Are Writers Paid 4 Times for the Reads & Engagement of Friends of Medium?
I offer insights from a scholarly MIT data scientist who analyzed my failed story about STIs independently, with a fun tutorial for those curious about visibility and monetization on this platform.
Medium writers and readers can read this story for free via my friend link. If you are a writer or FoM reader, please consider leaving a comment on the Medium version of this story. We need to add clarity, as many writers are confused.
Recently, I had the pleasure of collaborating with a team of esteemed data scientists to analyze five years’ worth of data from Medium, NewsBreak, and Substack. They graciously offered their expertise as a favor, demonstrating the value of long-term professional relationships. I am profoundly grateful for their support.
In this story, I want to share a unique case study that addresses a common question I have received from numerous writers and readers who have upgraded their memberships to Friends of Medium (FoM). The burning question: Does Medium really pay writers four times more for reads and engagement from FoM readers?
Given my packed schedule and the complexity of this task, I turned to a highly respected data scientist. This scholar holds a PhD from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in statistics, data science, and machine learning, along with degrees in computer science from Carnegie Mellon University and electrical engineering from the University of California, Berkeley. Yes, he’s a bit of an overachiever.
I asked him to analyze a particular research-based public health story published in the Health and Science section, led by Mike Broadly, DHSc. This story was a perfect candidate because it seemed to have been unfairly sidelined by Medium’s algorithm — a situation that puzzled Mike, a retired public health professional. Mike firmly believes that Medium overtly censors some specific health content even if they are written by scientists, medical or healthcare professionals.
Join me as we explore the findings of this unique analysis. Let’s uncover whether Medium’s algorithmic quirks are holding back valuable content and if the promised financial rewards for FoM engagement truly stand up to scrutiny.
The title of the story is Promising Results of Chlamydia Vaccine Clinical Trial.
For transparency, I offer a screen capture of the story published in April 2024 from the dashboard. As you can see, this story received ZERO views from the platform. They were all from direct links.
It was published from my main account, which has 101K followers, and is part of the Health and Science publication, which is visited by over 2,000 readers as a new publication on Medium.com.
This means not a single reader had the chance to see it in June 2024.
Here is how many readers clapped it.
As you can see from the comments sections, only Friends of Medium left a comment as they found the story from direct links.
Well, it appears our regulars have stayed mum on this one. Editors seem to think STIs are a bit too prickly for polite conversation. But as a scientist and data aficionado, I rely on the numbers — these issues impact millions! It is as if we are all tiptoeing around the elephant in the room. Perhaps I am just a trailblazer on this platform. Let’s smash the stigma and spark some real dialogue!
Here are screen captures of what Friends of Medium said.
The first one is from a retired cardiologist, David Mokotoff, MD.
The second one is from a retired health scientist, Mike Broadly, DHSc, who is also the founder and chief editor of Health and Science Pub on Medium.com.
The third one is from a media expert, Aiden (Owner of Illumination Gaming), who is also an editor, media coordinator, boost nominator, and curator of ILLUMINATION Integrated publications on Medium.
The next one is by Michael Chief, a dating coach and author of “Never Lonely: The Uncensored Guide on How to Attract and Be Loved by Women.”
The next one is by Annelise Lords, a senior editor of ILLUMINATION and author of multiple books.
The next one is by Rajesh Poovathum Kadavil, an avid reader and famous writer living in India.
That’s it. Out of my thousands of followers, subscribers, and loyal readers this important public story was commented by only 6 avid readers of a platform with one million readers. I tagged this story to the following five powerful topics, followed by over 10 million members.
Here is the traffic to the story:
Out of 172 views, 51% came from external sources, possibly from Twitter, where I shared, and 49% came from Medium.
Apparently, 9 editors with FoM subscriptions shared it. In addition, 7 readers with FoM account kindly shared it. So total 16 Friends of Shared this important story.
The story's earning outcome is $3.28. When I made a quick calculation, 53 reads yielded an average of $0.061 per reader.
Our editors got curious and asked our scholarly data scientist to explain his complex analysis. Here is how he presented it to the team on the whiteboard, which I summarized for awareness, transparency, information, and education purposes.
A Fun Tutorial by a Scholarly Data Scientist
“Hello, my friends; let’s slice up this revenue pie!
