Summary

The article discusses the potential of Newsbreak as an alternative to Medium for writers, considering aspects such as the Creator Program, reach, and legitimacy, ultimately suggesting that while Medium remains superior, Newsbreak is a promising platform worth exploring.

Abstract

The author of the article has recently joined Newsbreak's Creator Program and, despite not being able to disclose contract details, hints at favorable terms. The piece compares Newsbreak with Medium, noting that while Medium offers a better overall deal, Newsbreak's attractive contract terms and potential for organic reach are drawing many writers. The article cites real-world data, such as a tweet from Matt Lillywhite indicating significant viewership on Newsbreak. Unlike Medium's open platform, Newsbreak requires an application to join, creating a barrier to entry but potentially ensuring a higher quality of content. The legitimacy of Newsbreak is underscored by its impressive domain authority, high traffic, and notable leadership, including Harry Shum and Jeff Zheng. The author concludes that although Medium is still the preferred choice for its reach, earnings potential, and creative control, the emergence of Newsbreak introduces healthy competition that could benefit writers.

Opinions

The author believes Medium is a far superior platform in terms of getting paid as a writer compared to Newsbreak.
There is an appreciation for the competition Newsbreak brings to Medium, potentially forcing Medium to improve.
The author is optimistic about the reach on Newsbreak, citing impressive viewership numbers achieved by a writer in a short period.
Newsbreak's requirement for writers to apply is seen as a selective process that differentiates it from Medium's open platform policy.
The article suggests that Newsbreak's leadership and traffic metrics confirm its legitimacy in the content platform space.
Despite the excitement around Newsbreak, the author advises against quitting Medium for Newsbreak but encourages writers to apply and explore opportunities on the new platform.
The author welcomes the competition as beneficial for creators, indicating that it could lead to better offerings from both platforms.

Should You Quit Medium For Newsbreak?

Newsbreak, Newsbreak, and even more Newsbreak.

That website is all the rage right now.

I recently filled out an application to write there and have since become accepted into their “Creator Program.”

I can’t share any of the details of our contract, but just know one thing..

It’s not that bad of a deal at all.

Newsbreak’s Creator Program brings up a number of interesting questions, such as:

Is it better than Medium?
What’s the reach like on that platform?
Can anyone become a writer there?
Are they legit?

I’ll answer all of these questions in this blog post.

Is It Better Than Medium?

For me, it’s not. In fact, it’s not even close. I think Medium is far and away a better platform to get paid as a writer than Newsbreak.

With that being said, I’m sort of enjoying that Medium has competition now.

There’s a reason writers are flocking to Newsbreak like some sort of mass-migration. Why, you ask? Because the deal details are freaking sweet, that’s why.

I think people are sick of Medium’s changing landscape and they’re ready to try something else for a change. Maybe Newsbreak’s algorithm favors creators in a more straight-forward way. Maybe you can actually get discovered there. Maybe you can get views beyond your wildest dreams?

I absolutely love that this is happening.

It’s about time that Medium had a little competition, and it might force them to look inwards and make some changes if they want to keep a lot of their best creators happy.

The truth is, Medium’s offer is still a lot better than Newsbreak’s, but what we want to know is what’s the reach like? Is the organic reach something to marvel at?

If it is, then we got ourselves a bonafide option here. Fortunately, we have some data.

What Is The Reach Like On Newsbreak?

Matt Lillywhite tweeted this recently:

Since he started half a month ago, he’s received about 229,000 views.

Yep, that’s enough data for me.

Can Anyone Become A Writer There?

No, you have to apply to become a writer there. That’s unlike Medium where they’ll literally accept anyone and everyone.

This creates a barrier to entry, but if you’ve published 5–10 blog posts on Medium and link your profile in their application, I think there’s a decent shot at you becoming a writer for them.

Are They Legit?

Yes. Very.

Here’s their domain overview in Semrush:

They get over 10,000,000 views every month from search and have a very high domain authority. They got it where it counts.

Also, their board chairman is Harry Shum, the former President of Microsoft’s AI and Research Group. Jeff Zheng is the Chief Executive, who headed up Yahoo labs in Beijing.

They pass the eye test with flying colors, and even though you may have never heard of Newsbreak, they average upwards of 23,000,000 monthly users.

Should You Quit Medium For Newsbreak?

No. Hell no. But you should definitely apply and give Newsbreak a shot.

Medium is still better than Newsbreak in every category: reach, return on investment, earnings potential, accessibility, creative control, and pretty much everything else.

But it’s nice to see Medium have competition. I haven’t seen anything like this before — where the whole Medium community seems to be talking about this new “opportunity” that actually has legs!

Substack is the closest thing I can think of that actually caused a stir on Medium, however that was a newsletter solution and not really a new “platform.”

Now there’s a new platform, and everybody seems to be going ga-ga for it.

My reaction? Good.

Competition is always good for the consumer — and in this case, it should be good for the creator as well.

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