What this skill does

# Medium Writer Writing and publishing articles for the Medium Partner Program. Creating monetizable articles. --- ## Revenue Potential | Stage | Estimated Earnings | | ------------------- | ------------------------ | | Partner Program | $200 – $2,000/month | | At 10,000 followers | $500 – $3,000/month | | Viral articles | $1,000 – $10,000/article | --- ## Medium Partner Program ### Revenue Model When the reader is a Member: ``` ├── Compensation based on read time ├── Clap count has minimal impact └── First-time reader bonus available ``` ### Eligibility Requirements - Active Medium Membership ($5/month or $50/year) - At least 1 article published in the past year - Stripe account linked - Must comply with Medium's content policies --- ## Hot Topics on Medium (Ranked by Followers) | No | Category | Followers | Stories | | --- | ----------------------- | --------- | ------- | | 1 | Technology | 14.1M | 1.7M | | 2 | Programming | 10.9M | 478K | | 3 | Self Improvement | 9.96M | 958K | | 4 | Data Science | 8.7M | 372K | | 5 | Writing | 8.3M | 976K | | 6 | Business | 8M | 854K | | 7 | Psychology | 7.8M | 415K | | 8 | Mental Health | 7.2M | 636K | | 9 | Relationships | 7.2M | 623K | | 10 | Health | 7M | 847K | | 11 | Artificial Intelligence | 6.8M | 509K | | 12 | Science | 6.8M | 234K | | 13 | Design | 6.7M | 411K | | 14 | Productivity | 6.6M | 415K | | 15 | Life | 6.6M | 1.2M | | 16 | Cryptocurrency | 4.8M | 930K | | 17 | Startups | 4.5M | 655K | | 18 | Books | 4.3M | 490K | | 19 | Humor | 4.1M | 269K | | 20 | Education | 4M | 621K | | 21 | Leadership | 3.6M | 308K | | 22 | Entrepreneurship | 3.5M | 517K | | 23 | Art | 3.4M | 304K | | 24 | Mindfulness | 3.3M | 257K | | 25 | Travel | 3.3M | 580K | | 26 | Deep Learning | 3M | 111K | | 27 | Marketing | 2.9M | 545K | | 28 | Music | 2.9M | 373K | | 29 | Coding | 2.6M | 155K | | 30 | Food | 2.5M | 299K | | 31 | Society | 2.4M | 147K | | 32 | Work | 2.3M | 171K | | 33 | Blockchain | 2.2M | 1.3M | | 34 | Gaming | 2M | 206K | | 35 | Fitness | 1.7M | 204K | | 36 | Life Lessons | 1M | 775K | ### Topic Selection Strategy - **High Followers + Low Stories = Low Competition, High Opportunity** (e.g., Science, Deep Learning, Coding) - **High Followers + High Stories = High Competition, High Visibility** (e.g., Technology, Programming) - **Combine 3–5 tags** per article to maximize discoverability - **Cross-niche articles** perform best (e.g., "AI + Productivity", "Psychology + Leadership") --- ## Usage ### Creating an Article ``` "Create a Medium article Topic: [topic] Target audience: [audience] Length: [5-10 min read] Tags: [tag1, tag2, tag3]" ``` ### SEO Optimization ``` "Optimize Medium article for [keyword]" "Generate 5 headline candidates" "Suggest tags for maximum reach" ``` ### Publication Submission ``` "Submit [article] to [Publication name]" "List popular Tech Publications" "Draft a pitch email for [Publication]" ``` ### Content Repurposing ``` "Convert this [blog post / Twitter thread / YouTube script] into a Medium article" "Break this long article into a 3-part series" "Create a listicle version of this tutorial" ``` ### Engagement Boosting ``` "Write a compelling hook for this article" "Add storytelling elements to this technical post" "Create a strong CTA for the conclusion" "Suggest 3 subheadings that improve scannability" ``` ### Analytics & Performance ``` "Analyze why this article underperformed" "Suggest improvements for [article URL] based on engagement data" "What's the ideal posting time for [topic]?" ``` --- ## 📐 Article Structure ### Ideal Format ``` Title (SEO + Curiosity-driven) Subtitle (Clear benefit statement) Featured Image (custom or high-quality stock) --- ## Introduction (Hook) — 100-150 words - Problem statement / Empathy / Personal story - Value proposition for the reader - Article overview (what they'll learn) ## Main Content Sections — 800-1,500 words ### H2 Heading 1 - Paragraph (3-4 sentences) - Bullet points / Lists - Code blocks (when applicable) - Quotes / Statistics / Data visualizations ### H2 Heading 2 - Real-world examples - Screenshots / Diagrams - Step-by-step instructions ### H2 Heading 3 ... ## Conclusion — 100-200 words - Key points summary (3-5 takeaways) - Personal reflection or opinion - CTA (Follow / Clap / Comment request) --- Related Article Links (2-3 of your own articles) ``` ### Optimal Article Length | Type | Words | Read Time | Best For | | ---------- | ----------- | --------- | ------------------------- | | Short-form | 500–800 | 2-3 min | Quick tips, opinions | | Standard | 1,000–1,500 | 5-7 min | Tutorials, how-tos | | Long-form | 2,000–3,000 | 8-12 min | In-depth guides, analysis | | Deep dive | 3,000+ | 12+ min | Comprehensive research | > **Sweet spot**: 1,000–1,800 words (5-7 min read) — best engagement-to-effort ratio. --- ## Headline Formulas ### Number + Benefit - "7 Python Tricks That Will Make You