How to Safeguard Your Writing Career in a Changing Landscape
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Chapter 1: The Unthinkable Scenario
Imagine this scenario: You wake up, grab your phone, and open the Medium app, only to find that it won’t load. Confused, you decide to check Twitter for updates about the platform, recalling a recent incident where your articles were de-curated.
A direct message pops up: “Haven’t you heard? Medium is gone!” Shocked, you make yourself a cup of coffee and start searching online for clarity. To your disbelief, the headlines confirm it: Medium has shut down.
Reports indicate that Tony Stubblebine, once the face of Medium, has sold the platform to another company, leaving employees to abandon ship and take no responsibility for the site’s future. The realization hits you—this could happen to anyone.
While this hypothetical situation may seem extreme, there are more common scenarios that writers face:
❌ Temporary Bans: As seen with creators like Abena Talks Health and Winston from Coffee Times, you might suddenly find your account banned.
❌ Disabled Accounts: One day, you might find your access revoked entirely, as I experienced a few months back.
💡 This was a wake-up call for me to establish a backup strategy. 💡
❌ Impersonation Attacks: Your identity could be compromised, leading to a loss of access to your account and damage to your reputation.
Writers are building their careers on platforms we cannot fully control.
As much as I cherish Medium, relying solely on it for my business means I’m staking my future on borrowed land. Remember, Medium owns your audience, not you.
Here's how to create a backup plan.
Section 1.1: Building Your Email List
First and foremost, prioritize your email list! Cultivate your subscriber base on Medium, Twitter, Substack, and any other platforms. Your email contacts are the only asset you can take with you. Followers are merely numbers and cannot be transferred.
Section 1.2: Backing Up Your Content
Now, let’s focus on another crucial aspect: backing up your published content on Medium. After reaching the milestone of 1,000 published stories, I discussed this with my husband and took the initiative to create a backup.
Here’s how to export your data:
- Go to Settings
- Scroll to Download Your Information
- Click on Download .zip
- Select Export to initiate the download.
You’ll receive a notification stating: “We have received your export request. An email with download instructions will follow shortly.”
Once you receive the email (which may take some time, so check your spam folder), you can download the .zip file containing your data.
The archive includes everything! Every comment, bookmark, and clap! Focus on "Posts" to view the articles of interest.
⚠️ Important Note: The archive contains posts and comments, so some organization will be necessary. It’s wise to start this process sooner rather than later, especially when you reach a significant number of stories.
My suggestion: Select a story and use the PRINT option to save it as a PDF.
Final Thoughts
Now you understand how to back up your posts on Medium. Once exported, you can republish your articles on your own website or other platforms like Vocal Media.
The key takeaway is that you can prevent Medium from closing the door on your writing journey at any moment. You are in control!
Full Disclosure: Rest assured, I won’t abandon Medium until circumstances force my hand!
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