Writing on Medium starts with a few simple steps, from creating an account to publishing your first article.
Whether you’re a beginner or using Medium for the first time, the platform makes it easy to write, format, and share stories with a built-in audience. If you're new to the writing gig, AI writing tools can be a great way to improve your content structure, tone, and reach.
To write on Medium, sign up for a free account, click the “Write” button to open the editor, add your title and content, format the article with headings and visuals, apply relevant topic tags, and publish your story when it’s ready.
Medium is highly competitive. Thousands of new articles are published every day, which means simply publishing isn’t enough; how you write and structure your content matters if you want readers to find it.
In this guide, we'll cover the essential tips and strategies for writing effective Medium articles. We'll discuss everything from topic selection to publishing. Let's dig in!
To write on Medium, you first need a free account. Visit Medium.com and sign up using your email address or an existing Google or Facebook account.
When you sign up for Medium, you’ll see options to join as a free user or upgrade to a paid membership.
You can continue with a free account and start publishing immediately. You can always upgrade later if you want access to premium reading features or to support writers.
Once registered, you can optionally complete your profile with a photo and short bio to establish credibility with readers.
To start writing, click the “Write” button at the top of your Medium homepage. This opens a new draft in Medium’s editor. Drafts are saved automatically, so you can leave and return at any time from your Stories page without losing progress.
Medium’s editor is designed to keep formatting simple and distraction-free.
Editing your Medium article effectively helps improve readability, accessibility, and overall visibility on the platform. The following notes outline key ways to edit and optimize your Medium article before publishing.
So, you have an idea of what to write and how to write it, but how do you get the most out of your content? How do you ensure people are seeing and reading your articles? Here’s what to check before you hit publish.
Medium allows content creators to customize their story links before publishing. This can be done by tapping the More options menu and selecting the Custom story link. Do so in a way that makes sense to the reader but also has SEO value.
Customize links in a way that makes sense to the reader but also has SEO value. If you have a keyword research tool or some SEO software, you can analyze which keywords have the highest volume and aim for one when customizing a URL.
Publishing software typically requires you to enter a meta description before going live, although Medium does not. Instead, you’ll need to tap the More options menu and select Change display title/subtitle to begin customizing.
A meta description is an HTML tag, typically 160 characters or less, that summarizes the content of your article. A good meta description is important for both readers (to increase click-throughs) and search engines (to improve ranking).
If you really want to reach a variety of readers, consider tagging your content with relevant topics. To do so, tap the More options menu and select Change tags.
Add topic tags that are both high-volume and relevant to your story. You can add up to five tags per article.
Medium may be a Web-publishing platform for amateur and professional writers, but users should still look to expand their networks. This is another less-referenced way to maximize your profile's visibility.
See a publication that interests you? Follow it and engage with its day-to-day writers.
Clap for stories you enjoy to uplift them, and share your thoughts in the comment section. Let the author hear your take on their story, and offer a new perspective if you feel it adds substance.
The more you engage on Medium, the greater the likelihood that other users become aware of your work.
When your article is ready, click “Publish” in the top-right corner of the editor. Before publishing, you can add up to five relevant topic tags, customize your display title and subtitle, choose a preview image, and schedule your post for a later time. If you’re enrolled in the Medium Partner Program, you can also make your story eligible for monetization.
After publishing, your article will appear on your public profile and may be shown to followers or recommended to other readers. You can edit your story at any time by selecting “Edit story” from your Stories page. Updates are saved immediately, and your article keeps the same URL and engagement metrics.
Publishing on Medium isn’t a one-and-done process. If you want to grow, you need to know what’s working and what’s falling flat.
That’s where Medium’s built-in analytics come in.
After publishing, go to your Stats dashboard. There, you’ll find data on views, reads, claps, and fans. It’s not as robust as Google Analytics, but it gives you just enough to learn and iterate.
Let’s say you’re getting a lot of views, but few reads. That usually means the title is strong, but the intro or formatting isn’t keeping people around. Revisit your hook. Make the first few lines tighter and more curiosity-driven.
If you’re seeing strong read ratios but low claps or comments, your article might be educational but not emotional. Try ending with a question or stronger CTA next time.
If an article outperforms others, dig into why. Was it the headline? The niche topic? The publication you posted in? Use that insight to replicate success, not just guess.
After signing up for Medium, customizing your profile, and including a few words about yourself, it’s time to start thinking about what you want to write.
Here are a few tips to consider:
Every article on Medium is tagged to its proper category, so this should help provide some inspiration on what to write. Some of the popular categories on Medium include:
Other popular topics to write about on Medium include money, culture, education, comics, photography, spirituality, fashion, music, humor, and others. As you can see, there are many diverse interests on the platform.
