How to Become a Top Writer on Medium

Medium is a place for writers to share their stories, thoughts, and musings in a community that values independent and unique perspectives. Without the distraction of outside advertisements or sponsorships, Medium focuses on substance and authenticity. ^[1] Top Writer status on Medium is one of the best designations you can earn on the independent writing platform. We’ll go over the nuts and bolts of being a Top Writer and give you a few suggestions on how to earn the coveted title.

[Edit]Steps

[Edit]How do I start writing on Medium?

1. Make an account and consider joining the Medium Partner Program. It's free to make an account on Medium and publish articles.
   
   • Your articles are more likely to be recommended to readers and accepted to publications if you pay to become a member and join the Medium Partner Program. Partner Program members are also able to earn money on their articles.
2. Take a Medium writing course. There are lots of free professional, online courses to help you become a better writer and teach you how to navigate Medium. You can take a course specialized for Medium or one more focused on writing.
   
   • If you’re planning to primarily publish on Medium, taking a course specialized for this platform may be more worthwhile than a general writing course.
   • You can also take courses from current Top Writers to learn their tips and tricks to become a Top Writer. Many top writers include call to actions to sign up for their free Medium writing email courses in their bios and at the end of their articles.

[Edit]What does it mean to be a Top Writer?

1. Top Writers are officially designated by Medium as being an authority in a certain category. When a writer receives Top Writer status, they will receive an email from Medium congratulating them on becoming a Top Writer on a certain topic. Top Writer's articles are featured on category pages and recommended to readers more often.
   
2. There is no limit to the number of Top Writers. The good news is that there aren’t a limited number of Top Writers on Medium. Anyone can become a Top Writer if they meet the requirements. It will take commitment and dedication to your craft, but we've listed a few steps you can take to earn the title!
   

[Edit]What are the perks of being a Top Writer?

1. Being a Top Writer defines you as a writer. The Top Writer tag will appear on your profile and tells readers what type of articles you write the most and excel in on Medium. There are a couple of main reasons you want this title:
   
   • Be a Trusted Source. Top Writers on Medium are trusted, reliable, and consistent sources. As a Top Writer, you can shift perspectives and offer new thoughts on your topics as a validated, trusted source.
   • Earn More Money. Since Top Writer status is essentially Medium’s official stamp of approval, Top Writers typically attract more followers and more reads, which means they can earn more money from their articles/
   • Expand Your Writing Circle. This title will not only identify you as a solid resource on the topic you’re writing about, and it could also open up other writing opportunities to collaborate with other publications or writers.

[Edit]How often should I write new articles?

1. To become a Top Writer, you need to produce and write content consistently. This is probably the most important piece of advice on this list. If you’re only producing content every month or so, it will be extremely difficult to gain any notoriety or consistent readership.
   
   • Try to create a routine to motivate yourself to publish at least 2-3 times a week. Brainstorm headlines, outline your articles and then write your first draft. It's easier to edit than to write a perfect article from scratch, so don't agonize over every word. You've got this!

[Edit]How can I make my Medium articles easier to find?

1. Getting your writing discovered is essential. Adding tags to your work will help readers find your articles by searching keywords.
   
   • Medium provides suggestions for adding tags based on your topic and popular searches. ^[2]
   • Make sure your tags relate to your pieces but also have a substantial amount of followers. You can find a list of popular tags along with their follower counts on Medium’s website.
2. Publish consistently in the same topic or category. Top Writers are designated by category. You should try to publish consistently in the same tags to achieve Top Writer status for that topic.
   
   • Not all tags are eligible for Top Writer status. A few tags that are eligible include Money, Productivity, Finance, and Self-Improvement.

[Edit]Do I need to publish articles in Medium publications?

1. Medium publications are a shared landing page of articles centered on a specific topic.^[3] They are a great way for readers to discover your writing since people can choose to follow a specific publication.
   
   • Often, publications have greater reach than individual writers and are rusted sources of information. Getting your work accepted to a publication will add to your article's authority and credibility.
   • You don't need to publish articles with publications but is it the most effective way to get your articles discovered when you're first starting out.

[Edit]How should I format my articles?

1. Formatting your Medium articles so they are easy to read is essential. Not only do you make more money the longer Medium members read your stories, but formatting your articles will make your stories more professional.
   
   • Use headings, subheadings, and bullet points to break up your article. Use images sparingly -- typically just one at the top of your article. Focus on readability! Long paragraphs without any visual breaks do not perform as well. ^[4]
2. Publications will have specific formatting instructions. If you're submitting an article to a publication, be sure to research the publisher's formatting requirements. Most publications list their requirements on a "Submit Your Story" or "Write For Us" tab on their publication homepage.
   
   • Almost every publication will require titles to be written in Title Case and subtitles to be written in sentence case. There are lots of free tools online that will automatically format your titles correctly.

[Edit]What topics do well on Medium?

1. Certain writing topics do especially well on Medium. It’s not unheard of for other types of articles to excel on this platform, but these articles on these topics typically do best:
   
   • Entrepreneurship
   • Startups
   • Political Commentary
   • Cultural Critiques
   • Technology
   • Motivational/Self-Improvement
   • Humor
   • Personal Essays

[Edit]Can my Medium articles get indexed on Google Search?

1. Articles that align with Medium's mission will be accessible on Google search. Being featured in Google search means an article has been "indexed." Being indexed means that more readers will be able to find your account and stories through Google search, not just on Medium.
   
   • It can take time to reach the reader threshold to be indexed in Google search. Produce your best, most meaningful work, and avoid clickbait and spam content to improve your chances of having your work indexed on search.
2. Medium discourages content that is focused solely on SEO. SEO or "search engine optimization" is the practice of improving the quality of writing with the goal of ranking higher in search gaining more traffic to your webpage^[5].
   
   • Medium may consider hyper SEO-focused content as spam or clickbait, especially if it does not actively contribute to their mission of sharing independent, genuine thought or writers are "keyword-stuffing" their articles.^[6]
3. Becoming a Top Writer on Medium is not an impossible task. If you are dedicated to the process of earning the title, you'll get there! Be patient and trust your abilities and your readers and Medium will react in kind.
   

[Edit]References

1. ↑ https://medium.com/about?autoplay=1
2. ↑ https://callkathy.medium.com/tagging-tips-b5000edbb932
3. ↑ https://help.medium.com/hc/en-us/articles/115004681607-Getting-started-with-a-Medium-publication
4. ↑ https://medium.com/creators-hub/tips-for-formatting-your-title-and-headers-1ff1a016ef75
5. ↑ https://www.optimizely.com/optimization-glossary/search-engine-optimization/
6. ↑ https://help.medium.com/hc/en-us/articles/217991468-About-SEO-and-Medium