How I Earned My First $500 on Medium Without a Huge Audience

“I thought only writers with thousands of followers could earn money on Medium. Turns out, I was wrong.”

That was me, just a few months ago, staring at my dashboard in disbelief as I crossed my first $500 in earnings. The best part? I didn’t have a huge audience, a viral post, or years of experience.

In this article, I’ll share the exact steps, strategies, and mindsets that helped me reach this milestone.

Whether you’re just starting out or still waiting for your first payout, you’ll see that it’s possible to earn on Medium even without a massive following!

Understanding Medium’s Partner Program

When I first heard about the Medium Partner Program, I thought it was some complicated setup where you needed thousands of followers just to get accepted

Honestly, I avoided applying for weeks because I assumed it was “for real writers.” But after digging in, I realized it’s actually pretty straightforward — and it’s the main way most of us earn on Medium.

The Partner Program is basically Medium’s way of paying writers for engagement. You write articles, Medium shows them to readers, and if those readers are paying Medium members, you earn money. Simple as that.