Imagine your story as a piping-hot pizza, each reader a delicious slice contributing to your bottom line. But this ain’t your average pepperoni and mushroom; we’re talking gourmet ingredients, the kind that rakes in the big bucks.
From this delectable creation, you have earned a cool $3.28 (328 cents, to be precise) from 53 hungry patrons. Now, here’s where the data gets juicy: 20 of these connoisseurs opted for the “extra cheese” experience, boosting your earnings fourfold compared to the standard slice enthusiasts.
Let’s break down this doughy data like a seasoned pizzaiolo. We shall say a regular slice (your average reader) brings in “X” cents. But those VIPs with their extra cheese? They’re shelling out a premium of 4X per slice!
Crunching the numbers, we get 20 extra cheesy slices at 4X each, totaling a whopping 80X. The remaining 33 regular slices contribute a respectable 33X. So, our grand total is 113X in cheesy earnings.
But hold the anchovies! We already know the grand total is 328 cents. So, 113X must equal 328 cents. A little algebraic acrobatics (divide both sides by 113), and we discover X = 2.90 cents per regular slice. Not too shabby for a plain slice, eh?
Now, back to our high rollers with their extra cheese. Their contribution? A hefty 4 * 2.90 cents, which rounds up to a glorious 11.60 cents per slice.
Let’s present this data feast in a digestible format:
Regular Slices (33 readers): 33 * 2.90 cents/reader ≈ 95.7 cents Extra Cheesy Slices (20 readers): 20 * 11.60 cents/reader = 232 cents Grand Total: 95.7 cents + 232 cents = 328 cents ($3.28)
So, the takeaway here is that your story is NOT just a single flavor; it is a diverse menu catering to different palates. Those “extra cheese” readers are hungry for premium content, and their contribution seems significant.
Keep that writing oven fired up, experiment with new toppings, and remember, a little extra cheese can greatly maximize your profits (and satisfy your FoM readers!).”
If you have done such analysis of your stories, please leave a comment so that we enhance our collective intelligence.
What Happened Next?
Following this in-depth analysis of my stories and an examination of over 100 exceptional pieces by accomplished writers I recently featured in a curated collection, several volunteer editors for ILLUMINATION-Curated, a prominent publication on Medium.com, abruptly resigned. Some editors even deleted their Medium accounts, citing my approach as “naive”.
Gift: Curated & Handpicked Stories for Friends of Medium, Who Pay the Premium Price
For good reasons, my editorial team and I invested over 300 hours of editorial effort in these exceptional stories.medium.com
Despite their quality and potential impact, these stories have inexplicably failed to reach a broad audience. This unexpected turn of events raises concerns about the platform’s current algorithm and its impact on content visibility.
This troubling development compels me to reevaluate my strategies and explore alternative avenues for disseminating valuable information to my readers.
Every Writer Needs a Newsletter
Why we created a new Substack publication on Medium and how we will support writers through extended collaborationmedium.com
Medium has halted the distribution of my stories, muzzled my voice without explanation, and exposed/left me vulnerable to malicious scammers who tarnished my reputation. There was no apology. Now, human curators no longer distribute my impactful stories, and even the previously boosted ones only get views from direct links.
In all honesty, follower counts don’t hold much weight for me, as the majority seem to be inflated. However, a significant drop in organic follower growth on my main account, from a steady 3,000–5,000 per month to a mere 104 in June (primarily consisting of writers I personally invited to my publications), raises concerns.
Those resigned editors, who view my optimism as naivete, suggest Medium may be deliberately suppressing the reach of ILLUMINATION publications. This unexpected turn of events necessitates a deeper analysis.
I am shifting my focus from mere quantitative data to a more nuanced qualitative assessment, exploring the factors that may be influencing this sudden shift in visibility and engagement.
My new qualitative analysis includes examining potential algorithmic changes, analyzing audience trends through our over 100K Medium subscribers on ILLUMINATION Library, and seeking feedback from fellow writers and supportive readers of my publications.
Despite multiple attempts to communicate with Medium’s support team over the past six weeks regarding this abrupt change, I have yet to receive a response. This lack of communication leaves me with unanswered questions and a sense of uncertainty about the platform’s future direction.
The bottom line?
