Meta
Medium Verification for Authors
Blue checkmarks that actually mean something!
Since Elon Musk acquired Twitter and made it possible to “buy” verification for $8/month, the coveted blue checkmark has lost all its meaning. Once a symbol of relevancy, notoriety, or officialdom, Twitter verification now signals only the willingness to pay for premium features.
Of course, Medium has different features for paid subscribers as well. Free users of Medium only have access to three paywalled stories per month, whereas those who pay $5/month have unlimited access. However, unlike Twitter, Medium’s subscription fee is split between the authors of stories read by each subscriber, and you also have the option of signing up using an affiliate link to directly support an individual creator at no extra cost.
Before August 2022, paid subscribers had a green “halo” around their profile picture. Now, Members are indicated with a yellow four-point star.
Like Twitter, this badge indicates only that someone is currently paying for full access to metered stories on Medium. As I wrote previously when the stars were introduced, I personally don’t like that you can easily tell who has paid for Medium. I’ve seen paying Members openly discriminate against nonpaying users by not engaging with their content “on principle” (you don’t have to pay to make money in the MPP), which gatekeeps this wonderful community. We would do well to remember that for some people, especially in the global south, $5/month is a steep entry price.
But why am I talking about verification all of a sudden? Well, Medium is rolling out a new feature, and unlike the “Member star,” it is not for sale!
Medium’s New Feature
Medium has announced will now verify the identities of published authors and put a symbol — a blue book, not a checkmark — next to their name across the platform. Like the old Twitter blue checkmark, Author Verification will prove that a writer is who they say they are, without paying for the privilege (it will be 100% free).
Anyone who has published a book (with an ISBN) is able to apply for verification! You don’t need to be a paying Member or in the MPP. And unlike the MPP, there is no minimum number of followers required.
The announcement clarifies that all you will need to apply for the new Verified Author badge is an account with your name, a photo, and a bio.
Here’s an example of what the badge looks like on a post by Buster Benson:
As you can see, not only will the blue “Book Author” badge appear under the user’s name in the sidebar, but it appears there will also be a link to their verified book. Buster’s link redirects to the Amazon listing for Why Are We Yelling? (2019).
While there explicitly will not be any “special treatment” given to stories from verified authors (such as increased distribution), verification will provide helpful context to profiles and provide additional visibility for an author’s books, perhaps even leading to more book sales.
When you go to Buster’s profile, he has a “Featured Book” at the top of his profile, above his pinned stories.
What Comes Next?
In the announcement post, Buster writes,
“We’re starting with book authors to introduce the concept of verification on Medium, and to invite the community to share their thoughts about verification in general,” adding that, “We welcome any and all constructive feedback here, along with ideas for where we might take verification on Medium next.”
His answer to the question, “Will [Medium] open up verification to more categories over time?” is a solid “Maybe.” [x]
We can probably take this “maybe” to mean, “if this test run works out, and there’s enough demand.”
The idea that other types of creators might be able to verify their accounts is very exciting!
I imagine it won’t be long before you’ll be able to verify as a social media creator and link to your YouTube or TikTok channel. Public figures and official brand accounts are probably also in the pipeline (if there’s enough demand, and this test run works out).
How to Apply for Verification
If you have published a book and want to verify your Medium account, visit this link to learn more. The page makes it seem pretty easy, listing three simple steps:
- Claim your book: Apply for verification via this form, which will ask you for your published book information (ISBN, title, description, and publisher info)
- The review process: Medium will review and verify your information, then contact you within a few weeks
- Get verified: Once verified, your profile will include the official Medium author badge, and feature your book
The process sounds simple enough, and I’m very happy with how the outcome looks on Buster’s profile. I haven’t yet gone through the process myself despite being a published novelist (both of my books are currently out of print… it’s a long story), but it is first on my list of things to do after I re-release my novels in a couple of months!
How do you feel about Medium verification? Will you be able to make use of this new feature? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
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