Medium Writers! Check Your Paywall Settings

Summary

A Medium writer reflects on their experience with Medium's paywall and monetization, urging fellow writers to check their paywall settings to ensure they are fairly compensated for their work.

Abstract

The author of the article shares their journey on Medium, initially attracted by personal stories but later enticed by the potential to earn money. They express a decline in earnings over time despite their efforts and engagement with the platform. The writer highlights the importance of paywall settings after discovering an early article of theirs was not behind the paywall, potentially missing out on revenue. They also touch upon Medium's substantial projected earnings and suggest that the company could afford to pay writers more fairly. The article concludes with a call to action for readers to subscribe directly to writers they enjoy to circumvent the algorithm's limitations.

Opinions

The author is disillusioned with Medium's algorithm, which has reduced their earnings significantly over time.
Despite the decrease in income, the author still values the writing process and the enjoyment it brings.
There is a sense of frustration that some of the author's content was not monetized due to an oversight with the paywall settings.
The author believes that Medium, with its significant earnings, should ensure that writers are adequately compensated for their contributions.
The author advocates for direct subscriptions to writers as a way to support them more reliably than depending on Medium's algorithm.

Medium Writers! Check Your Paywall Settings

I subscribed to Medium for the personal stories. Possibly, like some of you, it’s challenging not to get lured in when you start earning extra cash. The Medium algorithm has burned me. In my first year, I was making over $500 a month. Now, I’m lucky if I make a third of that. However, in the end, I am still enjoying the writing process. I’ll take that extra cash for now.

I would love to admit that I rarely read the “Here’s how to make money on Medium” stories. But now and then, a sort of curiosity overtakes me. Another writer discussed in her article how it perplexed her that certain stories made money and others did not. It made me wonder about my own story stats.

As of this writing, I have 126 published articles. I reviewed them to see which topics were the most viewed and read. You can then imagine my surprise to see one of my early articles that wasn’t behind the paywall. Granted, it only got 65 reads. But still……

I put my time in on this platform. I’m a friend of Medium. I read others' stories to support their work. I highlight, clap, and comment. I think deeply about what I write. I shouldn’t miss out on any reads; thank you…Medium.

If anyone stumbles upon this article, I encourage you to double-check your published stories and ensure they are all behind the paywall.

Medium’s gross earnings are reported to be estimated at 42 million next year. It wouldn’t hurt this company to give me my $1.00 royalty.

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