I think Medium curators/ editors seem a little like our childhood educators assigning a paper because there is a this unidentifiable *feel* to a piece that is necessary and relevant and true. I have had plenty of boosted pieces that are in the 3-5 minute realm, but they are a journey and feel complete at those lengths.
It makes me think about going to a museum and being struck by a work of art. Sometimes I can't articulate what stopped me in my tracks and why I have to stare - is it the color, the scope, the combination of elements?
I think there is something at the core of a piece that speaks to another person's essence, a sort of "I see you." That's what keeps me writing and that's what keeps me reading.
That's good to know! They certainly will Boost shorter articles like you mention, but I feel it's easier to hit the markers (the journey of completion as you call it) at about 7 minutes, so that's a useful guideline. Your comment is well said. Yes, there's just a bit of extra something in the Boosted pieces. Thanks for writing!
I think there is another aspect to take into account. I learned about it working with nominators. And it's evident if you look at the Boosted pubs list.
Some topics and genres are far more likely to get Boosted.
Others are very unlikely.
So, find a way to reframe your stories or just avoid some topics if you want a better chance.
I think you just have to be careful about how you approach those topics. Politics is a difficult one, but you can discuss the themes provided you don't say certain names directly. Writing has always been like this. You're very right.
I write about infidelity and I know I will never, EVER get boosted on Medium. I applied to be a boost nominator and was rejected, which didn't surprise me. Infidelity is sort of like the redheaded stepchild on Medium. Sadly, for every therapist writing a piece full of good advice, there's some cheater telling others how to cheat and not get caught, so I think we've all been tarred with the same brush.
Since the last algorithm change, I've sort of given up on making any money anyway. A couple of summers ago I made $8000 on Medium. Those days are over.
I had a quick look at your profile on Medium (I think I found you anyway :). I think your topic matter doesn't necessarily disqualify you. Your articles are very high quality, but they're not quite optimized to the new Boost expectations. It kind of feels like Medium tinkers with the algorithm every month. I always feel like I need to find my way again. "What Is the Problem with Writing About the Abuse Aspect of Infidelity?" is a good title. It scored 71 on CoSchedule. But "I Never Really Had a Chance" needs more of a focus, that one scored 59. I think if you wanted to do a little tinkering, you could get Boosted regularly. Thanks for the comment, you've given me a lot to think about!
Hey Walter, a promised I'll pick a story. I picked this checklist and wil feature it today as I also need to share the replay of our live session with everyone (about 30% aren't inside the Online Writing School).
I'm also thinking about a live webinar or Bootcamp I could organize and host together with you about kickstarting your writing journey on Medium and getting Boosted.
Thanks Kristina! That sounds great. I scheduled a post for a week from today that outlines my Medium journey. That might fit in to what you're talking about! Looking forward to all the fun stuff!
Very helpful tips. The 6 minute mark seems to do the trick for me. I have used AI images on all my boosted stories so I guess it depends on the publication 🤷♀️
Yes, only The Writing Cooperative bans AI images (to my knowledge), but I wonder if that’s a trend the rest of Medium will follow. I often get articles Boosted at the 6 minute mark too. Thanks for the comment!
Walter, It's extremely helpful! I will definitely use this list to check my article before submitting. At the moment, I'm especially working on improving my titles and section headers. I have found that controversial articles are more likely to get boosted. I wrote about whether older women need annual mammograms, which turned out to be more controversial than I imagined. Women have a lot of feelings and opinions about screening for breast cancer. However, I don't always want to write controversials articles!
A controversial article that's boosted is likely to make a lot of money. That's kind of the fine line you have to walk. They won't boost clickbait though and that's appropriate. Sometimes if you take on a fact that's widely disbelieved you can get boosted and that's sort of performing a public service.
I was wondering about how/what to write for the alt text. At first, I just didn't even know about it. Then I constantly forgot to write one. Now I usually remember, but I always feel very dumb because I don't know what is expected, how many words, etc. Is there a guideline somewhere about this?
That's a good question. I've only begun to do this myself. I usually just write "Cartoon featuring a colorful hot air balloon floating over an abstract depiction of the sea. The sun can be seen on the horizon. The caption reads 'Give a hint of adventure.'" Does that seem reasonable?