Code 10x Faster" - "5 Morning Habits That Changed My Life (Backed by Science)" ### How To - "How I Made $10,000 on Medium in 3 Months (Step-by-Step)" - "How to Learn Any Programming Language in 30 Days" ### List Format - "The Only 3 Books You Need to Read About AI" - "10 Things I Wish I Knew Before Becoming a Developer" ### Contrarian / Controversial - "Why I Stopped Using React (And What I Use Instead)" - "The Productivity Advice You Should Ignore" ### Personal Story - "I Quit My $150K Job to Write on Medium — Here's What Happened" - "What 500 Days of Writing Taught Me About Success" ### Question Format - "Is Python Really the Best Language for Data Science?" - "Why Do So Many Developers Burn Out?" --- ## Publication Strategy ### Popular Publications | Publication | Followers | Genre | | --------------------------- | --------- | ----------- | | Towards Data Science | 700k+ | Data / AI | | Better Programming | 200k+ | Code | | The Startup | 800k+ | Business | | Better Marketing | 100k+ | Marketing | | UX Collective | 400k+ | Design / UX | | JavaScript in Plain English | 200k+ | JavaScript | | Level Up Coding | 300k+ | Programming | | The Writing Cooperative | 150k+ | Writing | ### Submission Tips 1. Read the publication's guidelines thoroughly 2. Analyze the tone and style of existing articles 3. Start with shorter articles for the first submission 4. Build a relationship with editors 5. Follow the publication's formatting requirements 6. Include proper attribution for images and data --- ## SEO Optimization ### Keyword Placement - **Title** (required — include primary keyword) - **Subtitle** (secondary keyword or benefit) - **First 100 words** (natural keyword inclusion) - **H2 headings** (related keywords) - **Image alt text** (descriptive, keyword-rich) - **Tags** (select 3–5 relevant tags) ### Internal & External Links - Link to your own past articles (keeps readers on your profile) - Add a "Related Articles" section at the end - Connect series articles with navigation links - Include 1–2 authoritative external sources for credibility ### Medium-Specific SEO - Medium articles rank well on Google — optimize for search intent - Use the **canonical link** feature if cross-posting from your blog - **Kicker** (the small text above your title) improves click-through rate - Choose a **custom URL slug** — keep it short and keyword-focused --- ## Monetization Tactics ### Direct Revenue - **Partner Program earnings** — read-time based income from member reads - **Referred memberships** — earn a portion when readers sign up via your link - **Boost nominations** — boosted articles get significantly more distribution ### Indirect Revenue - **Build an email list** — convert Medium readers to newsletter subscribers - **Affiliate links** — include relevant product/tool recommendations (disclose!) - **Freelance leads** — use articles as a portfolio to attract clients - **Course / product launches** — warm up audience through free content - **Consulting** — establish expertise in a niche and offer consulting services --- ## Growth Strategy ### Early Stage (0–100 followers) - 2–3 articles per week - Comment genuinely on other articles - Share on social media (Twitter/X, LinkedIn, Reddit) - Submit to Publications - Engage with other writers in your niche - Use all 5 available tags per article ### Mid Stage (100–1,000 followers) - 1–2 articles per week (focus on quality over quantity) - Build an email list (link in bio + article CTAs) - Create series articles (keeps readers coming back) - Cross-promote with other writers - Experiment with different formats (listicles, tutorials, opinion pieces) - Track analytics and double down on what works ### Mature Stage (1,000+ followers) - Maintain a consistent publishing schedule - Build a community (respond to every comment) - Experiment with member-only (paid) articles - Expand to external platforms (Substack, personal blog) - Create a content calendar - Mentor newer writers (builds goodwill and network) - Diversify income streams beyond Medium --- ## Advanced Tips ### Writing Habits - Write every day, even if you don't publish - Draft in Google Docs or Notion, then import to Medium - Use the **30-30-40 rule**: 30% research, 30% writing, 40% editing - Read top-performing articles in your niche for inspiration ### Engagement Hacks - End with a **question** to encourage comments - Use **bold text** and **short paragraphs** for scannability - Include at least **1 image per 300 words** - Add **pull quotes** or callout boxes for key insights - Use **numbered lists** for actionable steps ### Timing & Frequency - **Best days to publish**: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday - **Best times**: 8–10 AM EST (when US readers are most active) - **Consistency > Volume**: 1 great article/week beats 5 mediocre ones - **Republish underperforming articles** with new titles and images after 3+ months