7 Trends That Will Shape The Online Writing Industry In 2025
AI, monetization, long-form writing, and much more for 2025...
I’ve been writing online since 2018.
For the first 1.5 years, my content barely got a handful of views, and yet I was excited that some people were reading and liking my words.
In 2020, I decided to go all-in on my writing. Since then, I’ve reached millions of readers and have helped thousands of writers grow their audiences as well.
One thing that has remained consistent over all those years is change.
As digital writers, we have to go with the flow and constantly adapt to new trends, algorithms, and updates.
And truth be told, that’s not always easy. Just when you feel like you’ve “figured it all out,” things can change to your disadvantage.
My goal with this piece is to help you navigate the challenges that 2025 might throw at you as gracefully and successfully as possible.
I’m no psychic, but here’s what I see changing in the online writing world next year.
#1: The Idea of “Fair” Payments for Writers Is a Myth - Money Is Your Responsibility
If you’re reading this, you probably have one of two goals:
You want to grow your audience
You want to make (more) money through your writing
The harsh truth about making money through your writing is that you don’t get paid to write.
You get paid for what you do for your readers (or clients).
You get paid for understanding how to write stories or content that resonate with readers.
You get paid not just for being a stubborn writer but for expanding your horizon and starting to think like an entrepreneur and marketer.
Even though many platforms try to come up with incentives to attract writers, the truth is that very few opportunities are actually rewarding because most incentive programs don’t work - at least not in a sustainable way.
Right now, the two most promising earning opportunities for digital writers are Substack and Medium.
These are the only platforms that enable you to make a substantial amount of money by publishing your writing, but they are built for very different purposes.
While Substack is becoming a multimedia marketing powerhouse for creators, Medium is still staying true to its core product, which is great writing.
Let’s take a closer look at both platforms, their strengths and weaknesses, and who they are best suited for as we move into 2025:
Substack: The Marketing Powerhouse for Writers
Substack allows writers to monetize their content through paid subscriptions, offering a direct-to-reader model that can be highly rewarding for those who want control over their audience and revenue.
One of Substack’s greatest strengths is its ownership model—you own your email list and your relationship with readers, which is crucial for long-term business building.
Substack is continuously expanding beyond newsletters to become a multimedia platform where creators can integrate audio, video, and community chat features to engage subscribers more dynamically. They even introduced a live-streaming feature.
To encourage more reader interaction, Substack may expand tools for community feedback, enabling readers to suggest topics, vote on upcoming articles, or participate in collaborative projects with their favorite writers.
However, Substack's primary weakness for (new) writers is discoverability. The content that is most likely to get discovered on Substack is the one by large accounts with thousands of subscribers and followers.
Without an existing audience or at least a community of supporting peers, it can be tough to grow on Substack.
The biggest challenge for writers is that monetizing on Substack requires you to actively market yourself—writing alone isn’t enough. You need to constantly promote your work (on or off the platform), build strong offers for your paid subscription, and consistently publish pieces your audience is willing to pay for.
Let’s say you’ve figured out how to sell your writing to readers: Next, your goal is to build collaborations and growth engines that help you constantly add new subscribers to your Substack.
The most underrated challenge of Substack writers is how many paying readers it takes to make a substantial income on the platform.
Let’s say you charge $10/month, which is already on the higher end for a subscription.
Even with 100 paid subscribers, you’ll “only” make $1,000/mo. Substack takes 10% of that.
To convert 100 paid subscribers, you’ll realistically need 2-3,000 free subscribers.
If you’re just starting out, are new to writing, don’t know how to position yourself, and don’t have a clear value proposition for your readers, gaining several thousand subscribers is hard.
The most exciting part about Substack is that the platform is evolving rapidly. They release new features every few weeks, and the team works closely with writers and readers on the platform.
We see Substack becoming even more mainstream in 2025 as people all over social media already talk about “having a Substack” as a coined term.
Even though Medium is older, it has never reached the mainstream awareness Substack is currently heading towards.
