Happy Friday, In case you haven’t heard, Ev Williams stepped down as CEO of Medium. As of last Tuesday, the new CEO is Tony Stubblebine, aka Coach Tony. Stubblebine was formerly CEO of Coach.me and founder of three of Medium’s biggest publications — Better Humans, Better Marketing & Better Programming. He said Medium will be acquiring those publications.
I love the proposed changes. Quality is the paramount issue from my perspective. There are too many people on the platform who write about topics they are ignorant about, don’t fact check well, or do a little bit of both. There is too much clickbait and whining about curation and views. If Medium can figure out how to promote quality content by narrowing curation, I think it’s a win for good writers and readership generally.
Thanks for your summary. Love your newsletter (and Book Cafe)!
I agree. The lack of fact-checking alone is horrific and it's not just bottom of the pool writers. There's a fair amount of skewed facts and opinion passing as fact among some of the popular writers and I don't think that's okay. Between manufactured facts at the top and whining about curation at the bottom, it's a damn mess. He has a lot of work to do. lol. And thanks for the kind words, Logan. :)
Thanks for the info, Linda. I’ll reserve opinion on the changes until I see how they affect my payout. I like the sound of them, but generally Medium has claimed to prefer quality writing while it fills my newsfeed with crap. Lately my experience on Medium has been demoralizing: my meager payout has become more pitiful over the last few months, while I keep seeing articles worthy of the National Enquirer promoted on my feed. (I do try to influence what Medium shows me, but resistance to their algorithm seems to be futile.)
One thing that troubles me is how many publications seem to accept all stories submitted to them. There’s a sense that many writers don’t “craft” their writing. They might (hopefully) proofread, but their stories are still in an early draft stage, possibly first draft, enabling them to have several published pieces a week. Ive rarely submitted a story that hasn’t been edited several times. For me, working hard on my writing means I’m spending days (or longer) on one story rather than trying to push out multiple stories in a day. To make 62 cents on a story that I put not just my heart and soul but also my writing skills into makes me want to cancel my membership.
Yes -- I so agree. How they define quality will matter greatly. I see a lot of stuff that makes me shake my head, too. I don't think the algorithm is as big a thing as a lot of people think and if that's the case, we'll soon see what he deems to be quality.
Sounds like Medium is going to get even harder to make more than $5 a month.
I'm in the middle of an experiment where I write no new articles, just to see how a lack of new input affects my reader numbers. At the same time, I'm also building a(as yet unpublished) library of articles for Substack with the goal of going paid in a few months. I have a gut feeling which one is going to help buy groceries...
Jul 15, 2022·edited Jul 15, 2022Liked by Linda Caroll
I'm really looking forward to seeing where this goes! Especially interested in editing/writing coming back to mobile. I prefer to keep my rough drafts "in-house" rather than on a note on my phone that means I have to go through the hullaballoo of transferring it to my computer.
Also it just occurred to me that tips meant the monetary kind, not stuff like, "Did you know you can clap for a story up to 50 times?"
I mean, I suppose that's fine. Don't know how effective it'll be, but no harm in trying I guess.
I know a lot of people have been asking for tips and love them. I'm on the other side. I find them kind of embarrassing. I mean -- can you imagine reading a post by Stephen King or Barack Obama or Margaret Atwood and throwing them a dollar or two? If I write a good piece, I just want to be paid decently. I don't want a tips jar by the cash register. lol
Thanks for your assessment of the interview. I was there, too, and made comments. I was disappointed. I wanted a "writers first" message. I didn't hear what I wanted to hear....a solid reason to come back. I deleted my account a week ago. I'll be watching to see what changes.
I miss your articles about women! Please move all of them to Substack so I can subscribe!
I don't think there can ever be a writers first message because writers are the minority. And if we don't produce content that makes people want to pay, then the funds to pay us decreases. So in focusing on the reader, they are creating a better environment in which to be a writer.