I think Medium curators/ editors seem a little like our childhood educators assigning a paper because there is a this unidentifiable *feel* to a piece that is necessary and relevant and true. I have had plenty of boosted pieces that are in the 3-5 minute realm, but they are a journey and feel complete at those lengths.
It makes me think about going to a museum and being struck by a work of art. Sometimes I can't articulate what stopped me in my tracks and why I have to stare - is it the color, the scope, the combination of elements?
I think there is something at the core of a piece that speaks to another person's essence, a sort of "I see you." That's what keeps me writing and that's what keeps me reading.
That's good to know! They certainly will Boost shorter articles like you mention, but I feel it's easier to hit the markers (the journey of completion as you call it) at about 7 minutes, so that's a useful guideline. Your comment is well said. Yes, there's just a bit of extra something in the Boosted pieces. Thanks for writing!
I think there is another aspect to take into account. I learned about it working with nominators. And it's evident if you look at the Boosted pubs list.
Some topics and genres are far more likely to get Boosted.
Others are very unlikely.
So, find a way to reframe your stories or just avoid some topics if you want a better chance.
I think you just have to be careful about how you approach those topics. Politics is a difficult one, but you can discuss the themes provided you don't say certain names directly. Writing has always been like this. You're very right.
I write about infidelity and I know I will never, EVER get boosted on Medium. I applied to be a boost nominator and was rejected, which didn't surprise me. Infidelity is sort of like the redheaded stepchild on Medium. Sadly, for every therapist writing a piece full of good advice, there's some cheater telling others how to cheat and not get caught, so I think we've all been tarred with the same brush.
Since the last algorithm change, I've sort of given up on making any money anyway. A couple of summers ago I made $8000 on Medium. Those days are over.
I had a quick look at your profile on Medium (I think I found you anyway :). I think your topic matter doesn't necessarily disqualify you. Your articles are very high quality, but they're not quite optimized to the new Boost expectations. It kind of feels like Medium tinkers with the algorithm every month. I always feel like I need to find my way again. "What Is the Problem with Writing About the Abuse Aspect of Infidelity?" is a good title. It scored 71 on CoSchedule. But "I Never Really Had a Chance" needs more of a focus, that one scored 59. I think if you wanted to do a little tinkering, you could get Boosted regularly. Thanks for the comment, you've given me a lot to think about!
Hey Walter, a promised I'll pick a story. I picked this checklist and wil feature it today as I also need to share the replay of our live session with everyone (about 30% aren't inside the Online Writing School).
I'm also thinking about a live webinar or Bootcamp I could organize and host together with you about kickstarting your writing journey on Medium and getting Boosted.
Thanks Kristina! That sounds great. I scheduled a post for a week from today that outlines my Medium journey. That might fit in to what you're talking about! Looking forward to all the fun stuff!
Thanks for sharing this checklist. It's extremely helpful.
Very helpful tips. The 6 minute mark seems to do the trick for me. I have used AI images on all my boosted stories so I guess it depends on the publication 🤷♀️
Yes, only The Writing Cooperative bans AI images (to my knowledge), but I wonder if that’s a trend the rest of Medium will follow. I often get articles Boosted at the 6 minute mark too. Thanks for the comment!
Thanks for this checklist, Walter. I appreciate your dedication to helping other writers get read and boosted.
I hope it's helpful. If you have any notes please pass them on!
Walter, It's extremely helpful! I will definitely use this list to check my article before submitting. At the moment, I'm especially working on improving my titles and section headers. I have found that controversial articles are more likely to get boosted. I wrote about whether older women need annual mammograms, which turned out to be more controversial than I imagined. Women have a lot of feelings and opinions about screening for breast cancer. However, I don't always want to write controversials articles!
A controversial article that's boosted is likely to make a lot of money. That's kind of the fine line you have to walk. They won't boost clickbait though and that's appropriate. Sometimes if you take on a fact that's widely disbelieved you can get boosted and that's sort of performing a public service.
Thanks for this helpful checklist.
I was wondering about how/what to write for the alt text. At first, I just didn't even know about it. Then I constantly forgot to write one. Now I usually remember, but I always feel very dumb because I don't know what is expected, how many words, etc. Is there a guideline somewhere about this?
That's a good question. I've only begun to do this myself. I usually just write "Cartoon featuring a colorful hot air balloon floating over an abstract depiction of the sea. The sun can be seen on the horizon. The caption reads 'Give a hint of adventure.'" Does that seem reasonable?