Let’s say you’ve just penned your magnum opus — a searing think piece on the tragic demise of Hotmail, a heartfelt letter to your childhood toaster, or an in-depth exposé on why cats ignore you until you’re busy. You hit “Publish” on Medium. And then what?
Well friend, pull up a comfy chair, because I’m about to guide you through the grand enchanted forest that is Medium’s publishing and distribution system.
Step One: You Published It. Now What?
The moment you publish, your story gets a shareable URL and pops up on your Medium profile. It’s like posting a sign that says, “Yes, I wrote this. Yes, I’m proud. Please clap.” You can send it to friends, email it to your nemesis, or link it in your bio on Tinder (which honestly, bold move).
Also: your followers? They’ll see it in their “Following” feed. If they’ve subscribed to email notifications, they might even get it in their inbox. You become a glorious blip on the radar of people who already like you. Good job, you!
Step Two: Distribution: General, Network, and the Mysterious Boost
This is where it gets spicy.
- Network Distribution is your base level. Your story goes to people who follow you (and your publication if it’s in one). It’s like inviting your friends to a dinner party.
- General Distribution is where Medium’s algorithm pushes your story to readers who’ve never heard of you, based on their reading habits and interests. If Network Distribution is a dinner party, General is your story crashing someone else’s and being oddly charming.
- Boost is the velvet rope club. Human curators read your story (yes, actual humans), and if it sparkles with insight, humanity, and doesn’t scream “I was written by a toaster,” it might get that juicy homepage placement, Digest visibility, and algorithmic fairy dust. Read about Boost criteria here: Medium Boost Guidelines
Step Three: Publications = Supercharged Distribution
Publishing under a publication on Medium is like bringing backup dancers. The publication already has followers, maybe a newsletter, and if they accept your story, it goes out to their audience too. You get:
- The story on your profile AND the publication homepage
- Distribution to publication followers in their Digests and Feeds
- A fancier-looking URL (medium.com/publication-name/story-name)
- Street cred (well, Medium cred)
To submit to a publication, first get added as a writer. Then follow the steps here: Submit to a Publication
Step Four: Newsletter Game Strong
If you’ve got a publication, you can set up a newsletter and directly email your followers. Medium even shows you open and click stats. It’s like Mailchimp but with fewer jungle metaphors. Learn more: Medium Newsletters
SEO and External Traffic: It’s Not a Clickbait Free-For-All
Medium does allow indexing by search engines, but only for content that isn’t low-quality clickbait. Be useful, be original, don’t spam tags like “blockchain” on a story about granola. More here: SEO on Medium
What Disqualifies You From Distribution?
Oh, I’m so glad you asked:
- Spammy content or sensationalistic headlines (no “You’ll NEVER guess what Einstein said next!”)
- Stories that are obviously AI-generated (uh-oh)
- NSFW or graphic content
- Misinformation
- Poor formatting or grammar that looks like you smashed your keyboard during a coffee seizure
For the whole list of sins: Medium Distribution Guidelines
Pro Tips from the Deep Medium Scroll
- Choose a clear, honest title. “5 Ways to Be Happy” is fine. “The Secret Happiness Trick They Don’t Want You To Know” is not.
- Add ALT text to your images. It’s kind, and the Boost team loves accessibility.
- Your cover image? Make it beautiful or just skip it. Bad stock photos = sad readers.
- Want to keep your story off Medium’s radar but still available to your fans? Go Network Only, baby.
So Should You Publish on Medium?
Yes. If you care about your voice, your words, and want the potential for reach, Medium is a powerful stage. Just don’t yell into the mic with clickbait or recycled blog spam and expect roses.
So You Published on Medium. Now What?
Alright, you’ve dropped your brilliant article and it’s out in the wild — ready to be devoured by readers, applauded by fans, and inevitably skimmed by someone who leaves a comment saying “TL;DR.” But what really happens next?
How Many People Are Actually on Medium?
According to recent stats, Medium has over 100 million readers per month. That’s right. Your story is sharing digital air with the same number of people who live in the Philippines. Not bad for your essay about the emotional arc of IKEA furniture assembly.
