First — They are not real writers, but copywriters.

Writing is art; copywriting is a job. The difference is subtle, and it’s not in the money but the creator’s ultimate goals. It’s OK to get paid, but when you write solely for the payment, your writing ceases to be art and becomes a transaction.

Second —It’s impossible to write anything meaningful when you’re always wondering in the back of your head whether you’ll be curated, whether you’ll get enough claps, fans, or what have you.

Professional writers internalize their goals — they focus on producing a meaningful piece each day and let the rest take care of itself. Even if most people think their content sucks, they don’t care. They’ve done everything they could and are proud of their effort.

Finally — If you’re obsessed about money, you’ll ultimately lose.

Benjamin Graham famously said, “In the short run, a market is a voting machine, but in the long run, it is a weighing machine.” If you get 5K claps on Medium, it doesn’t mean that your writing is brilliant. It just says that you’ve hit a nerve. The best way to get people to vote for you is to chase the hype: writing about things that are on people’s minds, whether it’s the coronavirus, Donald Trump, or making it on Medium.

People will always want to read (and pay) for three things: losing weight, getting paid, and getting laid. You can try to write about things that get you noticed, and you may even experience some form of success. But you’ll never be able to beat Buzzfeed.

The question is, what game are you playing? Are you chasing the number, or are you writing for posterity? Are you trying to make a quick buck, or are you trying to make a difference?

Do you want to be noticed, or do you want to matter?

When the dust settles, the writers who prioritized the right things will be the ones left standing. Those who gave more than they took will be the ones trusted, read, and followed.

In the long run, the market — whether it’s Medium or the internet in general — will weigh the impact you’ve made.