This story isn’t just about numbers. It is a behind-the-scenes look at how stories succeed (or not) online. We donned our data scientist hats, aiming to crack the Medium code, but stumbled upon a surprising twist.
A story with huge potential was hidden in plain sight, ignored by the algorithm, but embraced by a select group of passionate readers.
The same story receiving 172 views on Medium.com which did not even noticed by caring human curators of the platform received 700 thousand views on one platform and 2 million views on another.
I am grateful that at least 6 Friends of Medium weren’t afraid to dive into a topic others might shy away from. Their insightful comments on sensitive topics like STIs prove that even the most niche subjects can spark vibrant discussion. They remind us that every story deserves a chance to shine.
This journey is not over. There is still so much to learn about how algorithms shape what we read and who gets heard.
Why Does Medium Block My Interviews for Influential Writers?
I spend hours interviewing many writers for Friends of Medium, but they receive ZERO views from the platform. Is this…medium.com
But one thing is for sure: the power of connection and conversation cannot be underestimated. Together, we can challenge the status quo and make sure every story finds its audience.
As Einstein said, “The important thing is not to stop questioning.” So, let’s keep digging deeper, exploring the data, and amplifying voices that need to be heard. Who knows what hidden gems we will uncover next?
Introduction to a New and Unique Publication
Leveraging my five years of community-building and leadership experience on Medium, I created a unique publication to amplify writers’ voices and empower them through both Substack and Medium. I’m thrilled that 155 volunteer editors have joined this venture to bring more opportunities to writers.
Invitation: ILLUMINATION Curators on Substack Publication on Medium
My goal is to help every writer have a newsletter through Substack, build their mailing lists collaboratively, and create fallback positions if something happens to Medium or Substack.
We never know what the future holds for these platforms. As my wise Aussie friend Tim Denning says, if these platforms close one day for any reason, we will keep smiling and continue our work as writers. I hope these great platforms continue to thrive, but I am committed to guiding writers toward a better tomorrow and preventing disappointments and regrets based on past experiences in the early days of the Internet.
As a prolific writer myself, I admire and will support every ethical writer regardless of their ages, nationalities, backgrounds, genders, ethnicities, and viewpoints. My ultimate goal is to create a collaboration that illuminates society with curated, meaningful, and high-quality content.
Thank you for reading my perspectives. I wish you a healthy and happy life.
I am also the chief editor of the Technology Hits publication on Medium.com, which I plan to transfer to Substack soon. I will invite all technologists to create their newsletters and join our network. I wrote an introduction about my new initiative from my secondary account, Dr Mehmet Yildiz (Tech).
My Technology Excellence and Leadership Site on Substack
How I will empower technology leaders, entrepreneurs, and business owners.medium.com
Here is a sample story showing how Technology Hits stories perform on Medium.com. 99% are from external sources like my personal network, which brings no money to writers.
I wrote numerous stories about writing and content strategy to guide new writers. Some of the old ones, especially with recent changes on this platform, might be obsolete now, but there are many principle-based content that might guide and inspire you if you are an aspiring writer. You may find some relevant ones from the attached list. I will distill all these stories in my Content Strategy, Development, & Marketing Insights soon.
Writing, Content Development & Marketing Strategy Guides
Edit descriptiondr-mehmet-yildiz.medium.com
To inform my new readers, I wrote numerous articles that might inform and inspire you. Some of my topics include brain, mental health, cognitive function, significant health conditions, longevity, nutrition/food, valuable nutrients, ketogenic lifestyle, self-healing, weight management, writing/reading, including 100+ Insightful Life Lessons from My Circles for the Last 50+ Years.
I publish my health and wellness stories on EUPHORIA and share distilled versions on SUBSTACK. My posts do not include professional or health advice. I only document my reviews, observations, experiences, and perspectives to provide information and create awareness.
If you are a writer, you are welcome to join my publications by sending a request via this link. I support 30K writers who contribute to my publications on this platform. I also have another profile to write and curate tech stories. Friend Links to My Sample Boosted Stories for Non-Members of Medium.
Get an email whenever Dr Mehmet Yildiz publishes. He is a top writer and editor on Medium.
dr-mehmet-yildiz.medium.com
Importance and Value of Medium Friendship for Writers and Readers