Medium vs. Substack: The $15K Lesson I Learned After Writing 600 Stories

One platform gave me reach and revenue. The other gave me reflection and relationships.

Dear Readers,

Today, I want to pause and share a personal reflection.

Not a productivity hack.

Not a tool review.

Not a deep-dive AI article.

Just my story as a writer — and the winding road I’ve traveled over the last 3 years on Medium.

Why? Because many of you write to me asking:

“Anshul, you seem to have figured out Medium. How did you get there?

Why is it harder on Substack?

What should I know if I want to try Medium?”

So here it is. My story. The good, the bad, and the human.

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It started with no clear plan — just the itch to write

When I first clicked Publish on Medium in 2021, I had zero expectations.

I was curious about writing on productivity, life lessons, and mental health — topics I cared about — but I had no structured writing background. My initial stories were rough. Long-winded. Often unfocused.

For example:

• I’d write a list of 10 productivity tips with no personal story attached.

• I’d write about mental health, but it sounds preachy instead of human.

• I’d throw in quotes but not explain what they meant to me.

And yes, like most new writers, I got very few views.
But the process hooked me.

Medium’s simplicity — the clean editor, the ease of publishing, the chance of discovery — made me return again and again.

Three years later — here’s where I stand

Fast forward 3 years:

✅ Published over 600 stories (that’s about one story every other day!)
✅ Earned about $15K through the Medium Partner Program
✅ Accepted into multiple respected publications
✅ Built a loyal readership across Medium and Substack

Is this success? For me, yes.

I’m not in the top 1% of Medium writers, but I’ve built a sustainable, enjoyable writing practice — and that’s priceless.

The early struggles: what almost made me quit

I won’t sugarcoat this. The first year was challenging.

Here’s what I struggled with — and how I eventually overcame each challenge.

1. Finding my niche

Initially, I wrote about a wide range of topics — from productivity and poetry to life lessons, leadership, and even random movie reviews.

The result? Readers didn’t know what to expect from me.

Lesson: Focus matters. I slowly aligned my writing toward three core themes:

• Productivity

• Leading a stress-free life

• Lessons from my own experiences

2. Learning storytelling

Initially, my articles resembled Wikipedia entries more than personal stories.

Example: Instead of saying “Here’s what I did when I was struggling with burnout”, I’d say “Burnout is bad for health. You should rest more.”

Fix: I read great Medium writers (Tim Denning, Sinem Günel, Ayodeji Awosika) and learned to:

• Start with a story or personal hook

• Weave tips naturally into my narrative

• End with reflections or questions

3. Deep research

My early articles lacked depth.

Example: I’d list time management tips without citing studies, books, or real-world examples.
Readers notice this.

Fix: I began:

• Referencing books like Deep Work or Atomic Habits

• Quoting experts with attribution

• Sharing my use cases (e.g., how I used the 80/20 rule in my business life)

4. Getting into publications

Initially, I submitted my work randomly and received numerous rejections.

Fix: I studied top publications in my niche (e.g., Better Humans, Mind Cafe, Illumination) and tailored my submissions accordingly.

Once accepted, publications significantly boosted my visibility.

Why Medium worked better than Substack — for me

This is the part many of you ask about.

Here’s my honest take, based on writing actively on both platforms.

1. Algorithm and Discovery

Medium’s algorithm rewards quality writing.

• When I wrote a well-researched, deeply human post, I often saw it picked up by Medium curators.

• Example: One of my articles on the 10-3-2-1-0 rule for better sleep reached 15 K+ reads because it was curated.

On Substack, there’s no discovery algorithm. You need to build your list, which requires time and effort beyond just writing.

2. Built-in Audience

Medium brings readers to you.

• I’ve had stories go viral and bring in hundreds of new followers, without me promoting them externally.

• On Substack, you need an initial list (email subscribers) or strong promotion channels (Twitter, LinkedIn) to drive traffic.

3. Editorial Curation

Medium still uses editors and analysts who manually surface good content.

• I noticed that when I improved my storytelling and quality, more stories got curated, which resulted in more views and income.

• Substack is more of an open garden. Great for relationship building, but harder for discovery if you’re starting from scratch.

4. Feedback Loop

Medium gives you analytics:

• Views

• Read ratio

• Earnings per story

• Curation notices

This helped me learn what resonated and what didn’t.

On Substack, stats are simpler — focused on opens and clicks, which makes iterative learning slower.

5. Monetization

Medium’s Partner Program let me monetize from day one.

• My first few dollars were thrilling — proof that people valued my writing.

• Substack monetization relies on converting free readers into paid subscribers — a more challenging, slower process.

What I’d tell new Medium writers today

Here’s my honest advice — take it from someone who wrote 600+ stories:

• Write about your challenges — readers connect with you, not generic advice.

• Show how you solved problems — e.g., how you overcame burnout, how you manage stress, what routines helped you.

• Be genuine — readers can smell inauthenticity from a mile away.

• Cut the fluff — concise, clear writing wins. Every word should earn its place.

• Don’t be afraid — your first 50 articles will likely not be great. That’s okay. Mine weren’t either.

• Read great writers — study their structure, tone, and pacing.

What this journey taught me — about writing and life

• Consistency matters more than talent. Writing 600 stories taught me that showing up beats waiting for inspiration.

• Vulnerability is your superpower. The more I wrote openly about my struggles, the more readers connected with me.

• Writing clarifies thinking. My thinking is sharper today — thanks to writing regularly on Medium.

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Final reflection

I love writing on both platforms.

• Medium gave me initial traction, validation, and income.

• Substack is giving me a deeper connection with my core readers.

But for new writers starting today?

I still recommend trying Medium first — it offers a faster path to learning and discovery.

Then, once you’ve found your voice, build your Substack community slowly and intentionally.

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Thank you for reading 🙏
I hope this behind-the-scenes look at my Medium journey gave you something worthwhile.

If you’re writing on Medium — or thinking about it — I’d love to hear your story. And if you’re new here, subscribe to my free newsletter for more honest reflections on writing, productivity, and life.