Hi Alize,

Aw, your message made me a little sad - but I appreciate your transparency. If I may, here are some thoughts for you:

1. It is VERY important regardless of where we are located in the world, that 50, 100, or even 1000 a month - is not enough money to sustain ourselves on. Even a single person with no dependents in the US earning minimum wage is guaranteed at least 1000...

So let's keep one thing in mind: the dollars are welcomed money but can no way be a metric for who should be here and who should not. From what I've read, the reason top writers made much more money from this is because of the following. They gain the skill and experience to then get "writing gigs" outside of Medium, or create classes here in Medium, or a myriad of other hustles creating products and services to sell.

2. Two things are at play here affecting your reads and therefore earnings: writing capabilities / and topics chose to write. The latter seems to weigh more when it comes to higher-paying articles. So let's ask ourselves this question:

If someone came up to me right now and said, "Natalie if you write an article on SEO, you are going to get over 200 reads and you'll be guaranteed a $100 article." (Let's assume they had a crystal ball, did research and just knew I was going to make a ton of money - would I write that article?)

My answer is NO. Writing with passion and writing articles that are meaningful to me are far more important - and therefore, we MUST realize that automatically means: we have limited what we can earn.

Last night I read a writer in their first few months are making hundreds of dollars and make their first 4figure monthly earning - and promoted a book where they release the "secret" - and along the lines said something to the effect of: if you are not willing to do the work or -- something to that effect; I knew exactly what this writer was selling. I don't have to click on their feed or read their book:

It's what I am telling you: are you willing to research and find what are the topics that readers want to read about and then - to give credit due - write it decent. This writer was modest and shared they don't have a long resume of a writing career - so again, when I say writing it "decently" - get the point across cleanly and neatly.

There's no creative engine - hard skill of developing a fascinating introduction - etc. Medium can be used to make money on articles that sell to the masses.

3. So all of that to say:

DO NOT let the joy of writing be zapped because you're not seeing the money. If it is, start seeking what I mentioned above and pivot to create those articles --

If you're not willing to - then celebrate the beauty and joy of writing as you have most certainly written lovely poetry that I have read.

We are all going to grow regardless, Alize - as the more you write, the better you get at it.

Money is just one metric (measuring the audience welcoming your message and some writing style) - but it certainly is not the end all, be all -- of HOW you write.

I read FAR too many talented and incredibly entertaining writers who are CLEARLY barely making any if NONE at all -- I would say they are far more gifted and powerful writers than the one who has earned 1,000 a month just by looking at what they've written.

Just my .02

Keep writing Alize -- embrace it and find that joy again. Let's be sure and take you back to where you were in Feb!

Cheers!