avatarRoz Warren, Writing Coach

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s My New Medium Hobby</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/0*uEwnoExW93QeEa60)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><p id="2123">And this one? Medium paid me 14 for 1836 claps, making each clap worth 0.0076) (At 98 fans? That’s around 14 cents a fan.)</p><div id="efd2" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/your-latest-facebook-post-about-being-curated-or-getting-a-bunch-of-claps-e7a93ea23801"> <div> <div> <h2>Your Latest Facebook Post About Being Curated or Getting a Bunch of Claps</h2> <div><h3>In Which You Pretend that It’s All About Us. But Really, It’s All About You</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/0*YGUYZIUGinzdI-b1)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><p id="c5a4">And finally? This one brought in 19 for 1222 claps, making each clap worth 0.015. And each of its 58 fans worth around 32 cents.</p><div id="5e8e" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/why-every-writer-needs-to-be-more-like-jennifer-weiner-6a412dcfd319"> <div> <div> <h2>Why Every Writer Needs To Be More Like Jennifer Weiner</h2> <div><h3>Get Out There and Promote Your Work</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*kz__PhcG6SgvVQA85KbDAA.jpeg)"></div>

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    </div><p id="2f7c">Why is each clap for that last piece worth twice as much as each clap for the prior two? I have absolutely no idea. Again, ineffable.</p><p id="6775">So I’m just going to average the three answers together and conclude that for me, right now, each clap I receive is worth $0.0095. Which is to say?</p><p id="c64c">Just under a penny a clap. (And each fan is worth about 19 cents.)</p><p id="1a3c">In other words?</p><p id="def8">I’d better not quit my day job.</p><p id="69c5"><i>( <a href="https://muckrack.com/roz-warren">Roz Warren</a> is grateful for every person who reads her work. Thanks for being one of them.)</i></p><div id="c156" class="link-block">
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            <h2>The No Curation Blues</h2>
            <div><h3>A Sad Haiku</h3></div>
            <div><p>medium.com</p></div>
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      <a href="https://readmedium.com/why-im-not-clapping-for-your-latest-medium-masterpiece-ac88d7a1f1e1">
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            <h2>Why I’m Not Clapping for your Latest Medium Masterpiece</h2>
            <div><h3>I Don’t Care How Good It Is</h3></div>
            <div><p>medium.com</p></div>
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What’s a Clap Worth?

Doing the Medium Math

Dogs, unlike Medium writers, don’t care about Stats. (Photo by anya potsiadlo on Unsplash)

The central unknowable puzzle we writers face when contemplating our Stats (which most of us do from time to time)(Ha Ha who am I kidding, we do this constantly.) is — what exactly is a single clap worth?

The answer is ineffable, given that readers have an unlimited number of claps to bestow (with a maximum of 50 for to each post) and no writer knows how many other writers their fans have also clapped for.

Only Medium knows for sure and Medium isn’t telling.

There are also zillions of other factors that Medium takes into consideration when it comes to paying us. What are they? They are a secret.

Even so, I recently attempted to estimate how much a clap is worth to me, personally, by taking three of my posts and dividing the amount of money Medium paid me by the number of claps that piece received.

First up? I received 1825 claps for this one and was paid $11. Worth of each clap? $0.006. (From 95 fans, which makes each fan worth twelve cents.)

And this one? Medium paid me $14 for 1836 claps, making each clap worth $0.0076) (At 98 fans? That’s around 14 cents a fan.)

And finally? This one brought in $19 for 1222 claps, making each clap worth $0.015. And each of its 58 fans worth around 32 cents.

Why is each clap for that last piece worth twice as much as each clap for the prior two? I have absolutely no idea. Again, ineffable.

So I’m just going to average the three answers together and conclude that for me, right now, each clap I receive is worth $0.0095. Which is to say?

Just under a penny a clap. (And each fan is worth about 19 cents.)

In other words?

I’d better not quit my day job.

( Roz Warren is grateful for every person who reads her work. Thanks for being one of them.)

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