If you're already a member, then the partner program is a great idea. It doesn't cost anything extra and you start to get paid. Heck, even if it's just a couple pennies, why not?
Walter, what I find a little discouraging is that I haven’t EVER had a boosted article since this program started. Now, I’m not a rookie. I may make some formatting mistakes, but I’ve written 370 articles, incl a few with over 10k views (written years ago). The last year, I’ve had articles accepted in Better Humans, Modern Women and so many other pubs. NOT ONE was boosted. Not one out of about 100.
That’s really discouraging, and honestly, I’m on the verge of giving up, especially after I found Substack.
I was wondering if I could send you one or two of my old pieces to have a look? I don’t know if it’s possible that an old piece gets boosted, but any feedback and guidance would be greatly appreciated.
Hi Maya! I looked at an article on your profile and I thought it was very high quality. If you've had an article in Better Humans, I'm surprised it didn't get picked. I'd prefer to work with you on a new article so that I can nominate it personally once it's up to the standard. Please send me a pitch (walterrhein@gmail.com). I understand your frustration, but from the articles I looked at, it seems you just have to make a couple minor changes to get Boosted. I look forward to hearing from you!
The headline tool is really helpful. Try for something in the 70s. Make sure to write down the words that are identified as "power words" or "emotional words."
Holy crap Walter, you write twice as much as I do. You average 25 a month. I don't think I've ever written more than a dozen in a month and that's a rare month. Usually twice a week. Might need to try adding a couple more, see how that goes.
Part of it is a remnant of my days as a content writer. I disliked every second I did that, but the only way to make any money at it is to write a lot. I also worked for a while as a transcriber and that sped me up too. I think my record for a month on Medium is around 70+ articles, so I've scaled back a lot. A lot of that is because I want my work to be Boost worthy, so I'm spending more time on each article (which is more or less the point of the program). occasionally, I do throw in something that's off the cuff, but as my readership has grown, I try to be more mindful. I'd love to see more articles from you!
This is one of the most practical articles about learning the details that allow your work to be seen and then read.
You make the crucial details about formatting clear and simple to follow.
The first two months I self-published but made all the same errors that Dan did. Lucky me some people read and told me what I didn’t know.
I gained readers even with my errors and back then I needed 100 followers just to join the Partner program. Editors invited me to write for their publications so I did and the editors also gave me the same help you have here.
People are lucky to read this one article and get it all in one go.
Thanks for this article. I am a new writer on Medium and this is really helpful. But I want to add that you don’t have to be in the partnership program to get a boost
Two of my stories got boosted before I understood what the partnership program was. They weren’t submitted to any publications either so I have no idea how it happened. But yeah! Thanks for sharing
This is golden advice, Walter, for anyone, especially writers new to Medium. I noticed one other thing that might disqualify this article for a boost. Deep River Blues is copyrighted (I checked). It is illegal to quote song lyrics in writing (even one line) unless you have the publisher's permission. Even so, many writers do this on Medium and get away with it. But the publication I write the most for, Crow's Feet, forbids it. They won't publish an article with song lyrics used without permission. The Crow's Feet founder, Nancy Peckenham, was a newspaper journalist for 20 years. I am a professional writer and wouldn't send an article to The New Yorker with song lyrics quoted without permission.
(I think you can quote lyrics in a piece of music criticism.)
Does quoting song lyrics on Medium disqualify you for a boost? I don't know, so I don't do it.
That's a very good point. I think it was Alison Acheson who wrote an article on that topic. Basically anything that could get you into legal trouble is going to get you disqualified from Boost. Quoting song lyrics is a no-no.
Thanks--it concise and worthwhile info. I feel compelled to add that curators are aware of grammar, spelling, and punctuation because they contribute to reader experiences. Curators aren't obsessed by those mechanics, but they do notice if your story is full of clumsy missteps. So proof your work, learn how to use commas, quotation marks, etc.
Great, helpful post. Thanks. The partner program is still not open for everyone! What has geography to do with good writing? Do you have information on that matter. I'd like to join but I'm living in the "wrong" country...?
That's too bad, I know that Medium is working diligently to expand, but there are complications with payments and the like. Hopefully it will come to Brazil soon!
