The reason why I am including this article as a blog post is because it is more of a review, if anything. I also wrote a Medium article called “That’s It! I’m Getting a Medium Subscription!” which I didn’t share on the blog. Lately, I haven’t been as active on Medium and the traffic on that platform has been virtually non-existent. That being said, I still see the advantages of writing for that platform.
The following post was first published on Medium on October 19, 2023. It is worth mentioning that if you use the following link to read this article and you are already a Medium subscriber, I will earn a small commission. It might be only a few pennies but it’s better than earning nothing at all. This article is behind a paywall on Medium but I want to make it available for everyone to read.
♡ Medium Article: I Tried the Medium Subscription Trial
♡ Medium Article: That’s It! I’m Buying a Medium Subscription!
(っ◔V◔)っ Serious Question: Was the Medium subscription worth it?
Here’s What I Think 🤔
Things started off well, and I was enjoying the perks that come with having a 1-month Medium subscription trial. In the beginning, it was all fun and games. However, the fun didn’t last long. It took me about a week to realize the importance of putting in effort and dedicating my time to this platform if I wanted to make the most of my subscription and get my money’s worth.
It should come as no surprise to you that engaging with others can foster genuine connections. That doesn’t sound too hard, right? Well, unless you dedicate several hours a day to interacting with your readers and engaging with other writers on this platform, the algorithm won’t show favoritism towards you, regardless of whether you have a subscription or not. Having a subscription simply makes the grind a bit easier, as you don’t have to deal with the annoying paywalls.
So, what’s the problem? For starters, Medium doesn’t cater to casual users. Like any other social media platform, it rewards active participation.
During my time on this platform, I noted that the the people who succeed on this platform seem to share a few common traits:
♥ They post consistently.
♥ They post multiple times a week.
♥ They have multiple streams of income.
♥ They engage with others.
We Are Not the Same 🙅♀️
I clearly do not possess these traits, nor do I want to. And that’s perfectly fine. Thus, I realize that I probably won’t reap the same benefits as those who are part of the Medium Partner Program (MPP) and have an active Medium Subscription. I am still a part of the MPP, even though I don’t have a Medium Subscription, because I got in on it at an earlier time when a subscription wasn’t required to qualify for the MPP.
In the end, I didn’t end up getting the Medium Subscription for $7 CAD/month. I know that some people may dislike the fact that I am earning a commission without having to “pay to play.”
But don’t worry, there’s no need to be envious of me. The earnings I make from writing for Medium are not something to be jealous of. On a successful month, I earn around $0.20 USD, sometimes even less! So, rest assured that I’m not making a fortune or fueling my caffeine addiction through my writing on Medium. Initially, I was optimistic about being able to earn enough for a cup of coffee, but now I have my doubts.
(っ◔◡◔)っ ♥ FINAL THOUGHTS ♥
Who knows, maybe I will get a Medium Subscription eventually. If I were to get one, I would prefer a monthly subscription rather than a yearly one, but I don’t think a monthly subscription is an option. If you’ve been following me on Medium, you might have noticed my brief absence. It’s true, I took a break from publishing new articles around May 2023. My biggest concern right now is potentially being disqualified from the Medium Partner Program due to being absent for several months. I constantly remind myself to write, even if it’s just a mediocre article. I understand that this may not be my best work, but perfectionism is not something I need to worry about right now.
When I’m not writing, my attention is captivated by my passion for creating cute digital art for print-on-demand (POD) designs. I have my own shop on Redbubble, where you can explore the digital art that I made. Ironically, I opened my shop around the same time my writing habit took a nosedive.
👉 Follow me on Redbubble: @sereneluna
Congratulations! If you managed to read this entire article, you are undoubtedly a one-of-a-kind individual — a majestic unicorn in your own right! 🦄💕 Did any of my points resonate with you? Do you have a Medium subscription? I’m curious to know about your experience. I have so many questions. Feel free to join the conversation below and I will try to reply to you within the next 24 hours.
Thanks for stopping by!
I’ve read what other bloggers here on WP think of that platform, it is nothing like WP and is built for writers which isn’t my gig. Thanks for your thoughts!
I much prefer WP over Medium. My WP plan expires soon and I am debating whether to downgrade to the Personal Plan or keep the Premium Plan. As for Medium, I don’t think getting the subscription is worth it for a causal writer like myself. For active writers, it could be a game changer. But we only have so many hours in a day and my time is not dedicated to writing ✍️ I appreciate your comment – thank you for sharing your thoughts too!
You’re welcome, Hilary. You don’t work with photography each day so you may be okay for storage space. I just renewed the Business plan which isn’t cheap…
Yikes, the business plan is pricy. But there are major benefits to having the business plan. Tbh I try to reuse photos I have in storage because I think it takes up less space, but I could be wrong about this. As long as the editing features work for the Personal Plan, I’m good. I’m worried about losing some of the features from downgrading. 😐
I hope you don’t lose any data! I need the storage space for photos, and use a plugin to continue using the legacy editor. The real editor.
I wish my plan had plug-ins! That’s the most annoying thing about the WP Plans. The Business Plan has everything I need but I don’t write often enough to justify the cost.
Hahaha the legacy editor. Some of my ancient drafts still have that editor installed. It’s only the newer drafts that don’t.
$300 bucks per year is a bit steep but it’s worth it! I have never used that block editor thing and never want too.
I didn’t like the block editor at first but eventually got used to it. Now whenever I try using the old editor, I actually prefer the block editor lol 😂😅
Wow, I’ve never heard anyone speak about that thing in a positive manner. Maybe there is hope for WordPress… 😂
It took time for me to warm up to the block editor but I’m finding it easier now that I can easily move blocks around. I still don’t know how to “save” blocks which is a useless feature imo.
Just because WP can change something doesn’t mean that they should have. If I were to lose access to the legacy editor, I might just leave WP and use Instagram exclusively. I have far more interactions with followers there anyway.
Oh wow, you feel very strongly about this! I agree with you though – just because WP can change something doesn’t mean they should.
At one point I thought about leaving WP but couldn’t find a better alternative. As for IG, I don’t use it – I feel like nobody sees the feeds anymore and it’s all advertising and reels now. You did mention that you enjoy photography so IG could be a good alternative for you. Hopefully you don’t quit blogging and leave WP. I would miss you!
Aww thank you so much, Hilary! You are so kind. ❤️ I really like IG in spite of the stupid ads, I remember the platform when it had zero ads, it was much better until FB purchased it. I despise FB and have never had an account there. I have so many online friends on IG all over the world, it’s amazing.
If you don’t have a life, then you can dedicate all the time and energy you want.
Any time I have left is put towards making digital art for Redbubble. It’s really fun even though I’m not making much money from it. These days, digital art is more fun than writing ✍️
Writing for Medium is like competing with a bunch of hungry sharks who are starving for attention. I have no desire to compete with those people.
I kinda dabbled with medium and quora years ago. Thanks for the review Hilary!!
I’m happy that you found this blog post helpful, April! 🙂 Ah, Quora. I have an account on there but never posted anything haha Yet I still get emails from Quora every so often. I actually prefer Quora over Reddit because I find it easier to navigate.
I still use Medium but now I am posting informative blog posts over there, and most of them have already been posted on this blog. I use it more of a funnel for my other platforms. Medium is still free to use as far as I know and I still recommend if you write on a regular basis. That being said, blogging is still 100x better than writing for Medium.
I was debating about switching back to business plan but the cost just doesn’t seem worth it.
Which plan do you currently have?