Medium’s Paywall Is Ineffective

Summary

The author reflects on their experience with Medium's Partner Program, finding it financially underwhelming due to the ineffective paywall and the ease of accessing content without a membership.

Abstract

The article titled "Medium’s Paywall Is Ineffective" serves as a reflection on the author's year-long experience with writing for Medium. Initially attracted by the prospect of the Medium Partner Program and the allure of a paywall, the author's financial returns were disappointing, with earnings of $25 against a$ 50 membership fee. Despite having a substantial readership, the author notes that most readers are not Medium members and that the paywall can be easily circumvented, rendering it ineffective. The author contrasts this with other successful financial ventures, such as investments in stocks and ETFs, and even earnings from surveys. Although Medium did not yield significant financial gain, the author values the non-monetary rewards of community interaction and the joy of writing, leading to a decision to continue their Medium membership into the new year with hopes of at least breaking even.

Opinions

The author initially found the idea of the Medium Partner Program and having stories behind a paywall appealing.
Financially, the author's experience with Medium was not successful, with a net loss when considering the membership fee.
The author's stories are widely read but do not contribute significantly to their income due to the majority of readers not being Medium members.
The paywall is considered ineffective as non-members can access stories through Google searches and by clearing their cache or using different devices.
Despite the financial disappointment, the author appreciates the non-monetary aspects of Medium, such as interacting with other writers and reading their stories.
The author remains hopeful and has decided to renew their Medium membership, aiming to break even in the coming year.

A reflection before the new year begins

Just hours before the New Year it is time for a reflection — not on my life in general (which is fine) but specifically on writing stories for Medium for almost a year now.

When I was first asked if I wanted to join the Medium Partner Program, it looked like a good idea. I was getting more followers, and having my stories behind a paywall seemed appealing.

Financially, however, this year on Medium was not a success. I made about $25 and paid a $50 membership fee — somewhat disappointing.

As I do every year, I have received thousands from interest and dividends, stocks and ETFs had major gains, and even the surveys I took brought in almost $600. Sure, in real terms, I didn’t lose much money on Medium, but Medium was certainly not a success story for me.

My stories don’t want for readers. I have hundreds, sometimes thousands read a particular story. The problem is that most of them are not Medium members.

I found out that many stories on Medium are readily available in a google search, and even the assertion that non-members can only read three stories is incorrect. If people clear their cache or read articles on different devices, they have almost unlimited access to anything published on Medium — behind the so-called paywall.

I do not mind non-members finding and reading my stories, but what is the point of publishing behind a paywall if the paywall is so ineffective?

Of course, Medium has had non-monetary rewards. Interacting with others here and reading their stories has been interesting, and I still love writing.

I will pay for another year then and hope that in 2022 I will at least break even.

Happy New Year!