The Ugly Truth About Trusting An Online Platform

What I have learned from NewsBreak and Medium as a self-published author

Photo by Sincerely Media on Unsplash

I have been writing online since 2017. Since then, I have created over 2,000 articles, hundreds, if not thousands, of social media posts, and published six books. I have had wild successes and tremendous failures, too.

In this time, I have learned some valuable lessons about online platforms.

Namely, I have written on NewsBreak and Medium for a long time and have seen massive success in views, reads, and income. Yet, both of these platforms have changed; now, I make pennies.

Now, I know it isn’t because my writing has gotten worse. Because it hasn’t, I read some of my early articles that have done well on those platforms and know that my work now is much better.

Yet, something is different. So, today, I wanted to share a few lessons I have learned about these platforms that might be important for Christian writers and self-publishing authors.

#1 - You Can’t Put Your Eggs In One Basket

At one point, I made $1,000 a month on Medium with tens of thousands of views. On NewsBreak, I made thousands of dollars. In one month, I even reached $10,000! It was amazing and well beyond anything I expected.

Now, I make less than a dollar a month when I write on NewsBreak and have abandoned writing on the platform. And on Medium, many articles can barely get more than ten views internally.

Had I been counting on just one platform, I would not be making any money now as a writer and author online. However, I have diversified my income and still make a nice little side hustle with my other income streams.

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#2 - Platforms Have An Agenda

On both of these platforms, the early game was growing. They incentivized people to grow and would reward people for getting outside views and bringing people onto the platform.

Now, the platforms seem to favor exclusivity and have liberal agendas. And anyone countering these two things is left out in the cold. I write about my faith. My internal views on Medium are so bad that I know they don’t want people seeing articles like mine.

Their agenda is different than mine, and that is fine. It’s annoying, but it is what it is. They like to say how much they want people to come to the platform and that it is a land of opportunity, but that is only true if you fit their mold.

#3 - You Are Worth More Than A Platform

I know my content matters because I still sell hundreds of books monthly. I have enough people from social media to read my posts, and I know the value of my content is there.

The platform will devalue your work when it doesn’t fit the mold, hitting you hard as a writer and author. Trust me, I know. In these times, we need to seek out new opportunities and take more control of how our content is scene.

And the sooner we do that, the better value we can provide to more people. So, I want to put out a warning to people going to platforms like Medium and NewsBreak. You have great value, and your work and message deserve to be found.

Final Thoughts About Online Platforms

There are a few things I am going to start doing. I think I am going to move away from these platforms more. They don’t want my content or work anymore, so it’s time to go elsewhere.

Which means I will spend more time on the platforms that support my content. Places like Substack and my personal blog again. I will repost it to Medium, but it isn’t the primary source anymore.

I think many more people will start doing this when they have a message or content that isn’t valued on those platforms. Heck, Tom Kuegler, who used to be all about Medium, writes on

Mind Of A Writer

about this very thing, check out his article.

What do you think, though? Is Medium or NewsBreak getting better or worse for your content? Share in the comments!

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J.R. Heimbigner is a #1 Bestselling Christian Author on Amazon who writes about faith, family, and writing books. Join his Breakthrough Prayer community and find his books today!