Checklist for a Medium Story That Can Earn $15 a Month for Several Months
Forget 'viral'; the key to steady income is a measly half dollar a day
You read that right. All a story needs to earn per day to be a $15-a-month story is 50 cents. That's it. How hard can that be? When you're struggling to find your place here, even that half-dollar can seem daunting, so I've got a checklist to help you get started.
The best news is that if you can write one $15 story, you can write dozens. And therein lies the key to your steady income. That $15 multiplied by 15 stories is $225. Write 30 of them and you're going to get a $450 paycheck.
Most of my stories that earned $15 in their first thirty days of publication now have tripled that amount in total income, and every single one of the stories below still have money trickling in, contributing to my ability to hit my monthly income goals without needing to publish feature length stories every day. There's more on that here.
It doesn't always seem like it, but you really are in control of how much you make on Medium.
If you already have your own stories regularly earning $15, start by analyzing them. Use my checklist to build your own. It will help you figure out exactly what has worked for you in the past on that $15 level, whether it's one story or a dozen.
Special note: You are going to notice that distribution, AKA "curation" is on the checklist. I have not had a single story fit the 30-day/$15 criteria that was not distributed. If you aren't there yet, keep working on your writing style. My first suggestion is to bare your soul on this publication: Story Second Chances. You may get great free advice from other writers.
Alternatively, spend loads of time reading the type of writing you want to emulate. I've got a story about that for you.
Here's my checklist:
Idea that appeals broadly, but has at least one element nobody else has dared to expose
Is not a copycat-style story-- in fact, disputing standard advice is better
Offers a solution to a problem, often emotional or financial
States your authority on the topic without bragging
Published in a publication that promotes your work
Uses the exact format expected by the publication
Contains links
Distributed by Medium
Minimum 4-minute read; max 8-minute
Minimum 10-word title, informational with an interesting hook and sense of urgency without being clickbait
Can be linked to future or past stories, using my hat trick formula (see the link below)
Shared to LinkedIn
Shared to Twitter multiple times
Examples of $15 stories
Each of these averaged .50 a day for at least 30 days, some of them for longer periods. Feel free to use them as examples to kickstart your own $15 stories.
‘Write What You Know’ Could Be Why Nobody is Reading Your Writing
4 Templates You Can Use Right Now to Improve Your Articles
The Step-by-Step Guide to Tripling Your Income by Writing Hat Tricks
Want to Earn More Money Writing? Research is the Skill You Need
How to Actually Get Paid to ‘Write What You Know’
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