What If Medium Stopped Paying Writers

Summary

The article contemplates the implications of Medium discontinuing payments to writers and whether writers would continue to contribute to the platform.

Abstract

The author of the article engages in a thought experiment regarding the cessation of writer payments by Medium, questioning the motivations of those who claim they write on the platform for reasons other than financial gain. While acknowledging the complexity of the issue, the author admits that they might continue writing on Medium despite the lack of payment, drawing on personal experience of maintaining blogs without financial incentives. The article also references other related pieces, including one speculating about the end of Medium's referral program and another discussing the success of a prominent Medium writer, Tim Denning.

Opinions

The author challenges the sincerity behind comments asserting that writing on Medium is not about the money, especially when such comments are made in response to articles about earnings.
There is a personal reflection on the author's history of writing for various blogs over 13 years, most of which did not yield significant income, indicating a passion for writing beyond financial rewards.
The author suggests that their current situation, with a family to support, might influence their decision to continue writing on Medium for free or in the hope of future earnings if payments were to stop.
The inclusion of links to articles about Medium's referral program and the success of a well-known writer implies that the platform's ecosystem and individual strategies for success are relevant factors in the decision to write on Medium.

Would you still write here?

People photo created by wayhomestudio — www.freepik.com

Let’s do this little thought experiment. I often get comments like “I don’t write here for the money”. Of course, most of these comments come from my stories about money.

I don’t have the slightest problem with those comments, I just ask myself: Are you really?

If Medium stopped paying writers, who would still write here?

As I continued to think about this question, I realized that the answer is more complicated than I expected. Because I think I would still be writing here.

Why?

I’ve done it before. I had numerous blogs over 13+ years. I’ve never made any (significant) money. With some, I didn’t even try.

That was then though. Now, with a handful of kids, it might be different. I’d probably still be writing somewhere. For free or with the prospect of earning in the future.

What If Medium Stopped Paying Writers

Would you still write here?

The End of the Referral Program

Is it coming soon?

This Is the Secret of Tim Denning’s Success On Medium

Not the obvious one