Thinking about starting on Medium? Advice from 31 writers who started in 2026
Why Medium, who Medium works for, and what writers wish they’d known before starting.
What’s it like to write on Medium in 2026? Can you still reach readers? Is it worth it? And what’s the best advice to do well?
CEO of Medium, Tony Stubblebine, and I tackled this from an employee and platform perspective at the start of the year, trying to pitch writers on why Medium is worth it in 2026. What does Medium promise writers, and do we think we deliver on those promises?
With this piece, I wanted to talk to those who actually started writing on Medium in 2026 to see what they concluded. Is Medium worth it? For whom? What can you get, and what does it take?
The writers who answered this survey all felt Medium was worth it, although what was interesting to me was that many had different reasons. Hardly anyone mentioned earnings (indeed, only a third of the folks who responded to me even paywall their stories to lock them for members-only), and almost everyone mentioned something about the joy and love of writing, and finding a community here.
Common threads
- ~1 in 3 mentioned you should publish before you feel ready.
- Several said writing on Medium led to a job, clients, or a professional brand.
- Most had no following when they started!
Who we heard from
I reached out to 151 writers who published their first story in 2026, looking for a mix of topics, frequency, locations, and audience sizes. I wanted to hear from a wide range of experiences, writing backgrounds, and motivations for writing. 31 writers got back to me, spanning topics from tech to comedy to faith. Here’s what they said.
Why writers chose Medium in 2026
My question was: Why Medium, out of all the platforms available to you?
In general, writers chose Medium (versus any other blogging platform!) to start writing because:
- They hoped to find distribution without needing an existing audience
- They didn’t want to set up their own site first
- They wanted to focus on writing, not self-promotion
Here’s what they said in their own words (note, I didn’t ask them to compare us to any particular platform!):
"The fact that I wouldn't need to stick to a single field or domain to write about... and the promise of algorithmic discovery (I can't hustle), made me choose Medium over Substack." — Anindita Basu
"Medium is extremely focused on the content. You write, you publish, and the piece stands or falls on its own." — Tomas Nyx Garrett
"I was, also, searching for a writing platform that prioritized quality over engagement. I hated the social media structure of platforms like Substack because I just want to focus on writing instead of constantly marketing and selling." — Sarah M Naidoo
"I felt too discombobulated by distractions and the 'social media' style of interactions [on Substack]... so Medium won." — Varyanne Sika
"I chose Medium because I feel comfortable that my ideas will be given fair consideration and that the algorithm here won't bury my writing or prioritize bigger platforms." — Tieshka K Smith
Resources
- What happens to your story when you publish on Medium (Medium Help Center)
What surprised new Medium writers most
I was interested in what the new writer experience is like on Medium in 2026. What were the surprises?
Broadly speaking, here’s what writers found eye-opening:
- It really was possible to reach readers with no followers
- Readers finish even the longer stories
- The responses to stories were engaging and high quality
- You never know exactly who is reading your stories
- Writing could be addictive!
In their own words:
One of my stories reached the person I credited having created the game “Doom” back in 1993. — Trevor Dwyer
"[T]he read-through rate was high even when views were low... I had expected the opposite." — Arti
"How quickly I got an audience! I didn't have specific expectations but getting people to read my rather long articles was not something I thought was going to work out." — Varyanne Sika
"I've discovered that writing on Medium can become a conversation, and I didn't expect that when I started." — Steven Baru
"How addictive it can become! You publish one story, get some great feedback, and suddenly you're already thinking about what you could write next." — Victoria Friss de Kereki
"How little a post's reach had to do with how deep or how technical it was and how much it had to do with framing." — Yaro Perventsev
How long does it take to get readers on Medium?
On Medium, many new writers experienced how they could get readers with no following…but how long did it take for that to happen?
Here’s what writers agreed on:
- It’s normal to take a while to find your footing
- Some stories get traction even weeks after you publish them
- Publications matter
Some specific quotes:
"It was easy to publish on Medium, a little harder to find followers, but I stuck with it. I found a publisher that accepted me as a writer, which exposed my writing to a broader audience." — Don Hughes BA, MPA
"I chose Medium for the built-in distribution network so that my writing can reach more people through tracked tags and publications." — Josh Allan
[C]onsistency is the single most important thing, right after the writing itself…What actually builds anything on Medium is showing up again and again with one focused piece at a time.” — Tomas Nyx Garrett
Resources
- How (and why) to submit to a Medium publication (Medium Handbook)
- Why (and why not) to publish with a Medium publication (Medium Handbook)
Success beyond writing on Medium
What can writing on Medium turn into? Writers shared that their stories ended up leading to jobs, consulting clients, press, confidence, community, and some earnings through the Medium Partner Program.
