Well, after writing daily for almost 3 months I canceled Medium. It was not an easy decision, because I kind of thought for once I had found something that I could really excel at.
But at the end of the day, after 3 months, I made a total of $5.73.
I learned a ton. I found a great site with amazing free stock photos (Unsplash).
I learned that people do, actually, make money on that site. It’s just not going to me.
I also believe, with 100% certainty, that I could be one of those writers that makes a crap load of money off of going viral. But to go viral, there’s a lot I’d need to do. In addition to writing – a lot – I’d have to:
- Have a mailing list
- Have a blog with affiliate links here that tracks back to Medium
- Have a product to sell
- Have a kick ass web page
- Spend a really big part of my life leaving comments for folk throughout Medium so they would then “like” me back and I could get more money from the big pot.
Honestly, that sounds like too much work. It sounds like my high school experience where no matter how much I tried, I just was never going to be the most popular girl on the block.
I am not snarky enough.
I am not pushy enough.
And, if I’m being totally honest, I’m not “Top 10 Reasons You Need to Write a Blog” bait clicky enough. And, even more importantly, if I’m going to have all those fancy bullet point items (which I plan on) it might as well be for my own updated dream website, not Medium’s.
With time off from subbing, and as I continue to write my musical (hey, I’ve stuck with that… bonus points for me!) I now have time to learn how to build that website… a site with affiliate links and a shopping cart for my books – one with a nice big “Buy” button and “Hey, check out my webpage where I can help you write books” button. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with having this kind of site, but it must serve a purpose.
My purpose? I’m a story teller. My goal is to continue to get paid to help other people tell their stories while I tell mine.
I’m tired of spinning my wheels feeding the corporate writing machines.
To end on a positive note, I continue to make some decent side money writing for a few magazines and working with two memoir clients. This on top of my taking care of my family during this crisis, not to mention myself, is enough.
For those of you who have followed my many journeys to figure out where I want to write and what I want to write, I thank you. I hope that you, like me, give yourselves permission to find your dreams, make mistakes and grow along the way.
Until next time,
Andrea
My book is available on Amazon. (Note: It’s a special ed journey… your kid doesn’t need to have Tourettes to relate!) Follow me on Twitter@AndreaFrazerWrites or on Facebook. )
Want to Write a Book? Contact Me!
Need an editor, a mentor or a ghost writer? Contact me at HappilyTickedOff@Gmail.com or find me on Facebook @AndreaFrazerWriter
Happily Ticked Off 
Well done! These days, I delete immediately any email alerts to posts that begin “10 ways to…” or “6 reasons why…” I still have Medium delivering to my inbox, but I haven’t paid a sub so only open the odd article that looks really interesting. Usually I’m disappointed. If I feel like clapping, it asks me to log in and I’ve forgotten my password so I rarely bother – life’s too short.
Life’s too short to be checking Twitter every five minutes too, so I’ve given up even lurking on that. Good luck with your real dreams!
Cathy, you have no idea how much that means to me. I DO know I need to market, but it’s going to be in my empire with my heart and my people only.