Summary

A publication is profiting significantly from Medium authors' content without compensating them, generating $1.3M monthly by exploiting writers' work through legal loopholes in submission terms.

Abstract

The article reveals a concerning practice where a publication, "Hello, Love," owned by The Good Men Project, is making substantial profits by repurposing content from Medium authors. The authors are unknowingly signing away their rights through submission forms, allowing the publication to earn over a million dollars each month. This revenue is generated through advertising and memberships, while the original content creators receive minimal to no compensation. The publication's strategy involves using the content to drive their own platform's growth, offering exclusive access and additional perks to paying members, which further monetizes the freely contributed work of Medium writers.

Opinions

The author expresses disbelief and frustration at the discovery that a publication is profiting immensely from the work of Medium authors without fair compensation.
There is a clear sentiment of injustice regarding the legal manipulation of writers' rights through complex terms and conditions that are often overlooked.
The author sarcastically commends the publication for their clever, albeit unethical, business model, labeling them as "greaseball douche canoes" and "evil" for their actions.
There is a sense of irony and criticism towards The Good Men Project for their name and the perceived hypocrisy of their social justice-themed publications, given their exploitative practices.
The author advocates for transparency and fairness, suggesting that writers deserve to be informed and properly compensated for the use of their work.
The article concludes with a call to awareness for writers, emphasizing the importance of understanding the terms they agree to and the true value of their contributions.

A Publication is Making $1.3M Monthly Selling Our Content

And you’ll never see a nickel of it.

**I’m assuming this is what the owner looks like — cheers-ing us for the free unpaid labor.** Photo by Austin Distel on Unsplash

I wish this headline was clickbait — it’s not. They aren’t technically “stealing” it in a legal definition to sell— but they’re not telling you they’re getting rich off our work (and paying us nothing). I doubt many of us would agree to that.

Writer Carmen Ballesteros posted a story in my Discord for writers on this platform about pubs taking our content…and I couldn’t believe it. But cot damn it, she’s right.

Watch Out! Eight Medium Publications Own the Rights to Your Writing Forever

Did you read the small print before submitting it?

medium.com

I have never been so happy that there are people out there significantly smarter than my dumb ass. Amazing catch Carmen, a sincere thank you for reading the legalese for the rest of us. Somebody get Carmen a cookie…a big one.

In Carmen’s article, she goes into thorough detail about how one publication, “Hello, Love” (owned by The Good Men Project) handles your submission. It has a link to a submission form. In this submission form’s terms and conditions they have their slaves…errrr…writers assign all legal rights to the content over to their company.

They’re probably not the first to syndicate medium content across the web in this legal thievery, but I was curious how they were using it. So I went to their website because my spidey senses were tingling.

I saw some monetization ads, which in fairness I was expecting. Again, they’re not the first in the industry to do this. What I wasn’t expecting was them to be making over a million dollars every month from it.

**Is a million dollars a month enough to buy a helicopter?** Photo by Austin Distel on Unsplash

What? How? WTF?

You’re probably wondering where I came up with the $1.3M monthly figure. According to Zippia the company’s revenue is $15M annually. While I can’t confirm the accuracy of Zippia, it was rather humorous when they wrote, “The Good Men Project makes $41,096 in a day.”

They make their $41,096 daily through ads and selling memberships. I will be fair here and say that they legally ‘steal’ our content to flog their ads and memberships. They hide it in their terms and conditions, which they know that most people don’t read. Also, you are forced to agree if you want to be published in their pubs.

If you’re thinking — this idea is genius! Well, it is. These greaseball douche canoes are clever indeed. But also evil. I don’t recommend their formula of hiding legal thievery in terms and conditions, then populating a website and massive social media presence with content from medium authors. But if you do it (by god, please don’t), be sure to monetize it for $50/year per user. That’s where the Ferrari money is.

For that membership fee, they pay staff (their staff — not writers, clearly), offer our content ad-free, and host a weekly call. Wait, did they just use medium’s content to make a mini medium platform that both earns them membership dollars and monetized external views? Yup. They figured out how to monetize external views, but we still don’t get paid for them.

Oh, and they have a Ko-fi tip button on your articles.

If you’re a platinum member (ooh la la — sounds fancy!) you also get “classes in writing, platform building, editing, creating social change, and leadership.” So they can teach you how to profit from us plebs too!

**In his platinum package you can learn his expert secrets to be a rich douche too!** Photo by Austin Distel on Unsplash (my apologies to Austin…he’s not the guy in this article)

To say I was surprised to see someone making over a million dollars a month on the back of authors on this platform who are making a pittance for those articles is an understatement.

Are You Laughing Yet?

So, I am normally a humor writer, but I’m struggling. Perhaps you’ll find it funny that the sleazy company profiting off our backs is called The Good Men Project? Yup, they really sound like stand-up bros. I wonder which crypto they’re into.

If that didn’t get a giggle this surely will, here are the names of their 8 publications:

Screenshot by author, from Publication’s submission page.

Clearly, these are social justice warriors. The ethics one actually did make me laugh, albeit at the lunacy. How about that “Shelter me” publication — since some of the medium authors making a dollar for the article they take may need it.

Maybe we can crash in one of Tom Matlack’s (owner of the company) summer houses. Ok, I’m just assuming (or projecting due to envy?) he has summer houses. Rich people have to ‘summer’ places right? Fuck, I don’t know…I’ve never had enough money to use summer as a verb.

The Lesson Here

This is unfortunately legal. And a reality for writers. But I just thought some of you would like to know what your hard work is being used for. Enjoy the $3.76 you made from the articles, but sadly it’s not even enough to join The Good Men Project.

Write For Us — A List Of Publications Open to New Writers

And how/where to apply

medium.com