Here are some standout quotes:
"The best thing that's happened because I write on Medium is landing my dream job... working in sports analytics. Writing on Medium gave me the opportunity to build and showcase my portfolio." — Victoria Friss de Kereki
"I got my first consulting project after deciding to be a full time independent researcher because of my writing here." — Varyanne Sika
"The realization that my ideas, projects, and opinions can mean something to others. I can still meaningfully contribute even at 55+ years old." — Frank
"Invaluable writing experience even though I don't make much money doing it." — Dana Hilz Black
"Medium was the first public step in a much bigger process" toward building a personal brand and being featured in the press. — Andra Ciucescu
Why writers believe their best stories landed
I was intrigued to learn what writers thought was their “secret sauce”: what made their stories stand out on Medium?
It was much harder to pick common themes here, because it varied so much by topic. Life stories were successful due to their relatability; tech tutorials did well because of their methodology. The one common factor that almost every writer mentioned was their unique perspective — the reason that writer was writing that story, the viewpoint nobody else can provide.
On "Who Controls the Salt": "Salt is a tiny detail. Nobody building a world thinks to ask who owns it. The moment you do, the answer drags everything else out with it." — Tomas Nyx Garrett
On the unified auditing piece: "I stopped writing 'how to configure auditing' and started writing about the real problem: how do you catch the one event that matters when the audit trail is drowning in noise?" — Yaro Perventsev
On the wedding piece: "I think it landed because everyone can relate to bad wedding experiences." — Lynn Vieira
"It answered a question people had actually asked themselves... with a method rather than a guess, and it showed its uncertainty honestly." — Arti
Advice for new Medium writers, from no-longer-new Medium writers
When I asked what their one piece of advice would be for anyone thinking about starting writing on Medium, here’s the playbook these writers recommended:
- Start before you're ready.
"Don't overthink it... I was a bit nervous in case no one liked it... But after getting over those nerves and not overpolishing it I eventually published it and I couldn't be happier." — Josh Allan
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“Don't let the fear of writing badly stop you from writing at all.” — Ammarah Ahmed
Just do it. Start. That's the whole advice." — Tomas Nyx Garrett
2. Consistency beats one perfect story.
"I wish I'd known that consistency matters far more than perfection... the real value comes from shipping regularly." — Josh Allan
"What actually builds anything on Medium is showing up again and again with one focused piece at a time." — Tomas Nyx Garrett
3. Write from real experience or work.
"Write from work you've actually done... It's much easier to be clear about something you understand deeply than to sound clever about something you skimmed." — Arti
"Make your claims checkable... once you commit to 'here's how you can prove this yourself,' you can't hand-wave anymore." — Yaro Perventsev
4. Write for the reader with the problem.
"Write for the person who has the problem right now, the one debugging it at 2am, not for the reader you're trying to impress." — Yaro Perventsev
"Be yourself, and write the way you'd talk to a friend. Don't try to sound smart with fancy words." — Dominika Sułot
5. Ignore the stats early on.
"I've stopped worrying about the stats. I'm writing what I want to write and having fun with it." — Kathy Matthes
"Just keep writing, don't worry about followers." — Don Hughes BA, MPA
6. Read other writers!
"[Y]ou have to read other writers." — James Dale
What new writers wish they'd known before publishing
Knowing what they know now, what would these writers have done differently at the start?
Formatting: "Formatting tips." — Dana Hilz Black
Tags: "Choosing tags that exist and have large audiences is better than creating a new tag category, though building a new category can be helpful, too." — Kathy Matthes
Titles: "The title and how to attract others to turn from view to read." — Laij - Action
"Titles can be tricky. I keep fiddling with some of them." — Kathy Matthes
Publications: "I wish I'd known about Medium's publication system. I think it's a lovely way for strong pieces to find a wider audience." — Hiroshi Sato / 佐藤 仁
"I wish I knew more about publications! They've been very helpful to get my pieces read by bigger audiences." — MaryAnn McIntyre
Canonical links: "Publish on a platform you own first, with the canonical link pointing back to it. It's trivial to set up early and a real headache to retrofit later." — Yaro Perventsev
Resources
- Formatting: Tips and Tricks for Medium Writers (The Medium Blog)
- Tags: How to use topics on Medium (Medium Handbook)
- Titles: A guide to writing titles on Medium (Medium Handbook)
- Publications: How (and why) to submit to a Medium publication (Medium Handbook)
- Canonical links: Set a canonical link and Importing a post to Medium (Medium Help Center)
Writing for Medium readers vs other audiences?
Most writers I spoke to write on Medium among other places: a newsletter platform like Substack or Ghost, another social media platform like LinkedIn, or their personal website. I was curious how their writing strategy changed depending on where they wanted to publish their writing.
Publishing on your own site is canonical, Medium is adapted for a feed audience
The most common crossposting pattern came from writers with an established site or platform.
- On their own site, they aim for direct, search-driven openings ("reader already searched for the exact problem").
- On Medium, they write for readers. Many mentioned thinking more about how to include human stakes or a human scenario up top, since readers are browsing rather than searching.