Another critical factor that might accelerate the popularity of the platform might be more celebrities and famous figures joining and bringing their own audiences to Substack.
We’ve already seen significant writers, journalists, entrepreneurs, and creatives join the platform in 2024 and expect the long list of well-known people to grow further in 2025.
This means two things:
The audience of readers can grow rapidly as these writers bring their audiences to the platform.
Standing out and growing your own audience might become increasingly harder since you might suddenly compete with popular voices.
Medium: The Writing Platform
Most writers want to earn through their writing without doing any marketing or sales. They just want to write.
Right now, Medium’s Partner Program is the only opportunity that could make this possible for writers — but if we’re honest, that’ll only work if you’re writing with the Boost program in mind and aiming to mostly publish boost-worthy stories.
Medium is known as “A place to read, write, and deepen your understanding.”
Medium’s greatest advantage is its built-in audience and discoverability — the algorithm can put your work in front of thousands of readers, even if you’re just starting out.
As a publication editor and Boost nominator on Medium, we don’t care if you publish your first or 1,000th article.
If your piece is good, we’ll put it in front of our readers and will help you get Boosted, so you have a higher chance of reaching the masses - without any marketing efforts on your end.
The big downside is that you don’t own your audience as you do on Substack or a regular newsletter. You’re relying on Medium’s platform and algorithms, which can change over time, affecting your visibility and income. That’s why we strongly recommend building your email list while publishing on Medium.
We strongly believe that human curation will remain crucial to Medium’s distribution system in 2025.
However, we also think (and hope) that the Boost guidelines will keep changing. Any system that includes humans has flaws, and the team is aware that Boost decisions aren’t always 100% predictable or clear.
With that in mind, we expect more changes to happen. This means it’ll be crucial for writers to stay updated on the latest changes to have the best possible chance to continuously grow and succeed on the platform.
On top of that, we might see an even stronger emphasis on publications since those are the powerful curators for thousands of stories.
Regardless of the platform you choose (or even if you leverage both together), remember that each of them is a business - they have their own incentives in mind.
Medium wants more paying readers. If YOUR readers stay on the platform, you’ll be rewarded.
Substack only makes money if subscribers pay for publications, so they want more paid publications and more creators who bring more subscribers to the platform. The more paid subscribers you have, the likelier it is for your content to perform well.
#2: Generic Content Is Out, Personality Is In
In 2025, the content landscape will be more competitive than ever. This will probably be true for every year from now on - as more people enter the space, growth will inevitably become more challenging for everyone.
But it’ll be most problematic for those who don’t know what they stand for.
Generic, surface-level writing that tries to appeal to everyone doesn’t have a chance to reach the masses anymore.
Readers are bombarded with endless amounts of content every day, and the only way to cut through the noise is by offering depth, personality, and specificity. Shallow, broad content no longer holds attention or builds loyalty.
Instead, writers will find the most engagement and growth in niche communities—groups of readers united by shared interests and specific needs.
As the volume of online content grows, readers are becoming increasingly selective about where they spend their time. It’s only fair, right? With more choices, we naturally become more selective.
We no longer tolerate generic advice or broad stories. We want authentic voices who can speak directly to us.
For example, a post titled “How to Improve Your Life” won’t resonate nearly as well as a concrete guide like “How to Boost Productivity as a Freelance Writer with ADHD.” Niche content like this proves that you understand your audience’s challenges and can offer actionable, personalized advice.
In addition, generic content lacks the emotional connection and trust required to build a loyal audience. When readers feel like they know the writer—through their tone, perspective, and personal experiences—they are more likely to engage, follow, and even pay for content. In contrast, a faceless, broad approach comes off as impersonal and forgettable.
In 2025, successful writers will lean heavily on their unique personalities and voices. We’re not saying you have to share every aspect of your personality or personal life, but you do have to go the extra mile and show your readers why they should trust you.
Readers crave authenticity—they want to know the person behind the writing. Whether that’s through sharing personal stories, offering insights based on deep expertise, or taking a bold stance on a niche topic, your personality will make your writing stand out. The more specific and detailed your content is, the more valuable it becomes to your audience.
