In the ring: Medium vs. Substack
Who wins for 2023?
In today’s newsletter:
Medium Vs. Substack? What’s best for 2023?
How to join the Writing Process Group starting Jan 30th
Get featured!
Skip to the sections that interest you if you’re short on time!
So great to get your emails with your questions and goals for 2023!
Have we met yet? Here’s me. Feel free to introduce yourself too!
Where to write in 2023 is one of the questions, so let’s start with Medium vs. Substack.
I write in both places. Here’s why and whether that will change in 2023.
Medium
Ah, Medium. I’ve been writing here since 2019.
I processed a lot of my divorce and healing through writing on Medium under both my own and a pen name.
Medium was my first experience finding a community of writers. Finally, other people who loved writing as much as I do!!
I’d been all on my own until then (well, me and my editors).
Medium writers get it. They get the value in sharing your thoughts with others.
They understand the incredible buzz of freedom to write whatever you want.
That’s the main reason I signed up for Medium.
And it’s the main reason I stay.
Money goes up and down. (Since August 2019, I’ve earned anywhere from a$100USD per month to $2000USD per month).
Algorithms and rules change ALL THE TIME!
But you can write what you want and talk with other writers. And sometimes get paid.
I haven’t found anywhere else quite like that.
Cons of Medium
Algorithms change all the time. Did I mention that?
It’s one of the most frustrating things about Medium—the constant tweaking.
If you’re wanting to make serious money as a serious writer, you can’t rely on Medium.
Even if you do well one month, that doesn’t mean you’ll keep doing well.
Mind you, that’s kind of the writing world in general.
Unpredictability is not for everyone and most people would be best to keep their day jobs. (I was complaining about it to my hubby just last night.)
But I’m a sucker for this career—I love it too much—and have doomed myself to eternal instability.
Writing Groups Help With 2023 Changes
Another week soon, I’ll cover the changes happening at Medium in 2023.
They’ll be placing more emphasis on sharing your story yourself. Tricky, but there are ways to manage this.
Joining a writing group is one way.
My writing group starts on Jan 30th and is only $28 a month.
Substack
I find it hard to fault Substack’s game plan.
It keeps getting better and better.
Writing to you and having this intimate audience is one of my favorite things.
You can podcast here, upload video, chat with your community, and add audio.
And in a brilliant move last year, Substack added discoverability which drives traffic to your newsletter without any effort! (So great to see a platform helping its writers)
What does well here?
From what I’ve seen, the more niche and narrow your Substack is the better.
People sign up for a specific reason. They want to hear your opinion in a field that you ROCK in.
Like what?
I follow a culture writer who wrote for years for the Buzzfeed Culture section.
I pay for a newsletter from a writer who collects pitch opportunities and shares them weekly.
I love reading a Substack from a music-loving writer who shares his earworms for the week.
A food writer sends me delicious salad recipes weekly through their Substack.
Specific. Niche. Expertise.
Other people share weekly updates on their latest novel, or send out links to their Medium stories.
It’s limited by your imagination, really.
No harm in trying and seeing what sticks.
Monetizing your Substack is a whole other issue and topic we could cover if people are keen. (Let me know).
Get Your Writing Featured
Let’s encourage each other as a community!
Take a few minutes to support today’s featured writer Jenn Pike.
Here’s her story: The Prom Night Salmon Battle of 1989
It’s a fun piece!
Do you want to share your story with the BYW community? Send me your story link (inspiredwriter.kelly@gmail.com) to be considered.
Can you share the aubstack you pay (the pitches collector?) Cheers from Rio de Janeiro
Love this, Kelly! I really wish you would have mentioned the ever-changing algorithm on Medium!:) The Medium/Substack comparison is a great topic and I would definitely want to read a piece on monetizing Substack. I feel like getting other Substack readers/writers to pay is harder than the non-writers, as most of the writers already have 4-6 paid subscriptions and can’t afford many more. (I’m in that boat myself; I wish I was independently wealthy!) Of the 3 paid subscribers I have, all are friends who read me only in email. I could go on and on about the Medium vs. Substack pros and cons, but your list is a good start!