Glad you enjoy my women's stories. It occurred to me that there's a common thread among all the different pubs I write for from history of women to history of yesterday and even my book reviews. I'd like to figure out how to weave them together and then bring them over. :)
I appreciated this. As someone who has been on and off Medium since it began I've been dismayed by the 'visionary' whipsawing that sent thousands of great writers and interesting minds screaming into the forest. They've done so many things wrong. And the idea that someone who seems more interested in the word "tips" than "journalism" or "fiction" or "music" proves that the initial vision, that is to be as repository for fine writing and forward thinking, is officially dead.
I agree that it is the Wild West out there in trying to go it alone, even on Substack (and I toyed a long time with Ghost but their capabilities with sound still don't cut it (another huge problem at Medium)). But what I am shooting for is small. And I don't think people talk about that enough. Small, engaged, connected audience creates a sense of community and mutual respect. It is what I thought was the great potential of the Internet -- that we could share knowledge and ideas and creations in order to advance life and culture and understanding. And for years I created these small communities online for young writers and then young writers and their teachers and then youngish writers. They all operated on one word: Respect.
And what I find reassuring about Substack is that they seem to respect the writer. They want to help us make a go of it. They want to help us gain audience. That's a far cry from Medium. And I'm not sure the new fellah will be able to change that. That's an inside thing, a soul thing. If web platforms can have souls.
But they can. Because they are created by people and populated by people and it is up to us to engage with others that we find interesting. And that builds community. And that builds affirmation and confidence. And that builds creative risk. And learning.
So I appreciate what you had to say. But I had to look twice to make sure I was on substack because it sounded like a piece written on and for Medium. And I don't mean that as a slam, just an observation. Because, as I said, I appreciated your piece.
What a truly great response. First paragraph nails it -- no comment on fiction, personal essays, people who don't stick to one niche, but let's talk about tips. Sigh. And no, I didn't take it as a slam. It actually made me think a lot. Also looked you up on Medium. Good piece on the interview with Tony. I left a comment there, too. Morning newsletter was inspired by this, hope you don't mind.
I am thrilled to hear that writing and editing on mobile may be coming back! The loss of that feature has absolutely tanked my writing output. :( I didn't realize how much I relied on it until it disappeared. Yes, you can still put ideas in Google Docs or a notes app or even an email draft, but it's simply not the same and it adds extra steps to the idea-collecting process. I'm glad to hear Tony Stubblebine seems to be taking writers' requests into consideration. I'm excited for this new chapter!
I had no idea how many people felt the same way as you until the feature disappeared. Then WOW, so many people mad. So that will be a nice change whenever it happens. For me, I have zero apps on my phone. Just nada. I work 100% online and the only way to take a break from being constantly "on" was to not have the internet follow me around on my phone.
Thanks for the info, Linda. I'm most interested in the pay for exteral views/reads. That's were my readers are. I giggle at the traffic. I love giggling so it's pay enough but with only 4% of my readers on Medium I sometimes wonder.
Well, that will be an awesome change for you. I've had a few where the traffic is 90% external and it sure ticked me off to get thousands of views, but make pennies. I think when that happens, people who get seo will start making it work in their favor.
Linda, thanks for this update about the new "gun" in town. To be honest I didn't listen in - it kind of felt like listening to yet another preacher standing at the entrance to the park with his mic, amplifier and talks of redemption. So, I baked Italian cookies instead.
As far as the changes go - I agree on readers being a priority - from a financial perspective that is. They drive the revenue that drives the payments to writers. But readers are, well, readers, and they are heavily influenced by all things social media and tend to come to this platform wanting very specific things. Listicles and good bits of information reduced down to summaries and I get a massive case of anxiety just thinking about how I might try to figure out what they really want to read. I don't know.
I like Medium for what it gives me - a chance to write and have some people read what I write. A chance to improve my craft. Is it a fair playing field - no, it's not because the decisions being made and resulting programming favor the company first and provide a rather mysterious landscape for the rest of us.
