Understanding the Writer's Dilemma

After browsing various articles on Medium, I couldn't shake the feeling that I might be overlooking something significant. It seems like there’s a crucial element I’m missing.

As someone who believes my writing is decent—albeit with flaws that need addressing—I acknowledge that I’m still finding my footing in this space. However, I have some concerns.

I’ve been diligently trying to implement the advice shared by writing experts on Medium. A recurring theme in their guidance suggests that one should organize their writing for clarity, choose engaging titles, include appealing visuals, and more. While I find some of these tips valuable and practical, I often wonder if they’re enough.

With each passing day, I notice my writing improving, at least according to my personal standards.

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Despite this, I observe that some writers—pardon my bluntness—aren’t producing work that matches the quality of authors like Derek Hughes, Eve Arnold, and Anangsha Alammyan, yet they garner thousands of claps and numerous comments. Am I missing a trick here? Has Medium fallen prey to a spam bot phenomenon? Or is my writing simply not up to par?

I’ve encountered several outstanding articles that lack the recognition they truly merit. Having only been here for two months, I’m curious how things will unfold in the next six months. I understand that establishing oneself in this environment is a challenging process.

Witnessing accounts without a proper profile picture or any adherence to “best practices” in their writing receive more attention is disheartening. Some of these writers seem to stray from any clear niche.

Perhaps I’m being overly critical. Maybe you have insights on this. I’m not convinced that I am, and it’s possible I’m just approaching the Medium experience incorrectly.

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