Medium Does NOT Pay For Reads

Summary

Medium does not compensate writers based on the number of reads, but rather on the member reading time, which is the time paying Medium members spend on a story.

Abstract

The article clarifies a common misconception among writers on Medium, emphasizing that the number of reads is not an indicator of earnings. The author points out that a personal post with over 14,000 reads has only earned $2.69, illustrating that reads from non-paying members or external sources do not contribute to a writer's income on the platform. The key metric for earnings is the member reading time, which tracks the engagement of paying Medium members with the content. The article also provides links to further reading on the financial aspects of writing on Medium, discussing the potential value of a single post and speculating on the implications of Medium removing publications entirely.

Opinions

The author believes that new and established writers often mistakenly assume that the number of reads directly correlates with earnings on Medium.
The article suggests that external reads, while indicative of reach, are not financially rewarding for writers.
The author stresses the importance of member reading time as the critical metric for monetizing content on Medium.
The article implies that understanding Medium's compensation model is crucial for writers to set realistic expectations and strategies for monetization.

Medium Does NOT Pay For Reads

Hand photo created by KamranAydinov — www.freepik.com

I get a lot of comments from new (or established) writers that suggest Medium would be paying its writers based on reads.

I know what they mean, but reads are not the meaningful metric to look at here.

Example: I have a post with over 14K reads, yet it only made me $2.69 to date.

Screenshot by Burk

Why?

Because just like views, reads can come from external sources, meaning non-members or free account holders. In that case, a read does mean that somebody not only viewed your story but read more of it, however, it won't translate to any money. Because it’s an external read.

The meaningful metric is member reading time. Only that translates to money as this measures the time spent on your story by paying Medium members.

Medium Does NOT Pay For Reads

How This Single Post Is Worth Thousands Of Dollars

And the implications it brings with it

What If Medium Got Rid Of Publications

All of them. No more publications.