The Mysterious Case of Medium Earnings

Nainsy Patel
3 min readJan 13, 2025

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Are You Also Earning Low?

As a Medium writer, I've experienced my fair share of ups and downs. But nothing could have prepared me for the shocking drop in my earnings this January. I'm not alone in this struggle, and I'm sure many of you are wondering what's going on.

Let's start from the beginning. In my first month on Medium, I earned a respectable $38. Not bad for a newcomer, right? December was also a good month, with readers engaging well with my content. According to my calculations, I earned around $1 for every 16-17 readings. It was a decent ratio, and I was encouraged to continue writing.

But January has been a different story altogether. Despite having a similar number of readings, my earnings have plummeted. I’m talking a drop of over 80% compared to December. It’s like the Medium algorithm has suddenly changed its mind about my content.

As a human being, it's natural to feel frustrated and confused. I've poured my heart and soul into my writing, and it's disheartening to see my earnings drop without any apparent reason. I've tried to analyze my performance, wondering if it's something I've done differently this month. But the numbers just don't add up.

So, I decided to dig deeper. Is there a new rule on Medium that I'm not aware of? Have the algorithms changed, affecting how writers are paid? I scoured the Medium website, searching for any updates or announcements that might explain the sudden drop in earnings.

But here's the thing: I couldn't find anything. No new rules, no algorithm changes, no explanations. It's as if Medium has decided to keep its writers in the dark.

Now, I know what you're thinking. "Maybe it's just a glitch." Or, "Perhaps it's a seasonal thing." But as a writer who's invested time and effort into creating quality content, I deserve better. I deserve transparency and clarity on how my earnings are calculated.

It's not just about the money, though. It's about the value we place on our work. As writers, we pour our hearts and souls into our craft, often for little recognition or reward. But when we do receive payment for our work, it's a validation of our efforts. It's a reminder that our writing is worth something.

So, what can we do about it? First and foremost, we need to speak up. We need to share our concerns and frustrations with Medium.

We also need to support each other. As writers, we're often isolated, working alone in our own little bubbles. But we don't have to be. We can come together, share our experiences, and offer support and encouragement to one another.

Finally, we need to keep writing. Despite the ups and downs, despite the frustrations and uncertainties, we need to keep creating. Because at the end of the day, that's what it's all about: sharing our ideas, our passions, and our stories with the world.

"The one thing that you have that nobody else has is you. Your voice, your mind, your story, your vision. So write and draw and build and play and dance and live as only you can."

And to that, I say, amen.

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Nainsy Patel
Nainsy Patel

Written by Nainsy Patel

I'm Nainsy, a passionate writer, and creative explorer. I craft words into stories and poetry that inspire, educate, and spark meaningful conversations.

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