I’m going to cut straight to the chase — my resolve to post more has resulted in only three articles since I published the previous issue of The Weekly Nom. In case you missed them, here they are:
I know it’s not about quantity. Long or short, many or few, I’m glad these pieces are now out in the world, especially that post about books, which turned out much more personal (and not so much about books) than I had intended. And yet, there is something frustrating about not keeping my self-declared pace.
I could attribute my slow pace to many things. Being busy building a business, which has gotten to the point where it already takes а lot of time, but doesn’t yet bring enough money even to pay its own bills. Taking care of many things that need my attention, whether I want it or not. Life in general. But there is more to that. I knew I’d be busy when I set that goal for myself. And I know how to keep the pace in a project that turned out harder than expected (don’t they all?) So it’s not just about other things on my plate. It’s about something else and it didn’t take me long to realize what it was.
From Medium to The Daily Nom
You see, I’m one of those people who like to see outcomes matching the effort, and the sooner — the better. I’m not saying this is a great trait. In fact, it can be really annoying, especially when it comes to long-term projects. Instant gratification may have a bad rep, but I still enjoy it now and then. When I plant a seed, I want the see a green sprout next morning. Or at least, next week.
So what does this have to do with writing on Medium? Everything. The outcome of writing — and its biggest reward—is the resulting text. But the outcome of publishing is all about having the text reach its audience.
And that’s where my sprout hasn’t been even remotely as green as it was last month, during my first couple of weeks on Medium. The fact that my writing reaches dozens of readers who like it enough to highlight passages, clap, and leave humbling comments is wonderful. The fact my articles reach dozens of readers, while follow count is close a thousand — not to mention tags, all the followers of publications where some of my stories get published, and in some cases, curation — that fact is quite disappointing.
There is something really off with content distribution when an article published on an account with 900+ followers gets 15 views. The 70% read ratio that I was so happy about at the dawn of my nom-de-pluming doesn’t help much if the number of views stays flat, regardless of the number of followers. It helps even less if the view count goes down — as it certainly has been — while your follower count goes up.
While writing on my articles and connecting with all the readers has been very rewarding, publishing on Medium has been increasingly frustrating. At this rate, a month from now, my account will be followed by two thousand readers, and my new articles will be getting zero views.
I want to be clear, I’m not here to criticize Medium — I think there is something disingenuous in using any platform to badmouth it. Medium has built a great system and a great community. But it’s recent content strategy choices make its value proposition much less compelling for me as a writer. Actually, they make it even less compelling for me a reader — I’m a paid subscriber, yet the vast majority of articles that show up on my home page and in the app are not from the writers I follow. Medium has been clearly shifting its focus to promoting content from its own publication. It is their business decision to make, but it potentially makes Medium a wrong primary platform for me.
Of course, much could be said about the timing of publication, figuring out the right tags, being persistent, consistent, insistent, and all sorts of other -istent. Just stay at it long enough — and eventually, you’ll see your views and reads go up. Maybe. But I’m not here to figure out the intricacies of Medium’s recommendation engine, which these days seems to be all about recommending Medium’s own content. I’m here to write and to have my writings read by people who are likely to find it worth their time and potentially, money. And there are other places where I can do that without being at the mercy of capricious content distribution rules.
That 70% read ratio is not a function of a platform. It’s a function of my content and its value for my audience. And as I found out in the last couple of weeks, it holds true on Substack. Except, unlike Medium, it consistently applies to my entire subscriber base. There are no tags to worry about, no curation requirements to satisfy, and it doesn’t seem to depend on timing, No matter when I send out an article, it gets read by at least 70% of subscribers (actually for paid subscribers it’s close to 100% for every post).
There is an obvious drawback — Substack is just getting started and discoverability mechanisms are much less mature than Medium’s. Which means it’s really tough to reach new readers. But once people subscribe, I don’t need to worry that only one of 30 (which seems to be Medium’s ratio) will see my posts. The only reason that ratio has been not as bad for me on Medium is that I’ve been using Substack to notify people about my Medium posts. Which is not the best reader experience.
So what’s next? This:
My primary publishing platform is now Substack. If you like my writings, subscribing to The Daily Nom is the best way to keep getting them. It has free and paid options, and I give a full complimentary trial subscription to everyone who signs up for the free tier.
I will continue to publish on Medium, especially articles that are written for Medium-based publications, but from now on, it’s a Substack-first, Medium-second approach. If just follow me on Medium, you may get notified about some articles, but that’s about it. The free tier of The Daily Nom certainly will give you more than that.
If you like my writings, please help me reach more people who may find it valuable. The best way to do so is to subscribe and to forward The Daily Nom posts every now and then. Also, Substack allows comments and likes, just like Medium, so please feel free to engage on that platform as well.
We’ll see how that goes.
What Readers Say
And now after all that housekeeping, as always, some quotes from you — the readers.
Absence Underground on An Unlikely Letter
It is really an amazing thing, to read someone else’s words as they convey thoughts you kept close to your own chest. Brilliant. Thank you for sharing this.
Chris Craft on An Unlikely Letter
Wow. I felt that. Thanks for penning this, Nom.
Jae Hermann on An Unlikely Letter
I enjoyed reading this so much. You captured a lovely sentiment beautifully.
Rose Mary Griffith on The Tale of a Lost Cap
Thanks for the great fun — and hey, wisdom — at the end of the workday. I’m still smiling. Stupid gorillas — they’re always interfering with games and stuff.
Monica Thakwani on Hello, Morning!
Each morning we’re born new. And each day gives us the possibility to make magic happen.
Sam Ripples on Hello, Morning!
Gorgeous. I wholeheartedly agree with everything you wrote here — and how beautifully written it is! Morningtime is the best time :)
Deborah Barchi on Hello, Morning!
Yes, my mother always used to say when I was a child, “tomorrow is another day”, and we feel the truth of early every morning.
Stuart Englander on 5 Titles That Guarantee I Won’t Read an Article
I just gave you 9 claps because ten would seem too much like I was shouting. Well done mate! …oops, sorry I’ll tone it down.
Amy Cubbon on My Name No Longer Owns Me
This is awesome. Love a bit of mystery in these weird times!
Simona Rahmanova on My Name No Longer Owns Me
This is one of the best pieces I’ve read here so far. Laughed so much but it is just so true! I can’t wait to see if you change your name to Nom de Plume.
Mariadangelo on The Anatomy of Clickbait
Lots of helpful information. Never looked at click bait like this. Always thought it was annoying but now reading this, the way you have broken it down, you can actually use it to your advantage.
Mike Cresdee on The Biggest Mistake of Email Marketing
I absolutely agree and I like the reference to Donald Knuth whose books I have read. Thank you.
Brynn Mahnke on The Weekly Nom, Issue 4
I’m having many of the same struggles, and this is the first article I’ve seen from you in my feed though I followed you long ago. Curse Medium and its algorithms!
Margie Pearl on The Weekly Nom, Issue 4
I have goals and I have a chore list. I used to have a to-do list. Not anymore. When I look at a goal and think of the subset of chores involved, things go so much better. My goals stay pristine and unattainable and my chores get started. Chores are never done. Goals are yet to be sung :)
Thank you all — your reading and support make all the difference.
If you prefer to read this post on Medium it’s available here.