I was right about Medium (unfortunately)

Its time has come

Back in August, I used this Substack newsletter to reveal my concerns about Medium’s future.

Following a raft of changes to its Partner Program writer remuneration system, and the introduction of the manual boosting system, I’d seen views, engagement, and revenue plummet.

I wasn’t alone, either. Look hard enough (you’ll have to - these stories won’t be surfaced automatically by Medium, for obvious reasons) and you’ll find plenty of writers who experienced the same hit.

Five months later and, well, it is as bad as I suspected.

Oh, and before I forget, time is running out to join the Creator Academy, which kicks off in just over a week! Full details can be found here!

It is Friday, 19th January. My earnings so far on Medium this month are $404. This is around a third of what it used to be at this juncture. Admittedly, I haven’t published quite as much written content in January as I would normally, thanks to CES, but I’ve still published consistently (eight stories in total, in case you’re wondering). And it is still great content - highly tuned for my audience, and bang-on topic in terms of my niche.

The highest-performing story this month has 951 views and has earned $26.59.

This time next year, Rodney. Etc.

As a full-time creator, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to justify ploughing any more time into Medium. The only reason it still exists as part of my publishing process is because it is exactly that; it’s the last step my VA undertakes after I’ve written and published the same piece on my website. I don’t technically have to do anything on Medium these days - stuff just ends up there.

As a result, I seldom check its stats, I rarely seek out and reply to comments (I know that doesn’t help with performance), and I barely think about it. And let’s not forget, this is a platform that played a central role in my business for nearly three years; I valued it, built a highly engaged audience on it, and earned sufficiently from it.

All three of those elements have evaporated. What’s more, Medium itself as a brand seems utterly vacant in 2024. I don’t know where the CEO, Tony Stubblebine is (I think he’s floating about somewhere in one of the countless alternatives to X) and the only emails I receive from Medium are from the unfortunately acronym’d ‘BNP’ team (if you know, you know), who look after the boosting program.

Therein lies the rub. Without boosts, you will not enjoy writing on Medium - nor will you feel valued as a writer. During the months when I’m lucky enough for a human being to hit the boost button on a couple of my stories, everything changes - numbers shoot up in all directions. But I can’t live like that as a creator - I’m not here to play the lottery; I’m here to build an audience, help that audience consistently, and create a profitable business off the back of it. I can do that on my website and YouTube. Medium? I’ve given up, I’m afraid. Adopting the role of a Medium writer is incredibly bad for your inspiration, motivation, and mental health.

Substack still excites me. I’m here for the long run. It doesn’t come close to Medium yet in terms of audience size or revenue, but I can see a future when it does. And, what’s more, I think about Substack a lot - which means something.

As for Medium itself, I take no pleasure in telling you about this stuff. It deeply saddens me. However, I am slowly coming to terms with the fact that it is now categorically not a part of my business’s future, and I have a feeling its future hangs in the balance, too.