For example, a health writer catering to busy professionals with specific wellness strategies will have a far more loyal following than someone covering broad health topics.
The more nuanced your advice, the more likely readers will see you as a trusted expert. Detail demonstrates expertise, and readers flock to those who offer inspiration and practical, actionable takeaways they can apply immediately to their lives.
You build deeper connections and stronger credibility by narrowing your focus to a specific audience. Niche communities thrive on meaningful engagement—readers come back not just for the content but for the discussions, feedback, and sense of belonging within that community. Writers who actively engage with their readers, answer questions, and spark discussions will grow their audience and foster long-term loyalty.
In 2025, your success as a writer will be determined by how well you understand and serve your audience. Whether through detailed guides, tailored newsletters, or live community discussions, the goal is to create value that addresses the specific needs of your readers.
People often believe that shrinking attention spans make it harder to build an audience of raving fans, but that’s not true. Millions of movie fans sit in theaters for 3+ hours to watch stellar movies each year.
Nobody struggles with attention spans when playing video games or indulging in their favorite activities, right? Attention spans are not the problem; it’s the sheer amount of low-quality writing.
Millions of readers love books like Atomic Habits, which could be summarized in a 1,500-word blog post. Yet, we read them from front to back because they keep us reading.
#3: Owning Your Audience Is More Important Than Ever Before
As the content landscape grows, creators and writers are becoming more afraid of changes and fluctuations. Even if you’re not writing full-time, you want stability and you want to be able to rely on your strategies and platforms in the long run.
This means two things:
Be careful about the platforms you choose to use. Make sure they fit your goals and even your personality. If you don’t enjoy a platform as a consumer, we can guarantee you won’t enjoy it as a producer/writer either.
Build robust systems that help you be independent as quickly as possible. If you’re writing on Medium, add a newsletter to the mix. If you’re on Substack, make sure to export your email list regularly. Just make sure you’re building an ecosystem that works in your favor instead of working against you. At the end of the day, you want to build flywheels that help you grow faster instead of constantly churning out new content.
External platforms allow us to share our message with millions of people across the globe, but turning our reach and work into a reliable business is our responsibility.
And the most effective way to do that is by growing an email list.
Email is the most effective channel to nurture and monetize your audience, and if you haven't started your newsletter yet, now is the time.
Even if you never sell anything to your audience, having an email list is priceless.
Traditional publishers, for instance, love to work with writers who already have an established audience of email subscribers. The more (active) subscribers you have, the easier it is to negotiate.
With social media followers, it's becoming increasingly difficult to estimate conversion rates. Email, however, is still a strong channel to predictably drive clicks and sales.
According to book launch experts, email can even be 100 times more effective when selling a book than social media.
And the most significant advantage of email marketing is that it's based on good writing.
Instead of showing up on videos or designing graphics, all you need to do is write.
#4: Readers (and Writers) Are Seeking a Sense of Belonging
Communities have experienced exceptional growth during the pandemic and will continue to be vital to the online writing (and reading) industry.
Anyone knows that writing is a lonely task. You're all by yourself and don't get much feedback until the job is done. Sometimes, you don't even get feedback after the work is done. Yet, as humans, we're social beings. We need social interaction to thrive. And sharing our passion, wins, and struggles with like-minded individuals is just beautiful.
That's why NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) has been growing in popularity each year since it was launched in the 1990s.
Publishing your writing online is now easier than ever, but connecting with other writers can be challenging.
By creating a sense of community for your readers, you'll be able to turn your work into a conversation.
If your niche and message are clear, you can invite your readers to join a community and establish a sense of belonging among your members. This could happen through a newsletter, a private group (e.g., on Facebook or Linkedin), occasional live events (like a Q&A chat on Zoom), or local community events.
This could happen through a newsletter, a private group (e.g., on Facebook or Linkedin), occasional live events (like a Q&A chat on Zoom), or local community events.
On a smaller scale, you can connect with your audience in the comment sections of any platform. Any form of interaction with your readers is better than none.