You can focus on quality of content but there are articles that have gone viral - generating good income all around - that were well-written and others that were not quality by most standards and yet - money was made. So, will he really move away from writers that do well in this area? I don't think so.
When so much is tied to the financial wellbeing of the company (and which company doesn't like good revenue streams) then this one factor will inform almost every decision being made. Large grocery chains sell crappy cereal to children because parents look for it and it makes them a ton of money. Same principle applies here. I would like to walk down the cereal aisle at Ralphs and see quality "content" all around me - but I'm more likely to see sugar-frosted dinosaurs that granola.
But ... I'll reiterate, I like Medium. It gives us something. I think if they broadened their revenue options a bit (yes, small amount of Ads) they would be less reliant on memberships and both writers and readers will benefit. Look, I've seen PBS with advertising - PBS! after years of no ads ever. Just play with this concept Mr. CEO - I swear you'll be surprised at how many others will raise theirs hands. Ciao Linda
I agree, Joe. Quality is such a subjective word it's not even funny. He mentioned that he's not really familiar or into the world of fiction and poetry, which made me wonder if those will be devalued. But yes, for sure, Medium is filled with sugar frosted dinosaurs and if that's what readers want, will that be what there's more of? Will be interesting to watch. I like the place, too. Even more so, the ability to publish my words and hope they find some kind of audience. I'm half tempted to write a piece on some changes I'd like to see. No idea if it would get read, but who knows. I seldom jump into the meta post pool, but I'm really tempted this time.
Go ahead and write it, we can all use your perspective. 😊
I know I have said this before, but I do like to bang the drum now and then, that as long as Medium is a for profit corp., which it is, their decisions will best serve their bottom line no matter how much they might try to curry favor by declaring their desire to improve quality, improve interaction between writer and reader, or improve the quality of coffee in the writer's lounge.
But if we don 't make the occasional suggestion and try to change their direction, nothing will happen.
As to his lack of familiarity with fiction and poetry - not sure what that means. Non-fiction is cool for sure, but there's a lot of creativity on Medium in these two genres. I guess we'll see.
Linda, I looked up Tony Stubblebine - and found a youtube video (about an hour long), an interview with Sinem Günel - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YA_Bf2JJWso. So I've watched a few minutes, but seems good. OF COURSE, i felt suspicious at first (I trust not easily!) but I like what he's saying. There ya go!n
Thanks for the overview, Linda. I actually hadn't heard about the leadership change.
I like the emphasis on quality and subject matter experts. Too many people on Medium have learned to game the system, resulting in these one-dimensional, clickbait-y pieces that get lots of engagement. Good on them for figuring it out, but the overall reading experience does suffer.
I'm rooting for Medium, but I'm skeptical. I've been publishing on Medium on and off for years. I've seen its many iterations. While I can appreciate the company's willingness to adapt, I've never been confident they were moving deliberately in a particular direction. I hope this time is different.
Linda, thank you so much for the summary post of the video and for sharing your thoughts. I am actually optimistic, not because of the CEO but because of the awesome community of writers on Medium.
One simply cannot fake good writing. As someone fairly new to the platform (three years, but significantly increasing my all-around engagement this year) I still see the cream rising to the top. Surely, the algorithm will affect the velocity and rate of the payout which I probably cannot fully appreciate.
Beyond that though, readers who want good content will be pressed to find a better platform or set of communities to engage.
wow! I rarely login to Medium these days, so this post is like a golden update for me. I didnt hear the podcast interview, but from what you shared, I can only "sense" good changes. Like what you said, when everything is all settled, only the really great writers on Medium will see their income & other money making/ fame / influence soar !! and thus churn out new set of articles on "How to Make (even more) Money on Medium?" or " How I make xxxxx$ in 3 months?" :P Thanks for being awesome Linda.
