No Need 100 Followers To Earn?

When did this happen and which rock was I under?

Made By KasualWriter using Canva

Ever since I joined Medium in May 2023. My goal has been to join the Partner Program to earn money doing what I like, writing.

One of the requirements was to get 100 followers, which I’ve been trying to gain ever since.

I was adding it to my 2024 Vision Board as well.

Made by KasualWriter using Canva

But as of August 2023, the requirements have changed and no longer require 100 followers.

I had no idea this happened and am finding it out now.

I got to know about it from this article on this topic and did some more digging.

I’ve also been getting outdated articles that describe how to earn money through the program which had the 100 followers requirements.

Currently, to apply to the Partner Program:

You will need to meet the following eligibility requirements:

1. Be a Medium member
2. Have published a story within the last 6 months
3. Be located, and file taxes, in an eligible country
4. Be at least 18 years old

Eligible Countries:

Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Gibraltar, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States

Also, you need a Stripe Account for payment.

Here are the Medium memberships:

Monthly:

Medium Membership (Monthly Option)

Annually:

Medium Membership (Annual Option)

Can you earn without joining the Partner Program?

No.

You can’t make money on Medium unless you join the Medium Partner Program.

It is specifically designed to monetize your writing and provide writers with a revenue-sharing system.

Enabling it allows Medium to display paid stories to its members, and you receive a portion of the revenue those members generate.

To make money on Medium, you first need to join the program.

Is it a good thing?

See, I don’t know if this is a good thing or not, at least for me.

Because, like I said, my goal was to earn. But to join the partner program, I have to be a member and spend either $5 (HK$39) monthly or $50 (HK$391) annually.

Moreover, from what I’ve found out through some articles, such as this one, engagement is more important now than ever.

Honestly, I don’t think I’m at the stage where I have many engagements or followers to earn money.

Especially when money will probably be less than the membership fee.

So, I wouldn’t be earning, not really.

What will I do now?

I admire people who do what they love and find a way to make money from it.

I hope to do so as well.

I’m still going to aim for at least 100 followers, focus on building a community, and engage more with other writers’ works.

Once I’ve reached a stage where I have a steady following and an engaging community, I’ll apply for the program to start earning.