This is also the core reason for us to move away from self-study courses towards community-based programs like the Medium Writing Academy Community Experience: We see an immense value in connecting with peers and asking for feedback while you continuously work on improving your craft, message, and writing business.
#5: How AI Will Change The Writing World
AI has become a double-edged sword for writers. If you’re open to using it, you can benefit from a more efficient and effective workflow in many areas - whether you use AI for idea generation, editing, or creating stunning images.
Even though you certainly don’t need to use AI to build your audience in 2025, the harsh truth is that those who can use the most powerful tools to their advantage will move faster and farther.
Understanding the strengths and limitations of AI will be crucial for writers who want to thrive.
AI writing systems can now generate entire articles, blog posts, marketing emails, and even books with just a few prompts.
That’s why content is worthless.
You don’t get paid to create content. And you don’t deserve attention just because you publish something. We can now create content within seconds with only a few clicks.
What matters is the personal connection you build with your audience. Without that connection, your work will be ignored.
The real question is: If AI can do the basic work, how can real writers add value to the conversation?
The answer is that your personality, personal point of view, experiences, insights, and expertise help you stand out, build trust, and ultimately grow an audience of readers who appreciate your work.
While AI can imitate writing styles and produce technically sound content, it still struggles with emotional depth, original insights, and complex storytelling.
Readers can usually tell when a piece is too robotic or lacks personality. This is where human writers excel: Weaving in personal experiences, crafting compelling narratives, and making emotional connections with their audience.
AI can churn out facts and surface-level content, but it can’t replace the authenticity and empathy that real writers bring to the table - at least not yet.
Instead of fearing AI, writers should learn to collaborate with it.
AI can be an excellent tool for idea generation, brainstorming, and editing. It can help you go from an idea to a proper outline within minutes or ensure you catch all typos and errors in your writing.
Using AI tools to your advantage helps you focus on the creative and personal aspects of your work—like storytelling, narrative structure, and emotional engagement. By offloading routine tasks to AI, you can save time and channel your energy into crafting richer, more meaningful content.
AI can also support writers in research by quickly synthesizing large volumes of data, finding statistics, or summarizing complex topics. Writers can then use these insights to create more in-depth, insightful pieces that go beyond what an AI can produce.
Google’s NotebookLM, for instance, gives you a whole new perspective on your work, which can lead to new ideas and brand-new insights that you might not have discovered on your own.
While platforms like Medium and Substack are grappling with how to handle the influx of AI-generated content, the truth is that AI detection software sucks, and as AI becomes stronger and more human-like, detecting it will become even harder.
Some platforms are introducing disclosure requirements, encouraging (or forcing) writers to clarify if their content was fully or partially generated by AI. Others are exploring ways to detect and demote low-quality AI content to maintain the platform's integrity and ensure that human creativity and originality are prioritized.
At the same time, many platforms are beginning to integrate AI-powered tools to assist human writers. Kit, for instance, collaborates with a tool called Lex, which allows you to train AI to write in your own voice using your past newsletters.
Platforms like Substack and Medium could use AI tools to provide much more data to writers, which can be used to better understand their audiences and craft content that has the best possible chance of being loved by readers.
In 2025, writers who embrace AI as a tool, rather than a threat, will be able to produce better content faster while still differentiating themselves with the qualities that AI cannot replicate: emotional intelligence, creativity, and personal storytelling.
AI may be revolutionizing the writing industry, but real writers will always have the upper hand in connecting with readers on a deeper level. That human connection will continue to set great writers apart, even in a world increasingly influenced by technology.
#6: Short-Form Is Good, Long-Form Is Better
Even though LinkedIn and Twitter are still viable opportunities for growing an audience, short-form writing comes with disadvantages. While it’s excellent for capturing attention and reaching lots of people, short-form isn’t effective when turning your words into a proper business.
Short-form readers naturally feel less connected to your work than readers who indulge in blog posts of 1,000+ words that you've crafted with care.
