A Letter to my Nonpaying Followers

I appreciate you, even though you don’t earn me money

You know how the story goes: a writer on Medium reaches 100 followers, joins the MPP, and immediately begins monetizing everything they post. Sometimes they even edit old posts from before they were in the MPP to be behind the paywall. If you’re a Medium user who hasn’t paid the subscription fee, it’s bound to be frustrating when a writer you follow suddenly isn’t accessible to you.

For a long time, I was one of you. I didn’t want to buy into the platform until I was earning enough on Medium monthly to at least cover my fee. It is hard to get a foothold in the community when you aren’t a paying member, since you can only read a couple of monetized posts per month before Medium cuts you off.

I used to keep a list of articles I wanted to read but had been paywalled, and then read them first thing the next month, until I ran out again. Then I’d only read posts that were nonmonetized, either by new writers below 100 followers, writers unable to join the MPP for other reasons, or articles that MPP-writers had chosen specifically to be made open access. I always appreciated people who didn’t monetize everything they posted, and even though I’m in the MPP, I make a point not to monetize all of my content.

I know about one-third (1/3) of my followers aren’t yet paying members of Medium. You can tell who is and who isn’t a member based on the green outline around their profile picture.

I personally don’t like that you can tell who has paid and who hasn’t. I’ve seen some paying users say that they openly discriminate against nonpaying users by not engaging with their content “on principle” (you don’t have to pay to post, or even to make money in the MPP); they think this platform is only about making money, and think that it should be quid pro quo when it comes to reading and engaging with others who are also monetized. I believe otherwise. I believe that this platform should be for everybody; I follow and am followed by nonpaying members, who I see as valuable members of this community.

This platform should be for everybody.

I am not going to judge you for the decision not to pay. Maybe, like me, you’re hoping to join the MPP and earn enough to cover your fee before you sign up. Maybe you can’t afford that $5USD per month — there are people living paycheque to paycheque, people in other countries where the exchange rate is high, people on disability or pensions or part-time jobs or unemployment. Maybe you just don’t want to pay to read articles on the Internet and are happy to only read the nonmonetized content. I appreciate you following me, anyway. Even though you don’t make me any money in the MPP, I respect you.

I appreciate you.

For this reason, about 25% (1/4) of my posts are nonmonetized. As a general rule, I do not monetize poetry, flash fiction, or any articles under 1,000 words. It’s also a smart business decision (link leads to a monetized article) because it draws in new readers, who may eventually decide to become paying members. Nonpaying users who decide to become paying members may decide to use your referral link if they’re familiar with your content and like you and your work enough to want to support you.

If you’re thinking about becoming a paying Medium member, consider using the referral link of a writer you enjoy to support their content when you do. Using a referral link means the writer gets about $2 of your subscription fee directly, rather than being paid a penny or two when you read their article. It is a great way to show your appreciation for a specific author. My subscription fee goes to support my good friend W Dickerson, who recently joined the MPP. Here is my referral link, if you want to sign up using it:

Using a referral link (mine, or someone else’s) means that more of your money goes directly to creators, rather than into the platform’s general coffers. For smaller creators (with less than 5k followers) and new members of the MPP, the boost of a few referred members means a lot, so choose who you support when or if you make that leap.

If you aren’t planning on joining the MPP anytime soon, that’s also totally cool with me. I said it and I meant it: I appreciate you being here even though you don’t earn me any money. Just knowing that there are people who want to read my work is its own reward!

Here are two lists of my content that are completely nonmonetized; you can read any of the stories in these lists for free, without affecting your cap on member-only stories:

When browsing for articles to read, you can tell when a story is monetized by checking for a star above the title of an article, next to the date it was posted. The star indicates that an article has been monetized and is members-only, so nonpaying users will only have access to a handful of starred posts before they hit the paywall and are asked to subscribe.

Posts without the star are not part of the MPP and, like all the stories in the two lists I just posted, are free to read by nonpaying users and even those not signed up for Medium.

There are lots of nonmonetized posts on Medium, both from new users who do not yet have the 100 followers required to join the MPP, and from established writers who, for whatever reason, have chosen to make their post(s) open access and available to everyone.

As a writer who profits from Medium, I encourage others who are able to do so to make at least some of their content nonmonetized. There is almost never a reason to monetize short-form content (i.e., posts of less than 150 words), as most if not all of the post can be seen in the preview. I also don’t believe in monetizing crucial information, such as posts about where to find safety as a refugee or important news coming out of an active warzone. That sort of information should be available without paying a membership fee, in my opinion.

Medium contains tons of free content for you!

Wayne Besen, Executive Director of Truth Wins Out (an organization that fights for LGBTQ equality) does not monetize any of his content, which is all extremely educational, thoroughly researched, and very important. Here’s an example of his work:

Author of The Child Code, Danielle Dick, Ph.D., also does not monetize her articles on Medium, which include important research child behavior, addiction, and mental health. Check out this interview with author Melinda Wenner Moyer about her book “How to Raise Kids who Aren’t Assholes”:

Here’s a story I love from Whitney Waddell on becoming comfortable in one’s skin, even when others will judge you for it:

Erica Verrillo doesn’t monetize her posts which help writers find agents, contests, publishers, and other resources. If you’re a writer looking to submit to other markets besides Medium (and especially if you’re trying to find paying markets without submission fees), I highly recommend checking out her page for fantastic lists like this one:

Here are a few more stories I’ve read recently that are nonmonetized:

From fiction and poetry to nonfiction news, writing advice, and personal essays, there is plenty to discover on Medium as a nonpaying member! Though others may try to push you out of this space, there is so much here for you, too.

I want you to know that your claps and comments are worth just as much as those from paying members. While it can seem like everything is paywalled these days — and everything seems to be going the way of the monthly subscription, from TV to newspapers to groceries — you, my nonpaying follower, are so valuable to me.

Not long ago, I was one of you. I’m fortunate enough that my monthly Medium earnings cover my subscription fee and then some now, and I feel comfortable and able to pay into this wonderful platform. I hope some of you may eventually join me, as there is lots to discover beyond the paywall — but I don’t begrudge those of you who can’t or don’t want to.

You’re still a member of this community, and I, for one, am glad you’re here.

Support the author:

If you’re enjoying my content, consider showing your support by buying me a coffee. If you sign up using my referral link to get unlimited access to all of Medium, I receive a small commission.

Never miss a story by subscribing to my Medium via email. Looking for more like this? Check out my personal nonfiction, nonfiction journalism and longform fiction. I do not monetize poetry or flash fiction. My novels are temporarily out of print; find out why in my article, “The Dreamspinner Press Controversy.” You can also find me on Twitter or like my public Facebook page.