Source: Medium’s About Page
Can You Make Money on Medium?
Yes. Cold, hard digital cash. Medium’s Partner Program allows writers to earn money based on how long paying Medium members spend reading their stories. Think of it as getting paid for attention. Finally, revenge for every time someone said, “You talk too much.”
To join, you need:
- A Medium account
- Be at least 18 years old
- Published one story in the past 6 months
- Reside in an eligible country
- Agree to Medium’s rules (i.e., don’t be awful)
Join the Partner Program: Medium Partner Program
What Does That Look Like in Practice?
You publish. Members read. Medium tracks how long they linger over your words (scrolling counts less than reading — yes, they know). You get a cut of their subscription fee. Some writers make pocket change. Some make rent. A few make enough to fund a tiny robot army of editors.
For the curious: How Partner Earnings Work
A Few Sparkly Tidbits
- You can syndicate your blog posts from elsewhere. Medium doesn’t demand exclusivity. Just set the “originally published on” link and you’re good. Learn how: Republishing on Medium
- Stats update every 4 hours. Which means checking them every 15 minutes still won’t help. (But go ahead and try. We all do.)
- You can’t buy followers, but you can earn them. The best way? Commenting thoughtfully on others’ stories, publishing consistently, and tagging your pieces accurately.
- Medium’s default font is called Charter. It’s designed to be readable for long blocks of text. So if someone says your story was hard to read, it’s not the font’s fault.
So now you’re armed with knowledge, sarcasm, and links. Go forth. Publish boldly. Earn money ethically. And may your title never be “10 Things You Won’t Believe About Medium.”
Follow Me for More Stories! Seriously. Do it. Hit that follow button. Then comment below with your Medium publishing tip, your weirdest article idea, or your favorite synonym for “synergy.”
Art Prompt: A surreal dreamscape of infinite skies and enigmatic figures. In the foreground, amorphous creatures melt into the golden sand, their glassy skin refracting hues of turquoise, lavender, and burnt orange. The horizon curves upward unnaturally, where delicate towers of bone-white stone cast impossible shadows. A distant red orb hangs low in the sky like a bruised moon, illuminating the scene with an eerie glow. The atmosphere is hushed, like the moment before a whispered revelation — echoing the strange geometry and mystique of classic Surrealist canvases.
Video Prompt: Begin with drifting clouds morphing into melting abstract figures. Slowly pan across a barren dreamscape where monolithic shapes shift and collapse into themselves. Use smooth, hypnotic zooms and slow dissolves between landscapes of glowing towers and warped deserts. Let the camera flow like a curious mind wandering through an infinite subconscious. Ideal for ambient soundscapes and moments of late-night wonder scrolling.
Song Recommendations:
- Falling Short — Låpsley
- Holograms — Magic Man
Friday Night Laughs Mini
Title: Fireworks, Founding Fathers, and the Freelance Editor
Picture this: Ben Franklin’s hosting a backyard barbeque on July 4th, complete with hot dogs, fireworks, and an awkward quill pen he prizes like a show pony. Suddenly, Thomas Jefferson strolls in holding a draft of the Declaration — clearly drafted at 3 a.m. with too much coffee.
Jeff says, “Ben, I think we’ve got the ‘Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness’ bit nailed, but does it need… more pizzazz? Maybe a meme?”
Ben peers over his bifocals, “A meme? Tom, we’re declaring independence from Britain — not launching the first colonial TikTok.”
Jeff shrugs. “Well, if we’re breaking free from British rule, shouldn’t we also break free from bad fonts?”
Just then, John Adams appears brandishing a sparkler. “Happy Independence Day! Also, I brought backup — fireworks!”
Jeff panics. “Wait — I haven’t finalized SEO tags!”
Ben laughs, “Too late. Colonial Google already indexed it.”
Adams waves his sparkler triumphantly. “Time to throw tea into a harbor and call it performance art!”
And that, dear reader, is how independence was declared — with half-finished drafts, no spellcheck, and absolutely zero concern for newsletters.
Have a safe and sparkly Fourth — may your hot dogs be toasted, your fireworks be legal, and your metaphors never overcook!