Your Medium FAQs Answered
Some basics to get you started
Medium can make you feel like an overexcited kid at an amusement park — so much to see and do and experience!
But, if you’re just starting out or haven’t experienced anything like it before, you’re at risk of being that kid who overindulges in hot dogs and fries mixed with ice cream then spends the rest of the day puking it all up.
Since Short-B-Read has had lots of interest from Medium newbies and people who aren’t familiar with Medium at all, we’ve put together some basics that cover some of your frequently asked questions. Hopefully, this will ease you in gently without turning your stomach.
If you have a specific question that hasn’t been answered below, pop it in the comments at the end.
Do I need a Medium account to write stories?
Yes. You’ll need to sign up and create your very own Medium account to be able to write and submit stories to Short-B-Read. (You’ll also be able to submit stories to other publications and/or publish on your own profile.)
Do I need a Medium account to ‘read’ stories?
No. You will only have access to 3 paywalled stories a month but you don’t need a Medium account to read your 3 stories.
You also don’t need an account to read non-paywalled stories or stories shared via a friend link. (Keep in mind, the majority of writing published on Medium is behind the paywall.)
What is a paywalled story?
If a story is a part of the paywall there will be a star next to the reading time, as you can see in the screenshot below.
This means that the writer of the story is eligible to earn money from that story if they are a part of the Medium Partner Program (MPP).
It also means that that particular story is eligible for curation and wider distribution to Medium readers.
What is a friend link?
Every story published behind the paywall has a friend link that can be shared by the author or publication editors, which allows a bypass of the paywall.
You can use this link to share your story with anyone you like without having to worry about non-members not having access to your stories.
The screenshot below shows where you can find your friend link on a published story. Clicking on ‘Share Friend Link’ will bring up the link for you to copy and then paste wherever you want to share it.
Do I need a ‘paid’ Medium account?
No. You can use the free version to submit your stories, but there are benefits to the paid version — read on for more information.
What’s the difference between a free Medium membership and a paid one?
Free version
- You only have access to 3 paywalled stories a month.
- You can read as many non-paywalled stories as you like.
Paid membership
- Unlimited access to all Medium stories.
- Some of your subscription fee goes to the Medium writers you read and support.
- There are members who state that they only read stories written by other paying members. This isn’t something endorsed by Medium and doesn’t apply to everyone but it’s something to bear in mind if you want to get serious about writing here.
What’s the Medium Partner Program?
You can earn money from your stories if you sign up for the Medium Partner Program (MPP) and put your stories behind the paywall.
You don’t need to have a paid Medium membership to sign up for the MPP and earn money, but you’re more likely to attract more readers if you’re a paying member. Additionally, if you want to earn money on the platform, it makes sense to read widely, which isn’t possible with only 3 stories per month.
Bear in mind, Medium pays you via Stripe. So, if the country you live in doesn’t allow Stripe, you won’t be able to join the MPP.
What is curation?
When you publish a story and tick the box to make your story eligible to earn money, your story also becomes eligible for curation (see the ticked box in the screenshot below — this comes up once you hit the publish button).
Curators review your story and decide whether it will be distributed in topics, and therefore, shared with a wider audience than your own.
Curation can be particularly beneficial because your curated stories have the potential to reach a huge audience even if you don’t have a huge number of followers.
Check out Medium’s curation guidelines to help your chances of curation.
Recommendations
It all comes down to personal choice and what your goals are with Medium. If you already know you want to write regularly and you want to try to earn money while you do so, then becoming a paying member makes sense.
If you just want a place to house some of your writing, then paying for a subscription and signing up for the MPP might not be worth it for you.
Your best bet is to try out the free version for a little bit — read your 3 paywalled stories a month, write a little, and get a feel for the place before you make a decision.
The biggest tip I can give you is not to expect Medium to be your get-rich-quick trick. You need to feel passionate about writing and want to do it long-term because you won’t make a heap of money straight away (and maybe not ever). So if that’s what you’re hoping for, then Medium might not be for you.
Hopefully you’re all puke-free and ready to set up your Medium account if you haven’t already.
Regardless of your membership status and whether you put stories behind the paywall, you’re still welcome to submit your stories to Short-B-Read.
Check out the post below for all the information you need on the next steps involved to join us as a writer and submit your stories.