earned from Amazon KDP past week: $3.15
People always ask me, “Man, how do you get so much done when you have a job, a family, etc.?”
Then I tell them one of the main ways I accomplish this is by using a productivity method that keeps my ADHD brain on track in all aspects of my life.
In fact, I tell them, I created a notebook/journal based on it that anyone can try for like $9 (link here).
Then they go on to not try it and wonder why they can’t make any progress.
I recently recalibrated my KDP strategy to not chase niches and to just publish stuff I would (and do) personally use.
I think The Power To-Do List can help you boost your productivity 2x or 3x the way it did for me, but even if you don’t reach those heights, is $9 really too much to risk for the chance?
I don’t get it.
Anyway, I sold one copy of The Power To-Do List last week, which accounts for my earnings in this category.
And honestly, if I never sold another copy to someone else, I’d be happy anyway because I still order it for myself every few months.
What I earned from YouTube past week: $2.16
I haven’t made a new video in some time, but I do plan to start pushing them out again soon using a new strategy.
My current lack of output explains the lousy number here.
What I earned from stock market dividends past week: $0.07
My dividends typically arrive more toward the beginning and ends of the months, and we are currently in the mushy middle.
What I earned from Substack past week: $0
I have to cringe when I see the non-stop stream of “get rich on Substack!” posts in my notes feed.
Yes, some people do well here, but typically they’re:
already quite famous
They’re journalists who are breaking news that people want to read
But the vast majority of Substack participants will never see more than a handful of subscribers.
I’m still a big Medium guy because I still think it has one major, major advantage over Substack: you can start earning real money right away.
And that’s also why I think the current buzz around Substack will taper off a lot as people realize how hard it is to make money here.
Having said all that, if you enjoy these posts and my work and want me to keep writing here about making money, writing online, etc., please consider becoming a paid member of this newsletter!
I only put info behind the paywall that I honestly believe will result in real financial returns for my subs.
Here are a couple of recent member posts:
I'm holding out hope that Medium will get better. I just can't give up on them completely.
My medium stats are still well down, hoping for better things to come !