I Wish Writers Would Stop Getting Wrapped Around the Axel
It isn’t personal. Learn Medium’s history!
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Well, gang. For those of us who have been here for a few years now, we don't need a calendar to tell us what time of year it is now, do we? It’s the
I’m no longer making any money here so I quit!
time of year. 😂 Yes, I’m afraid it is here once again my friends. You and I know it’s bull but when you’ve only been on here a few months and that’s all you know you figure that’s all there is. It’s a little short-sighted. And the good Lord above knows that posts about making money on the platform have been done to the point of 🤮 but to calm the newbies I’ll do one with screenshots that go back to when I first started here in June 2020.
This is to show that it isn’t Tony Stubblebine’s fault (which was “suspected” in the post I read this morning which spawned my post now). It’s simply the nature of the beast and no matter how many times Tony or I or any other “lifer” on here says it, Medium is not meant to be a full-time income source. It just isn’t.
Yes, in the days of old there were relatively speaking a handful of people who were touting large checks. I came in after that. Frankly, I’m retired and I don’t want to work that hard anymore even though I’m in my 50s. Plus these “Top Writers” (gag) also had online courses, books, etc. so I doubt very seriously that 100% of their income was coming from blogging on Medium. I could be wrong. Wouldn’t be the first time. But I still doubt it.
On with the screenshots!
As you can see by today’s guidelines I would have been writing on Medium for four (4) months before I had earned enough to even get paid. Who works for four months with no paycheck? No one. That’s why Medium isn’t a paycheck! It’s side income. A place to practice and hone your skill. Network with other writers. Pick up some new skills. Read some great work like the stuff I write! 😁
You’ll notice how my income began to tank towards the end of the year. This is an annual event. I have yet to figure out why but it just is and you’ll see that with the next two screenshots.
As you can see things didn’t begin to rebound until the spring. Dead, dead, dead all fall and winter. So I pumped the brakes and cut back. I saw no reason to continue to push out content if there were no readers around. I found other things to do to occupy my time. Things that I had put off while I was busy engaging and writing here.
The only reason I did as well as I did in June, July, and August is that we got bonuses last summer. There were various levels based on… wait for it… engagement. The bonuses may have been May-July and I just got lucky in August. I honestly don’t recall. But then look at what happened in September.
My earnings went through the roof. I don’t know what it was about that particular month. I wasn’t doing anything any differently than I had been in all of the months prior. I was self-publishing, submitting to publications, and as always engaging, engaging, engaging.
And then December happened.
I’m still in rebound mode this year compared to last year if you go by earnings only. I almost got back in the 6.4% club last month (that’s the $100 Club for some of you). This month?
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
I might hit thirty bucks. But again I’m not doing anything any differently. So I don’t know. You tell me. What do you think the real issue is because it isn’t Tony? It isn’t corporate greed (yeah, I saw that too because we all know “The Man” is always trying to screw us over 🙄).
PS-I still talk too much!
