Medium Basics: Why Be a Member?
Behind the mystery of the $5/month Medium Membership.
With my most recent post summarizing my first three months on Medium, I realized that many of my readers are not very familiar with the Medium website/app (did you know there is an app?). Furthermore, they cannot read some of my Partner or “members only” posts.
So, I’ve decided to write a post introducing my readers to Medium, the website where I love to write. I’ll also explain what it means to be a subscribing member (and why you should be one).
First, the Medium basics:
Medium is a website and publishing platform which allows anyone to publish their writing. Articles or posts are called stories. On Medium, there is content on everything you can imagine. Here, you can find poetry, fiction, memoirs, erotica, satire, research articles, listicles, inspirational pieces, etc. Readers (members and those with a free account) can clap 👏 for stories up to 50 times each to show appreciation and support to writers. Readers can also create public highlights viewable by other readers, and comment with responses to stories.
Publications are publishing platforms within Medium — collections of stories submitted by amateur writers like me, and professionals as well. Each publication on Medium has its own page which displays fresh stories. Most publications are centered around themes, (i.e. The Writing Cooperative and Myfuckingfeelings.) The best part about publications is that they already have many followers, so articles published to publications reach a larger audience.
What is a Partner (or members only) post?
Have you noticed the little gray star that shows up next to so many Medium article titles? That star signifies Partner stories, which are readable only by subscribed members (however, non-members can read 5 member stories per month for free!). Writers can choose to flag any of their stories for the Partner Program.
My posts are a mixture of public posts and members’ posts so that everyone has access to at least some of my writing. But to be honest, I’d like to make a little money from writing while building my audience. And the cool thing is that if you are a Member, your interaction with my posts helps me do just that. 😎
That’s because…
…you are directly paying the writers who you like to read
What’s awesome about the Medium Partner Program is that your $5 per month subscription fee will be spread amongst the writers you interact with (by clapping and commenting). This means that the small fee you pay helps us writers see some return for our work. Your money isn’t being pocketed by publications and corporations, but rather rewarding individual writers for their hard work. Isn’t that a nice thought?
You can see examples of the income I’ve made on Medium in this post:
Why it’s totally worth it for YOU to have a Medium membership :
Lets be real: at $5 per month, it costs less than your monthly Netflix membership.
And reading on Medium gives you much more to occupy your mind — helping you learn and retain plasticity in your neural pathways. You just don’t quite get that same effect and fulfillment from TV.
- You should be a member to keep your mind healthy
Instead of zoning out in front of the TV, you could be learning, connecting, and focusing on your brain. Just like we need physical exercise and healthy food in our bodies, we need to also care for and exercise our brains. Whatever your interests (from technology to sports to poetry), you can find something worthwhile to read on Medium. Especially with a membership.
The $5 per month almost seems underpriced for the amount of quality material you gain access to.
- Medium writers should be members
If you are serious about writing and growing a following (and making some $) on Medium, a membership is a must. Only with a membership can you access the highest quality writing on the website (because most Medium writers reserve their best writing for the Partner Program). Not only that, but you’ll also be able to fully interact and engage with top writers on Medium. This is an important step in reaching a larger number of readers and engagement on your profile.
- Be a member to support writers
Unlike other reading subscriptions, your money is going directly to the writers for their work.
Niklas Göke sums it up perfectly in this excellent article on the history of paid reading:
-But I’m poor 😢 (or I just don’t want to give up another $5 per month)
Even if you can’t spend the $5 (which I totally get, believe me), there are still a ton of “unlocked” or free articles on Medium for your reading pleasure. However, chances are that there will be many stories you wish you could read, and can’t, because — stupid membership. That’s ok. Bookmark them, and wait to subscribe until something in your financial situation improves a little bit. You can still enjoy a lot of reading in the meantime.
So, why exactly do I want you to be a Medium Member so bad?
I literally just want you to be able to enjoy the benefits. I want you to join this world with me and engage in reading again. So many of us have lost our old passion and habit of reading, especially in the summertime. Let’s recapture that old pastime and put our brains to work again.
And yes, I wish you could read all of my articles, even the Partner ones. However, I make sure to write public posts (like this one!) so everyone can still be engaged with me, membership or not.
Finally, I might have this tiny hope that some of my friends and family will become inspired to try a little writing of their own. But no pressure, guys.
Conclusion
I hope that I have helped you better understand this website so that you feel comfortable reading my work (and countless other writers’ work as well).
Perhaps you will sign up for a monthly $5 membership because it makes more sense now and you’re ready to take the full plunge into Medium.
Or maybe you won’t.
And that’s ok. I do hope that you will stick around and continue reading my stuff anyway. What I love the most is that Medium caters to both members and non-members. It allows me to easily share my writing with all of you!
Let me know in the comments if you found any of this information useful. If you are interested in reading more Medium Basics, let me know! I will create a series.
