At Web Design Relief, we’re always on the lookout for new, online ways that writers can build their reputations and gain more fans. One online platform that’s been steadily gaining interest is called Medium.
Writers Ask: What Is Medium?
Launched in 2012, Medium is an online blogging platform developed by Twitter co-founder Evan Williams. Instead of setting up your own blog with a self-hosted domain and building your fan base from the ground up, you can use Medium’s platform and have access to its existing audience. With its minimalistic interface, Medium’s ease of use has made it appealing to journalists, writers, and readers.
Here’s How Medium Can Help Writers Build Their Audience
Generate buzz for your book
It’s a well-known fact that social media is a writer’s most powerful marketing tool. The ability to generate an audience of readers without spending a dime is a great perk for budget-conscious authors. Blog posts on Medium leading up to the release of your book (and afterward) are a fantastic way to motivate readers to support your work.
Get discovered
Just like most other popular social media platforms, Medium uses tags to curate posts for readers—but you’re limited to five. If you write blog posts packed with the SEO essentials, it’s very possible your posts will float to the top. When this happens, Medium users will see your writing featured in the tags you’ve selected. And since Medium values quality over quantity, you’ll be poised to gain new followers, get recommends, and possibly attract new readers and fans.
Some popular writing tags on Medium are: Writing, Creative Writing, Fiction, Poetry, and Writing Tips.
Share your work
Medium is a good place to share new work or test excerpts of longer works. Just keep in mind that any prose or poetry you post will be considered previously published in the eyes of literary journal editors. Whether you post something that’s already been published or a piece you’ve written specifically for your Medium blog, sharing your writing is a great way to bring in new readers and satisfy your current fans.
Posting excerpts or passages from your book via blogging has become very popular in the publishing industry, and is a smart way to generate interest and boost sales of your work.
Blog from your smartphone
If you’re someone who regularly uses your phone to tweet and post to Facebook, Medium is a fantastic blogging option for you. One of the most important features Medium offers is its ease of use, whether you’re using your laptop or the handy smartphone application. The smartphone interface is clear and simple—and very similar to the online application. And with the mobile application, adding photos and videos to your blogs is a breeze!
Another reason why Medium is gaining in popularity: You don’t have to restrict yourself to typical blogging styles and methods. Your writing can be fragmented and erratic, or more form-specific and traditional. So if you want to experiment with a new writing style or genre—Medium is the best place to try something new!
Question: Do you use Medium? What is your favorite blogging platform?
I will definitely share my articles and also few books, which I am planning to rewrite.
I have a web “novel” on Blogger that is half done. That is to say there are another 15 or so chapters to add. Can I transfer that material to from Blogger to medium so that I can promote the entire work?
great, I will surely give try to promote my writing via Medium.com
Thank you for this article. I have blogged at blogspot.com for eight years plus, and am looking for a newer venue with where to share fiction, and perhaps blog posts. To date, the FB Page has been my most successful social media platform. I have a “small following.”
David C Russell