- In terms of style, many mentioned translating jargon into plainer language for Medium’s readers, while others talked about how they slow down and explain the why behind a decision, not just the result.
"I publish everything on my own site first. That's the canonical home for the work... On my own site, the reader already searched for the exact problem like 'Oracle flashback,' so I can open literally and get straight to it. On Medium, people are browsing a feed, so I have to earn the read." — Yaro Perventsev
"My own platform itself (QuantGamer) is where most of my writing goes: methodology pages, score explanations, comparison verdicts. That writing has to be terse and consistent because thousands of pages share the same voice. Medium is the opposite…I use it to explain why a decision was made." — Arti
"I did write some of the scientific papers in the past, but here, on Medium, I am mostly focusing on using as simple words as possible so everyone can understand it." — Dominika Sułot
"I mostly write on my own website blog, other than Medium. I think the key difference is that my website blog is more focused on being an Insights Hub aligned with my Services company... whereas on Medium my pieces are a mix of thought pieces with my experience and certain best practices woven in." — Ammarah Ahmed
Newsletters as a secondary container, with broadly the same voice
A few writers mentioned crossposting their Medium stories as newsletters, but describe the writing as basically the same. One very interesting exception: a writer who uses Substack only for its AI-generated companion images.
"I also have a Substack which is a container for all my work. But Medium is the primary place for me to submit my pieces for a wider distribution, as well as a great spot for reader feedback." — Lynn Vieira
"Substack, however I only use this for the AI-generated images Substack creates with my articles, which can be posted on social media (Instagram etc.). I don't do anything differently when it comes to the articles, but Medium has been much more successful." — Sarah M Naidoo
LinkedIn to promote, Medium to go deeper or get personal
LinkedIn carries a professional tone and often just links out to the Medium piece; Medium is where the same writers say they're "unapologetically me," more personal, or building a longer-form portfolio.
"My articles and stories on Medium [versus LinkedIn] are more personal and open." — The Flexible Mind
"[T]he difference between LinkedIn and Medium is that on Medium I'm unapologetically me in my writing. I can write as I talk and even throw in a meme or two, and that is me, whereas on LinkedIn I feel as though I have to be that little bit more professional."— Josh Allan
"I also write on LinkedIn, where I mainly share my Medium articles with a wider audience... On Medium, I focus more on building my portfolio through longer, more in-depth pieces, while LinkedIn helps me get that work in front of a much wider audience and start conversations around it." — Victoria Friss de Kereki
Formal outlets vs Medium as the human counterpart
Some writers also publish peer-reviewed papers, memoirs, or stories in the press (USA Today, NYT). On Medium, they write for reflection, community, or activism rather than the formal record.
"I also run a Substack and my social media channels. I try to get published in major publications; I was in USA Today last week and the NY Times last month... On Medium, I'm trying to rally my queer community and speak to like-minded supporters, and on another platform, I'm trying to convince them to support trans equality or fight to save democracy." — James Dale
What’s it like to write on Medium in 2026?
This is a very small snapshot of writers, but it tallies with our overall understanding (and, yes, our deepest hopes and dreams) that writing and reading are far from dead: they’re having a huge revival in a time when human writing is one of the most precious things, both to do for yourself and to share with others. I’ll leave you with a smattering of my favorite quotes from the writers on what it’s like to write on Medium in 2026.
"Medium gave me a new sense of purpose….I've also found people who share my interests, and that means a lot to me. I'm an immigrant, and I don't have many people around me here with whom I can share these interests." — Kris Berner
"[M]y ideas, projects, and opinions can mean something to others. I can still meaningfully contribute even at 55+ years old." — Frank
"How addictive it is! I am really catching myself sometimes thinking about the next topics I want to cover." — Dominika Sułot
"Honestly, how much fun I had doing it." — MaryAnn McIntyre
"I have had these ideas in my head for many years, and didn't have the confidence to publish. Medium has given me that confidence." — Trevor Dwyer
"The incredible community of writers and readers are so supportive." — James Dale
"The connection with both readers and writers with shared opinions, experiences and frustrations!" — The Flexible Mind
"Some of the sharpest feedback I've gotten came from Medium's comments: working DBAs pushing back on a claim, adding the caveat I'd missed... it made the writing better." — Yaro Perventsevv
"Great connections with readers and publication editors." — Hiroshi Sato / 佐藤 仁
“The best thing has been discovering that something I wrote for myself can mean something to someone else… That’s enormously rewarding.” — Steven Baru
FAQ
Is writing on Medium worth it in 2026?
Most respondents said yes! Why? For reach, feedback, and in several cases, a job or client that came from having a public body of work.
How do new writers get readers on Medium?
Almost all writers mentioned learning over time. Publications, topic tags, and a clear framing of the idea did more for reach than technical depth or polish.
Do you need a following to start on Medium?
No. Most respondents started at zero and still found readers.