Hi Bill! I like that article. It fits the format that used to be very successful on Medium, but they're moving away from it a little bit. The one sentence paragraphs are optimized for an audience that's scrolling on a cell phone, but lately Medium is moving towards more developed and reflective articles. That's the first thing I noticed when I looked at it and it's why it's not likely to get accepted for a boost. Still, it's a very good article. I've had editors tell me to combine sentence paragraphs into longer paragraphs and then you're good. Go for about 3 lines. You can do the occasional sentence or single word just to break things up, but I wouldn't do 2 or 3 in a row. Looking forward to the next one!
Thanks Walter, great advice. I'll make those adjustments. I see so many different formats, I am following (blindly, I admit) what seems to work for some. It's all learning. Thank you, again.
You hit on something very important. The new stuff is mixed in with the old stuff, so it's hard to get a read on what's working. You're doing the right thing to read and experiment. I appreciate the opportunity to have these discussions out in the open because other people can chime in if I'm not getting something right. It requires a lot of work because it's constantly changing, but once you catch a wave it's a fun ride!
Thanks Alberto! I'm glad you're getting Boosts! I average about 25 articles per month, so it's about 330. I used to write more, but lately I've slowed down to allow for an additional round of editing.
Wow, thank you! I have procrastinated on joining the partner program but now feels like a good idea to jump in!
If you're already a member, then the partner program is a great idea. It doesn't cost anything extra and you start to get paid. Heck, even if it's just a couple pennies, why not?
Thanks Walter!
Here's our interview for more, Tara: https://youtu.be/LdVR1KMetvc?si=r4gAGUtYRhr2loDg
Walter, what I find a little discouraging is that I haven’t EVER had a boosted article since this program started. Now, I’m not a rookie. I may make some formatting mistakes, but I’ve written 370 articles, incl a few with over 10k views (written years ago). The last year, I’ve had articles accepted in Better Humans, Modern Women and so many other pubs. NOT ONE was boosted. Not one out of about 100.
That’s really discouraging, and honestly, I’m on the verge of giving up, especially after I found Substack.
I was wondering if I could send you one or two of my old pieces to have a look? I don’t know if it’s possible that an old piece gets boosted, but any feedback and guidance would be greatly appreciated.
Hi Maya! I looked at an article on your profile and I thought it was very high quality. If you've had an article in Better Humans, I'm surprised it didn't get picked. I'd prefer to work with you on a new article so that I can nominate it personally once it's up to the standard. Please send me a pitch (walterrhein@gmail.com). I understand your frustration, but from the articles I looked at, it seems you just have to make a couple minor changes to get Boosted. I look forward to hearing from you!
I’ll send you my next draft, my pleasure. Thank you, Walter 🙌
Hi Maya, mentioned you today. Guess this was the start of your BOOSTED story then :)
https://youtu.be/LdVR1KMetvc?si=r4gAGUtYRhr2loDg
Ah, good were you having a chat with Maya?
Thank you for the tips, especially the tool for writing better headlines will help us in the future!
The headline tool is really helpful. Try for something in the 70s. Make sure to write down the words that are identified as "power words" or "emotional words."
Holy crap Walter, you write twice as much as I do. You average 25 a month. I don't think I've ever written more than a dozen in a month and that's a rare month. Usually twice a week. Might need to try adding a couple more, see how that goes.
Part of it is a remnant of my days as a content writer. I disliked every second I did that, but the only way to make any money at it is to write a lot. I also worked for a while as a transcriber and that sped me up too. I think my record for a month on Medium is around 70+ articles, so I've scaled back a lot. A lot of that is because I want my work to be Boost worthy, so I'm spending more time on each article (which is more or less the point of the program). occasionally, I do throw in something that's off the cuff, but as my readership has grown, I try to be more mindful. I'd love to see more articles from you!
This is one of the most practical articles about learning the details that allow your work to be seen and then read.
You make the crucial details about formatting clear and simple to follow.
The first two months I self-published but made all the same errors that Dan did. Lucky me some people read and told me what I didn’t know.
I gained readers even with my errors and back then I needed 100 followers just to join the Partner program. Editors invited me to write for their publications so I did and the editors also gave me the same help you have here.
People are lucky to read this one article and get it all in one go.
Thank you for the nice words and the restack!
Thanks for this article. I am a new writer on Medium and this is really helpful. But I want to add that you don’t have to be in the partnership program to get a boost
Two of my stories got boosted before I understood what the partnership program was. They weren’t submitted to any publications either so I have no idea how it happened. But yeah! Thanks for sharing
Yes that's true!
