Cover Photo by John-Mark Smith on Unsplash (adapted)

Practical advice for beginner to intermediate writers on Medium

Rule #1 — Have an intro.

Okay, I’m not sure this is exactly the first rule, but it’s one for sure. An article that starts with no context is only confusing. It also makes it harder to be authentic. So, here goes!

As I was researching how to become a successful writer, I came across many patterns, both for success and for failure. Sometimes, it’s nice to know what to do to succeed, but I’d argue it’s at least as important to know what to avoid as well.

This article is about the pitfalls of writing. I’ll share data-backed ways that lead to failure. If you avoid these pitfalls, you can at least get some views, claps, and comments.

Let’s dive into each of them!

Note: I’m breaking most of the rules in this article, so don’t use it as an example.

Your headline is subpar

I recently shared about some articles that got 0 claps in a Facebook Group I’m in. Here’s the post:

What do you think of these headlines?

Now, I’m not saying that all these headlines are bad, but many of them could be improved. Some of the comments were pretty brutal.

The headline is what gets people to click on your article. It’s the entry point. If you don’t captivate readers who come across your headline, they will not click. No click equals 0 views, 0 claps, and 0 comments. It’s that simple.

I’ve written quite a bit about the topic. Here are a few articles to help you:

Your formatting isn’t optimal

Here are some pointers from analyzing hundreds of top-performing articles, as well as thousands of underperforming ones:

For super successful articles, the average*:

length is 1309 words
number of paragraphs is 39
words per paragraphs is 34
number of headings is 5
number of words between headings is 262
number of paragraphs between headings is 7

For underperforming articles, the average:

length is 1128 words
number of paragraphs is 35
words per paragraph is 32
number of headings is 5
number of words between headings is 235
number of paragraphs between headings is 6

Generally, you want to have:

38–40 paragraphs of 35–40 words; and
5 headings containing 7 paragraphs each.

*all numbers were rounded for clarity

Other tips:

Try to keep each section (between headings) at about the same length
Write sentences of about 15–25 words
Have headings fit on one line
Avoid unnecessary images
Stick to headings 1 and 2
Use quotes formatting for quotes
Have an introduction and a conclusion
Don’t use videos unless absolutely necessary
Don’t add spam or ads
Have a simple one-line call-to-action at the bottom (or none)

Your article has no stories

Stories are what captivate your readers. It’s no wonder Medium uses the word “stories” instead of “articles”. The more you tell engaging stories, the higher the chance people will clap for your article and comment.

Your article is all about you

Personal stories are good, but it can’t be all about you. Always answer this in one clear sentence: “What’s in it for me, the reader?”

It’s awesome that you travelled all over the world, but what’s your point? Are you just boosting your ego and making me jealous? What can I learn from your experience?

Readers want one of two things (or both): education and entertainment. It’s hard to do that when the article is all about you.

Your article is a disorganized mess

For most people, a brain dump isn’t the ideal way to write articles. Ideas need to be organized in a way that is coherent to the reader. I often jump back and forth in time in my stories and editors hate it. Don’t do that.

Make nice transitions between sections. How does section 1 connect to section 2? Have a sentence at the end of section 1 to bridge the gap.

You self-publish when you have no followers

Self-published stories only get distributed to people who follow you, unless chosen for distribution by Medium. Who knows what that even means nowadays.

As much as you can, find a publication to publish in so you can take advantage of their larger audience.

You write about an overdone topic

Some of the topics covered in the headlines I shared above are greatly overdone. Read articles on Medium and in publication to figure out what everybody else is doing, and then do the opposite.

Always answer this about your articles: “What makes this piece unique?”

You publish once a month

Consistency rules. You won’t build an audience if you rarely publish. For some level of success, you have to publish at the very least once per week, ideally three or more times.

But it’s not all about quantity. If you can’t sustain quality, don’t publish that regularly. To succeed, you need both quantity AND quality. It’s a tough world, my friend!

Everything you need to know

Write good headlines
Apply proven formatting rules
Lead with stories, not all about yourself
Organize your thoughts
Don’t self-publish if you have no followers
Find a unique angle to your topic
Publish frequently

Here’s to more views, claps, and comments!

You can do this!

— Danny