I have successfully completed my first month on Medium, and here's how the journey has turned out for me.
The past month has been one hell of a roller coaster. For the first 15 days, the only people reading my articles were my fiancé and my sister, but I was determined to push through, even after feeling disappointed. It took me hours to write, edit, and publish, and I got zero views (apart from my fiancé and my sister).
I was disheartened, but I decided to keep going. I started engaging with people who were writing posts similar to mine, and that's how my follower count increased to seven.
I began to get views, and I celebrated every single view or follower I received. I still celebrate those small wins. Then I started reading blogs from people who were already successful on Medium. I learned about their journeys and discovered how publications helped them reach where they are.
So, I decided to approach some publications myself. The first publication to accept and publish my article was Midform. I am so grateful to Linda Locke for accepting me as a writer and giving me the chance to contribute to her publication.
As I write this article, I have earned $3.02 in my account, and I feel like I'm on cloud nine. You might say there's nothing to celebrate, but I believe small wins should be acknowledged.
If you celebrate the smaller victories, you'll never feel like a failure. If you don't feel like a failure, you'll carry the confidence of a successful person, and soon enough, you will become successful too. I have 12 followers on my account, and more importantly, I am happy to have found some friends here online.
One piece of advice from my mother that I always follow is: if you don't ask for help, no one is going to help you.
I wanted to improve my writing and seek feedback from other writers, and that's what I decided to do. I read some blogs and sought feedback from several people.
One of them responded — his name is Joel, and he helped me correct a few mistakes I was making. It's good to know that there are people out there who are kind enough to help you; you just need to ask. I asked him, and he helped me understand the mistakes I was making, like writing overly long paragraphs. I'm glad to have found him. Even if I don't know him personally, he's still a part of my journey, and I am grateful for his assistance.
Not just him, I am also thankful to Linda Locke, the publisher of the first publication that accepted me. I am grateful to other publications like "Never Stop Writing," "Know Thyself, Heal Thyself," "Deep.Sweet.Valuable" and "A Smiling World" for accepting me as their writer.
I have so many ideas to write about, and they have given me the chance to share my thoughts with a wider audience. I am also grateful for finding a fellow newbie writer, Shravani, as we have decided to support each other on our journeys from here on. I am thankful to a guy named Revanth, who gave me the idea to write about the things I've learned in my 26 years as I turn 26 next month. I am grateful for it all.
If you are also starting out, here's a quick list of things that worked for me and might work for you as well:
- Engage with people. Read their blogs, share your opinions, and build a network of connections.
- There's always a chance for improvement. Ask for feedback and seek constructive criticism.
- Be consistent. There will be posts that gain zero views, but keep writing. There's no shortcut to success; you have to go through the process and trust it.
- Don't compare your progress with others. Someone might get lucky with their tenth post while you might need to write a hundred. Avoid getting disheartened by constantly comparing yourself with others.
- Keep writing daily. Even if you don't want to publish every day, set aside some time to write each day. It has helped me stay on track and it might help you too.
As I reflect on this past month, I realize that every view, every follower, and every interaction has inspired me to keep moving forward. I am excited to continue this journey, to learn, and to share what I have learned.
Thank you for being part of this chapter. Here's to celebrating every small win and enjoying the process. Let's keep writing and supporting each other.
Key Message: If you are on a similar journey, remember: every step counts.