There are arguably more platforms for writers today than ever before. With most content now being online, many websites allow writers to share their content.

Online content is everywhere in 2024, and there is no guarantee that anyone will see your work; this is where Medium comes in.

Medium is an online publishing platform for those looking to start writing to seasoned medium writers.

Evan Williams founded it in 2012. He wanted to let writers publish content on what interests them. Medium is now a home for writers looking to develop creative content. Topics include politics, science, culture, history and more.

However, there are some questions you may ask:

• Is Medium right for every writer? 

• What are the pros and cons of the platform? 

We explore these questions and more by explaining everything you need to know about writing for Medium below.

What Must You Do Before Starting to Write on Medium?

The process for starting to write on Medium is relatively simple. Writers can create an account and start writing in minutes. Here is a short guide to getting started as a Medium writer.

Creating An Account

You technically don’t need an account to use Medium, but you will have a limited experience without one. You can only read a few articles without an account, so writers looking to publish on the platform must make an account first.

Creating an account on Medium is relatively simple; sign up to Medium with any of the following: 

• Email address.
• Google account – Medium can prefill information if you choose this option.
• Facebook account.

You then need to create a username. What you choose as your username will depend on what you want to get out of Medium.

• Something closer to your name can improve your credibility and expand your audience.
• If you want to remain anonymous, use a vague name to put your mind at ease.

Customise your Profile

After creating a basic account, customise your profile.

Include a profile picture, custom header image and colour scheme for your background. These features help your profile page separate you from the many other writers on Medium.

Also, include a short bio. Use it to tell readers more about you, including the type of content you create. 

To bolster the bio, add some of your favourite articles to the “Featured” section, which gives readers a specific insight into what they can expect from you (you need to start writing before creating a “Featured” section).

Follow Topics and People That Interest You

Much like a social media platform, Medium allows you to follow other writers and particular subjects of interest to understand better what your audience sees, helping you become a better writer.

Medium will ask you to follow accounts or topics when creating your account, but you can continue to follow more afterwards. 

Following topics works differently from following other writers. These are “tags” in the Medium ecosystem, similar to following hashtags on a platform like Twitter.

For example, you can follow the "Climate Change" tag and see popular stories and posts on this topic. Your content can also include up to five tags, allowing you to reach the people who follow a particular subject. Also, researching tags can help you see if there is a gap in original content in that subject.

Create your own Publication on Medium

User-owned publications make Medium a highly desirable platform; you can have your own publication on Medium, which has all the benefits of writing on a blog mixed with the curation and feedback you get on Medium.

Creating a publication on Medium lets you create a niche and promote your content. However, you will still be subject to reviews before publishing; Medium has the right to reject an article if they find it unsuitable.

What Must You Do Before Starting to Write on Medium?

The process for starting to write on Medium is relatively simple. Writers can create an account and start writing in minutes. Here is a short guide to getting started as a Medium writer.

Creating An Account

You technically don’t need an account to use Medium, but you will have a limited experience without one. You can only read a few articles without an account, so writers looking to publish on the platform must make an account first.

Creating an account on Medium is relatively simple; sign up to Medium with any of the following: 

• Email address.
• Google account – Medium can prefill information if you choose this option.
• Facebook account.

You then need to create a username. What you choose as your username will depend on what you want to get out of Medium.

• Something closer to your name can improve your credibility and expand your audience.
• If you want to remain anonymous, use a vague name to put your mind at ease.

Customise your Profile

After creating a basic account, customise your profile.

Include a profile picture, custom header image and colour scheme for your background. These features help your profile page separate you from the many other writers on Medium.

Also, include a short bio. Use it to tell readers more about you, including the type of content you create. 

To bolster the bio, add some of your favourite articles to the “Featured” section, which gives readers a specific insight into what they can expect from you (you need to start writing before creating a “Featured” section).

Follow Topics and People That Interest You

Much like a social media platform, Medium allows you to follow other writers and particular subjects of interest to understand better what your audience sees, helping you become a better writer.

Medium will ask you to follow accounts or topics when creating your account, but you can continue to follow more afterwards. 

Following topics works differently from following other writers. These are “tags” in the Medium ecosystem, similar to following hashtags on a platform like Twitter.

For example, you can follow the "Climate Change" tag and see popular stories and posts on this topic. Your content can also include up to five tags, allowing you to reach the people who follow a particular subject. Also, researching tags can help you see if there is a gap in original content in that subject.

Create your own Publication on Medium

User-owned publications make Medium a highly desirable platform; you can have your own publication on Medium, which has all the benefits of writing on a blog mixed with the curation and feedback you get on Medium.

Creating a publication on Medium lets you create a niche and promote your content. However, you will still be subject to reviews before publishing; Medium has the right to reject an article if they find it unsuitable.

What do Medium Writers Need to Consider?

Once you set up a profile on Medium and follow some other writers, you can start the writing process.

You may think that writing on Medium is as simple as writing for your blog or website, but there are several things you must consider, including:

• Are there unique features I can use when writing on Medium?
• How should I write when writing on Medium?
• How do I upload my articles on Medium?
• Can my audience engage with my content on Medium?
• Can I get more people to read my content on Medium?
• Are there best practices when writing on Medium?

We will answer all these questions below and give you a clear picture of what writing on Medium is like.

What are the Key Features when Writing?

As a new medium member, you can start writing immediately, publishing the content you want to share on the topics that interest you.

It's essential to follow Medium guidelines, like avoiding sharing personal stories with specific details not allowed on the site. Writing with Medium starts with the first post, From writers who want to improve their writing skills to freelancers looking to boost their income.

