Summary

The author is excited about joining Medium's new 'Friend of Medium' membership tier, which reflects the platform's commitment to rewarding quality writing and responding to community feedback.

Abstract

The author expresses enthusiasm for Medium's introduction of the 'Friend of Medium' membership, a new tier priced at $15/month or$ 150/year, which is a direct response to community feedback advocating for a more substantial investment in the platform's high-quality content. This initiative is seen as a way to further support writers and editors by increasing the earnings pool and the number of stories that can be boosted, without altering Medium's successful subscription model. The author has been a vocal proponent of a tiered membership system and is eager to contribute to a model that fairly compensates writers for their work. The new membership level also comes with enhanced features, such as improved Friend Links, which allow members to share stories from their favorite authors, and a badge signifying their support for the community.

Opinions

The author appreciates Medium's leadership for actively seeking and implementing community feedback, particularly regarding the membership fee and revenue distribution.
They have consistently advocated for a tiered membership system and are pleased to see Medium introducing the 'Friend of Medium' tier as a step towards this vision.
The author believes that the increased membership fee is justified and necessary to support the high caliber of writing on the platform, especially with the rise of AI-generated content.
They support the core belief that great writing deserves greater recognition and financial support, which the new membership tier aims to provide.
The author is committed to fostering a vibrant reading and writing experience on Medium and sees the 'Friend of Medium' tier as a means to enhance community support for writers.
Despite not yet having access to the new feature, the author remains eager to participate and encourages others to join the 'Friend of Medium' fellowship to strengthen the writing community.

Why I’m Joining the New ‘Friend of Medium’ Membership

How becoming a ‘Friend of Medium’ empowers our writing community

Photo by Samuel Regan-Asante on Unsplash

One of the things I love the most about Medium is how the CEO and the Product Team are always on the lookout for community feedback and trying to implement the insights coming from the authors themselves.

I always supported the idea that Medium should raise the bar on the membership fee and implement a tiered system.

I’ve shared my vision with the community on many occasions since Medium introduced the “Boost,” as you can see in my reply to Medium author and friend Stephen Dalton:

“I’d be willing to have Medium raise my monthly membership in order to have a broader revenue distribution across the platform (…).”

Medium was listening, and the latest update introduces a new membership tier.

“Friend of Medium”

This came as no surprise.

I was sure the Medium Team was paying attention to our feedback about the perceived undervaluation of the subscription fee in comparison to the high-quality writing spike we were seeing on the platform thanks to the Boost.

Medium has long been paying writers for their craft through the Partner Program, creating a sustainable subscription model for online publishing.

So I have to support and favor the core belief that great writing, which resonates with many, deserves greater recognition. And there’s no better way to do this than by prompting the creation of a membership structure that boosts community support for writers.

So this week, Medium took a giant step forward with the introduction of the Friend of Medium membership level, priced at $15/month or $150/year.

A win-win for authors, editors, and readers

This second membership tier will certainly provide a more robust earnings pool to help scale the Boost Pilot Program and reward both publication editors and authors by increasing the number of stories that are boosted without impacting Medium’s business model.

As a bonus, Friends of Medium gain access to the revamped “Friend Link” feature. Now you can also share friend links to your favorite authors’ stories.

At the bottom of the stats page, you’ll see an overview of the traffic generated via Friend Links:

In the official announcement, Alex Benzer clearly explains how this new membership option not only supports writers but also enhances the reading experience with additional benefits.

One key feature is the Friends of Medium’s ability to give four times more to the writers they love.

In a time when AI-generated content is booming, I have to agree with this vision of a publishing model where great human writing is rewarded with fair financial support.

I am committed to doing everything in my power to help Medium provide the best reading and writing experience on the internet.

So I too will become a “Friend of Medium.”

That has always been my mission. Engage and all my publications under the Alchemy umbrella were set in the spirit of creating creativity hubs for the restless human souls in the Great Babel of online publishing.

Joining the “Friend of Medium” fellowship

As I write this piece, the feature hasn’t yet rolled out to my account.

I tried everything.

First, I canceled my membership, which had been active since December 2020, in the hope of being able to join the new tier.

Afterward, I reached out to Medium Support, only to realize I had not been selected to join the early bird batch.

Breana Jones, from the Product Team, was kind enough to enlighten me about the process:

hi rui, the rollout is not specific to a certain country, just a set percentage of our user base. hopefully it will become available to you later this week! you will be able to upgrade from your current membership. — Breana

Now, all I can do is wait for the popup.

I am eager to go the extra mile in supporting a community where ideas thrive and where we can help each other become adamant links in the writing chain.

Thus, as Medium rolls out the “Friend of Medium” membership tier for all accounts, I encourage you to take this as an opportunity to uplift and support your fellow authors, ensuring the true power of engagement rests firmly in the hands of the community.

As a small token of appreciation, you’ll also get a “Friend of Medium” badge on your profile page and avatar.

If that is not enough to get you on board, the first 500 people to become Friends of Medium should get their hands on this fancy limited edition Medium tote bag.