This is golden advice, Walter, for anyone, especially writers new to Medium. I noticed one other thing that might disqualify this article for a boost. Deep River Blues is copyrighted (I checked). It is illegal to quote song lyrics in writing (even one line) unless you have the publisher's permission. Even so, many writers do this on Medium and get away with it. But the publication I write the most for, Crow's Feet, forbids it. They won't publish an article with song lyrics used without permission. The Crow's Feet founder, Nancy Peckenham, was a newspaper journalist for 20 years. I am a professional writer and wouldn't send an article to The New Yorker with song lyrics quoted without permission.
(I think you can quote lyrics in a piece of music criticism.)
Does quoting song lyrics on Medium disqualify you for a boost? I don't know, so I don't do it.
That's a very good point. I think it was Alison Acheson who wrote an article on that topic. Basically anything that could get you into legal trouble is going to get you disqualified from Boost. Quoting song lyrics is a no-no.
I’ll be sending articles your way! I am MacsMusings on Medium!
Thanks--it concise and worthwhile info. I feel compelled to add that curators are aware of grammar, spelling, and punctuation because they contribute to reader experiences. Curators aren't obsessed by those mechanics, but they do notice if your story is full of clumsy missteps. So proof your work, learn how to use commas, quotation marks, etc.
Great, helpful post. Thanks. The partner program is still not open for everyone! What has geography to do with good writing? Do you have information on that matter. I'd like to join but I'm living in the "wrong" country...?
Yes, I know that they're working on that but it's a complex issue. I'm sure there will be major announcements when it's ready.
Thank you for this wonderful article. Simply fantastic.
Unfortunately, I don't qualify for the Medium Partner Program because Brazil is not on the list of countries. I checked, but it's not there yet.
That's too bad, I know that Medium is working diligently to expand, but there are complications with payments and the like. Hopefully it will come to Brazil soon!
Now it's time to cheer, it's true!
But I'm enjoying writing the newsletters, it's just a shame that Brazilians don't like reading them. That's why I also created the Fer's Newsletter.
As for the reading of the Brazilian people, I am referring in general, that is, the reading rate per capita is very low.
Thanks Walter, great tips I'll start working on. I think I'm guilty of "posting and bolting". That said I occasionally go back and flesh out an article. I think this one started as a 3 min read: https://medium.com/long-sweet-valuable/how-i-get-to-do-my-deep-work-dfb500e65aa4
Hi Bill! I like that article. It fits the format that used to be very successful on Medium, but they're moving away from it a little bit. The one sentence paragraphs are optimized for an audience that's scrolling on a cell phone, but lately Medium is moving towards more developed and reflective articles. That's the first thing I noticed when I looked at it and it's why it's not likely to get accepted for a boost. Still, it's a very good article. I've had editors tell me to combine sentence paragraphs into longer paragraphs and then you're good. Go for about 3 lines. You can do the occasional sentence or single word just to break things up, but I wouldn't do 2 or 3 in a row. Looking forward to the next one!
Thanks Walter, great advice. I'll make those adjustments. I see so many different formats, I am following (blindly, I admit) what seems to work for some. It's all learning. Thank you, again.
You hit on something very important. The new stuff is mixed in with the old stuff, so it's hard to get a read on what's working. You're doing the right thing to read and experiment. I appreciate the opportunity to have these discussions out in the open because other people can chime in if I'm not getting something right. It requires a lot of work because it's constantly changing, but once you catch a wave it's a fun ride!
I should have had this advice when I started writing there.
Me too, this is hard won knowledge I got from making every mistake possible :)
This is really terrific, Walter, thank you so much. You answered questions I didn't even know I had!
Thanks Walter 😊
So glad to meet you!
As a newbie writer, with lots to share, I look forward to learning how to be impactful on Medium and Substack.
I love doing voiceovers for my articles, makes them more accessible. Thank you for being so generous with your knowledge and time 🙏
Thanks. You are so generous.
I must say that my articles never have those formatting issues, but I got just a bunch of Boosts 😁
How many articles have you published since January 2023?
Thanks Alberto! I'm glad you're getting Boosts! I average about 25 articles per month, so it's about 330. I used to write more, but lately I've slowed down to allow for an additional round of editing.