The only ways to monetize your work off these platforms are:
Growing your newsletter
Promoting paid products/services
Affiliate marketing
Offering your writing services to clients (freelance or ghostwriting)
Short-form writing is a huge opportunity to practice, get attention, drive traffic, and grow a following quickly. However, it's not necessarily the best option for monetizing your work because short-form is usually short-dated.
A Tweet consists of a maximum of 280 characters.
A post on Medium or Substack could consist of thousands of words.
Even though you might get more eyeballs on a Tweet, the quality of the relationships you build via long-form will beat short-form.
If you spend ten minutes reading an article I've written, you'll most likely feel more connected to me than to a writer whose Tweet you've read within a few seconds. Twitter writers are well aware of this. That's why Threads are increasing in popularity.
Even if you use short-form to build your audience, you'll eventually need to use long-form to monetize your work. For instance, by writing newsletters or sales pages.
Another upside of long-form is that repurposing your work is a lot easier. If you’ve published multiple long-form articles about a specific topic, you can combine them and launch a (mini) ebook or freebie.
You can also use it as a script for videos or create in-depth guides that showcase your expertise. Plus, you can easily turn long-form articles into multiple short-form pieces.
#7: Self-Publishing Is a Goldmine If You Know How to Do It (but Most Writers Don’t)
Audio and ebooks are on the rise and allow indie writers to take ownership of their work. Instead of chasing traditional publishing deals, creators realize how powerful self-publishing is.
Amazon, in particular, makes launching your book stupidly easy and allows writers to confidently monetize their work without shady agreements offered by leading publishers.
The biggest advantage of self-publishing is that the author makes all decisions while keeping the majority of the profits. And more than a million writers are using this opportunity each year.
The problem? The average self-published book barely sells more than a handful of copies.
For most writers, self-publishing a book is one of the most exciting ways to monetize their work. And we now have access to tools that turn publishing into child's play.
The problem is that writing and publishing a book is only half the deal because you're also responsible for marketing and selling your book.
If you have an established email audience and a passion for writing promotional newsletters, you can have a lot of fun self-publishing. But if you hate email, sales, and marketing, self-publishing might be a waste of time because nobody will even discover your book.
The bottom line is not to get too excited about seemingly rewarding opportunities if they don’t match your personality and skills.
We Can’t Write Like It’s 2008
Despite all the challenges we face as digital writers, the truth is that making money through your words is now easier than ever before.
We just have to embrace the fact that a career in writing is a lot more than just typing words. As you reach and impact thousands or even millions of readers, you have to keep in mind that your writing has to actually do something for them.
If your writing doesn’t entertain, inspire, educate, or just stick with people, they won’t pay attention. And if they don’t pay attention, you won’t get paid.
The online world is changing fast, and writing is no exception: As creative minds, we need to learn how to adapt quickly and ride waves of change and uncertainty with confidence.
We must learn to use external platforms while community instead of relying on vanity metrics like followers.
We want to build movements, communities, and businesses that serve powerful purposes and help thousands of people solve their real-life problems.
And to do that, we must find a balance between staying up to date and sticking to the basics.
Instead of waiting for platforms to fix discoverability or magically boost your income, use 2025 to build a flywheel that helps you grow your audience and income by leveraging smart tools and genuine human connections.
Develop your craft and niche: Become so good that your audience actively seeks you out, even if algorithms aren’t working in your favor.
Own your audience: Build your email list and keep control of your fanbase outside of platforms that can change their terms at any moment.
Diversify your revenue streams: Whether it’s through paid newsletters, freelancing, creating digital products, or offering writing services - if you want to write full-time, you’ll need several income streams you can rely on.
But in 2025, the most successful writers are those who embrace both writing and entrepreneurship. Platforms are important partners in this journey, but your success will come from building your own ecosystem.
What a wonderful read! This might be one of the longest Substack posts I’ve read, but somehow you managed to keep me hooked on reading all the way through.
What a brilliantly practical and insightful read! You have managed to put into perspective everything that we need to know but in a truly down-to-earth way. Thank you, Sinem! :-)