When writing on Medium, there are many features you can take advantage of, including:

• Adding multimedia – you can add images, videos, GIFs and more to a Medium article to help give it a more distinct visual identity. Click the “Add video” or “Add image” button to add multimedia to your writing.
• Feedback tools – a feedback section on Medium tells you how well your content is performing. For example, on a single article, Medium will tell you how many views it has, how long readers stay on the page and a breakdown of the most popular styles or topics.
• Metrics – these can help provide insight into how your audience engages with your content. It will break down the readers into viewers (those who click on your article), readers (who read the full Medium article) and fans (those who “clap” your article). It can also show you your view-to-subscriber ratio and your total follower count.
• Tags – Medium tags can categorise your content more efficiently on the site. For example, if you include a “climate change” tag, Medium will recommend your content to readers who often read similar articles.
• Editing tools – Medium’s editing tool allows you to edit tags, content, headers and sub-headers.
• Mobile options – you can publish Medium content on a mobile device. However, the app is still missing some features, like being able to add more space between paragraphs for readability.
• Spell checker – Medium has a spell-checking feature that negates the need for spell-checking software. However, excellent software like Grammarly is still preferable.
• SEO analyser – this tool helps you optimise your content for SEO so more readers will see and engage with it. It enables you to get the best readability, keywords and tone of voice for your content.

How Should I Write Content on Medium?

Although you have many tools to help you write on Medium, you still need to create engaging content that users will read.

Ensure you address the following points when writing on Medium.

1. Hook the reader in with a concise and memorable introduction. You could ask a relevant question, share a personal story or provide facts or statistics.
2. Break up the Medium article into clear sections. Readers will not engage with a solid text block, so break them up into concise paragraphs and distinct sections. 
3. Use bullet point lists to break up paragraphs and highlight critical points of the article.
4. Include multimedia to support the article and make it visually stimulating.
5. Use the conclusion to provide a clear final statement summarising your article’s most critical points. Also, provide a call to action for your similar articles on Medium.

How to Upload a Medium Story

Once you finish a piece of writing on Medium, you must upload it.

To upload an article on Medium, click “New story” and copy your content into the built-in Medium editor.

Once finalised, publish your Medium article to your profile or a relevant Medium publication; read the guidelines carefully if you intend to submit to a publication, as they all have different standards.

If your article is of a high enough standard, Medium will consider curating it, meaning they will feature it on their homepage. You will want to achieve this because curation can result in more people viewing your article.

For Medium to curate your work by adding it to their homepage's “Featured” section, your content must meet engagement and quality standards.

Engage with others

Part of what makes Medium unique compared with other writing platforms is the ability to engage with other writers in exciting ways. At first, these might confuse you, but you'll quickly see their use after a short time.

Medium is a platform full of articles of varying lengths that account holders can read, react to and share. Reacting includes:

• Clapping is similar to “liking” posts on other sites. A single reader can clap a post up to 50 times.
• Commenting: Readers can tell you what they thought of your latest piece. There can be general comments on a post or particular parts of the work.
• Highlighting: Those who like specific words, sentences or paragraphs of your content can highlight them, which other users can see.

Because of the machine learning systems on Medium, it recommends articles based on reading history and overall preferences; this means users are much more likely to come across your content if it is relevant to them, even if they are not actively searching for it.

How can I get More People to Read my Medium Content?

Aside from seeing the results from the built-in engagement features, you should use them yourself. If you engage with other writers on the site, they will likely do the same, meaning that you can improve your work and achieve more visibility.

Additionally, you can share your Medium stories on your social media accounts. You can do this if you have your own publication on Medium.

Also, share your content in Medium-focused groups on Facebook and Twitter to circulate them among people who read the site regularly.

What is the Best Practice When Writing on Medium?

When writing on Medium, the best practice for articles will differ from content on your blog or website. 

Here are some examples of the best practice to keep in mind when writing on Medium:

• Make long-form articles – Medium stories in the 2000-word range have the highest engagement.
• Appreciate the formatting options on Medium because they make the articles easier to read.
• Articles with wide header images look more appealing on the site.
• Consistently write articles from the site; readers are less likely to engage with your content if you only post a few times a month (publish at least one story a week, more if you can).
• Focus on content that provides value to the reader. Give them something to think about or provide new information that informs their perspective on a topic.
• Set up a newsletter for your posts so readers know when your new article goes live.
• Give proper credit to sources you use for your Medium stories. You need to cite any quotes you use within the post. Try using a tool like Feedly to find up-to-date sources.
• Check the guidelines for republishing a Medium story on your blog or website thoroughly before copying and pasting any text. Also, check the guidelines for republishing your blog’s content on Medium. Contact Medium Support if you cannot find this information.
• Respond to your readers’ comments, thanking them for their kind feedback or constructive criticism. If a reader does suggest something you could improve on, thank them for their response and state that you will work on improving that aspect of your work.

How Does Payment on Medium Work?

Once you start writing on Medium, there is one more lingering question you will have on your mind.

What is Medium’s payment structure?

Below, we will answer how much Medium pays and how much they cost to use.

Does Medium Cost?

You can write on Medium for free but need an account before publishing content or posting in Medium publications.

Also, writers do not have to pay to be a part of the Medium Partner Program; they can earn from it through various engagement methods.

Does Medium Pay with Their Partner Program?

Medium uses the Partner Program to pay writers a portion based on the engagement of their articles from members. 

Writers must apply to be in the Partner Program, and Medium must accept them before they can start earning.

To be eligible for payment, you must publish their content under the Medium Partner Program and have an active Stripe account linked to your bank account. 

You must also strictly follow Medium’s guidelines by only posting original, high-quality, and relevant content. Pay close attention to your headings, sub-headings and formatting to maximise engagement.