You don’t need a 3,000-word essay to make an impact on Medium. But you do need clarity, and structure is key. Start by keeping your paragraphs short. Two to four lines is the sweet spot, especially for mobile users who scroll fast and skim often.
Use subheadings (H2s and H3s) to break your article into digestible sections. This helps guide your reader through your ideas and signals structure to Medium’s algorithm.
Format intentionally. Bold key takeaways to create visual anchors. Use italics to emphasize nuance. When listing steps or ideas, bullets are your best friend.
And remember: a concise 800-word tutorial can outperform a lengthy 2,000-word thinkpiece if it’s well-focused and well-formatted.
Medium favors content that keeps readers engaged beyond the scroll. That means encouraging small actions at the end of your piece, without overdoing it.
A simple prompt like “Clap if this was helpful” invites feedback and boosts visibility. You can also ask a question, suggest they leave a comment, or offer a follow for more stories.
Want them to share the piece? Ask, but do it authentically. One genuine call to action is more effective than a list of asks. Ultimately, you're not just writing; you’re starting a conversation. Medium rewards that.
Medium isn’t exactly the spot to publish sales and marketing-heavy content. If you’re representing a business, focus on thought leadership, not lead gen. Include links where natural, but don’t structure your piece as a funnel. As a matter of fact, Medium itself says this is generally frowned upon in its writing community.
An actionable way to engage with your readers on Medium is to encourage them to ‘clap’ if they find your article valuable. Claps are considered in Medium’s ranking algorithm, and many claps can catapult your article in the eyes of more readers.
Your goal as a writer should never be to mislead readers into clickbait, and you should double down on this when it comes to Medium. Authenticity wins. Share real stories, show vulnerability, and offer original analysis rather than surface-level summaries. Medium’s audience doesn’t just want “takes”, they want substance.
That said, credibility still matters. Back up claims with links to studies, real numbers, or visual evidence when possible. If you're making health or financial claims, cite verifiable sources. Medium has become more proactive in flagging misinformation.
It is strongly encouraged to post original insights and perspectives. Medium states that aggregating content is frowned upon and that plagiarizing other people’s work can lead to consequences. If caught plagiarizing, the original author could issue a cease-and-desist order, request a link to the original, force a complete rewrite, or negotiate a royalty.
The easy way to avoid all of this is simply not plagiarizing. Instead, map out your thoughts and conduct meaningful research before you begin typing. To learn more, read our guide on the five most common types of plagiarism.
Find answers to some of the most common questions about writing on Medium to help you get started and make the most of your experience.
Yes, you can write on Medium for free. Anyone can create an account and publish articles at no cost. A paid Medium membership is only required to read some member-only stories, not to write or publish.
Yes, writers can earn money through the Medium Partner Program. Earnings are based on how much time Medium members spend reading your stories. To join, you must have at least 100 followers and meet Medium’s pre-defined eligibility criteria.
Yes, you can republish content on Medium. To avoid SEO issues from duplicate content, use Medium’s canonical link feature to credit the original source.
You earn claps by delivering value. Well-structured, clear, and relatable articles perform best. Ending your story with a simple call to action—such as “Clap if this was helpful”—can also encourage engagement.
If you’re just starting out, publishing under your personal profile is the best option. Creating a publication makes more sense if you’re building a brand, posting frequently, or collaborating with other writers.
Yes, you can edit your Medium story at any time by selecting “Edit story.” Your article keeps the same URL and engagement stats. Small updates are fine, but major changes should stay aligned with the original topic.
Start with topics you have personal experience or insight in. Medium performs well with stories about learning, career growth, technology, entrepreneurship, life lessons, and personal challenges. Beginners often gain traction by sharing practical advice or honest experiences rather than trying to sound like an expert.
There’s no fixed rule, but most successful beginner articles range between 600 and 1,200 words. Focus on clarity and value rather than length. A shorter, well-structured article often performs better than a long, unfocused one.
Consistency matters more than frequency. Publishing once or twice a week is a realistic goal for beginners. Regular publishing helps Medium’s algorithm understand your writing patterns, increasing the chances that your stories will be shown to readers.
Yes, Medium allows you to publish stories without displaying your real name. You can customize your profile name and bio, but your account must still follow Medium’s community and publishing guidelines.
Building a readership isn't a linear process. The key is persistence, creativity, and understanding your audience. Focus on crafting compelling headlines, telling authentic stories, and optimizing your posts for discoverability. Remember to keep experimenting, learning, and refining your approach to stay ahead.
Looking to publish a physical copy of your work? Consider the benefits of desktop publishing software to get the job right.
This article was originally published in 2019. It has been updated with new information.
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