Is it Time for Me to Stop Using My Pen Name on Medium?
My Justiss Goode profile is attached to too much meta content!
Since some individuals here are either former or current Medium members like I am, I know by now you probably know about the issue of Medium no longer compensating writers who write meta content.
Translation: If you write stories about the platform and use the word “Medium” in an obvious way, your story will receive the “meta” stigma, and you can no longer get paid for them.
Personally, that’s been a big bummer for me, and that’s what brought me here to Substack in the first place, for all the good it’s done.
I still can’t seem to shake that place, so somehow, out of frustration about not knowing my way around Substack yet, I guess I drifted back out to the Medium sea, and got stuck in the tide.
I’m still out there somewhere, flailing about, unable to swim to to a safe space for too long.
I know it’s because of all those damn stories I have there, although they don’t even seem to matter much these days.
Perhaps to some of you Medium writers, it’s not that big a deal, because all you mostly wrote about Medium, was how good or bad your stats were doing, or to brag about some perceived milestone.
If that was the extent of your meta content, you probably could care less about the recent policy change this year.
On the other hand, if you’re like me — a prolific writer with 2,000 stories published on the platform (technically 1,985 😄), and at least one third of them about Medium, you’ve definitely been affected by this new rule that seems totally unfair.
Unlike writers with a few stories about their gripes and moans, or to occasionally rave about their stats, I published hundreds of stories specifically designed to help new members and inexperienced writers learn and improve.
In depth stories that actually contained value for the readers was what my meta stories were primarily about.
For instance, when Medium was offering a new program to obtain more memberships, I shared step-by-step details with fellow members, just in case they weren’t aware, or didn’t understand how to take advantage of the opportunity.
How to Get Paid with the New Membership Referral Program
Of course, the program is no longer around, since that’s another thing that Medium has pulled the plug on, but when it was active, I have no doubt that lots of members found the information in my story helpful.
The same is true of similar stories, where I exerted concentrated effort into producing content that I knew my fellow members would value and appreciate, and for the most part, they did.
They were glad to get my stories about Medium, that reminded them things like: Time for Another UPDATE about Using Tags and Keywords in Your Medium Stories!
I wrote and showed them all the benefits I was gaining myself, from proper engagement in the community, and encouraged them with titles like this:
2 Super Cool Writing Hacks that are Available When You Comment on a Story!
I even gave them my very best productivity tips that I personally use myself, enabling me to be as productive and prolific as I am.
How to Work Through Your List of Drafts and Publish Stories Much Faster
So yes, I have to admit that “I felt some kind of way” when Medium decided to pull the plug on paying for these kinds of stories.
I truly believe my stories held value, whether I was providing facts to help members with the 3 ways to link stories, or whether I was sharing tips about specific features, like: How to Use the List Feature to Keep Up With Writers You LIKE?
I think under the circumstances, it’s only natural for me to still be a little bit salty over the situation. But the worse part is, I fear that because of the way Medium appears to look down on meta content now, many of my followers are reluctant to read or interact with me as much.
Is it possible that my Justiss Goode profile is still too much attached to the meta niche? If it is, does that suggest that maybe it’s time for me to stop using my Justiss Goode pen name on Medium?
Considering another profile option and pen name
It’s really very fitting that at this time, I’d be considering what to do about my future on Medium as Justiss Goode, since this month is her 4-year anniversary there.
Before I created Justiss Goode in May 2021, I was Charm Baker, which is also a pen name (as I indicate in this Pen Name space), and it so happens that I still have an open Medium account in that name as well.
That’s because in 2019, I joined the site for a hot minute as Charm, but didn’t really stick around long enough to get any traction. The account is still open, but I don’t earn from it, because it’s not a paid account. But I’m totally able to access it and resume using it, and if I choose to, pay the necessary $5 monthly fee and join the Medium Partner Program.
Honestly, this is an option that I’ve been tossing around for awhile, but I’m not sure I’ll be able to muster up the necessary motivation required to build this profile up in a significant way.
That’s one of the reasons that I can’t seem to make up my mind on this. I’m afraid I’m just too burnt out on Medium, to give this a shot. But some mornings I wake up and think: Maybe…
Final Words
In the mean time, I’m busy looking around for new income options, and igniting old passions in the process, just like I mentioned in a recent story.
I really wish I knew what to do about the situation, and wonder whether reviving my Charm Baker profile on Medium might be the solution.
What do all of you think (if in fact anyone is listening 😄)?
Should I try to wait it out, and hope that eventually, if I write enough non-meta stories in the future, that will help to somehow dilute my current status and notability as a meta content writer?
While I’m trying to figure it out, thankfully, it’s not like I’m sitting around on my hands, and not bothering to make some smart moves. Whether I start a new profile, stick to the one I have, or both; sadly, I still don’t have any expectation of earning that much more money on Medium.
So trust me, even though I haven’t been very visible here on Substack, I currently have my hands in several cookie jars.
For instance, check this out:
The "Meta" Fixer is a reader-supported publication. Support my work, and consider becoming a subscriber.
Why don’t you write under your real name?