I love the proposed changes. Quality is the paramount issue from my perspective. There are too many people on the platform who write about topics they are ignorant about, don’t fact check well, or do a little bit of both. There is too much clickbait and whining about curation and views. If Medium can figure out how to promote quality content by narrowing curation, I think it’s a win for good writers and readership generally.
Thanks for your summary. Love your newsletter (and Book Cafe)!
I agree. The lack of fact-checking alone is horrific and it's not just bottom of the pool writers. There's a fair amount of skewed facts and opinion passing as fact among some of the popular writers and I don't think that's okay. Between manufactured facts at the top and whining about curation at the bottom, it's a damn mess. He has a lot of work to do. lol. And thanks for the kind words, Logan. :)
Thanks for the info, Linda. I’ll reserve opinion on the changes until I see how they affect my payout. I like the sound of them, but generally Medium has claimed to prefer quality writing while it fills my newsfeed with crap. Lately my experience on Medium has been demoralizing: my meager payout has become more pitiful over the last few months, while I keep seeing articles worthy of the National Enquirer promoted on my feed. (I do try to influence what Medium shows me, but resistance to their algorithm seems to be futile.)
One thing that troubles me is how many publications seem to accept all stories submitted to them. There’s a sense that many writers don’t “craft” their writing. They might (hopefully) proofread, but their stories are still in an early draft stage, possibly first draft, enabling them to have several published pieces a week. Ive rarely submitted a story that hasn’t been edited several times. For me, working hard on my writing means I’m spending days (or longer) on one story rather than trying to push out multiple stories in a day. To make 62 cents on a story that I put not just my heart and soul but also my writing skills into makes me want to cancel my membership.
Yes -- I so agree. How they define quality will matter greatly. I see a lot of stuff that makes me shake my head, too. I don't think the algorithm is as big a thing as a lot of people think and if that's the case, we'll soon see what he deems to be quality.
Sounds like Medium is going to get even harder to make more than $5 a month.
I'm in the middle of an experiment where I write no new articles, just to see how a lack of new input affects my reader numbers. At the same time, I'm also building a(as yet unpublished) library of articles for Substack with the goal of going paid in a few months. I have a gut feeling which one is going to help buy groceries...
I have been thinking about the same, Carolyn. My payouts have been dropping for months straight, while my readership continues to grow. It's bizarre.
I can see why writers have given up on Medium. I'm not there yet, but I can see the logic behind the decision.
I can see the logic, too. I think I'm too stubborn. lol
Don't go! I appreciate your presence here on Medium.
I'm really looking forward to seeing where this goes! Especially interested in editing/writing coming back to mobile. I prefer to keep my rough drafts "in-house" rather than on a note on my phone that means I have to go through the hullaballoo of transferring it to my computer.
Also it just occurred to me that tips meant the monetary kind, not stuff like, "Did you know you can clap for a story up to 50 times?"
I mean, I suppose that's fine. Don't know how effective it'll be, but no harm in trying I guess.
I know a lot of people have been asking for tips and love them. I'm on the other side. I find them kind of embarrassing. I mean -- can you imagine reading a post by Stephen King or Barack Obama or Margaret Atwood and throwing them a dollar or two? If I write a good piece, I just want to be paid decently. I don't want a tips jar by the cash register. lol
Thanks for your assessment of the interview. I was there, too, and made comments. I was disappointed. I wanted a "writers first" message. I didn't hear what I wanted to hear....a solid reason to come back. I deleted my account a week ago. I'll be watching to see what changes.
I miss your articles about women! Please move all of them to Substack so I can subscribe!
Hugs
Linda
I don't think there can ever be a writers first message because writers are the minority. And if we don't produce content that makes people want to pay, then the funds to pay us decreases. So in focusing on the reader, they are creating a better environment in which to be a writer.
Glad you enjoy my women's stories. It occurred to me that there's a common thread among all the different pubs I write for from history of women to history of yesterday and even my book reviews. I'd like to figure out how to weave them together and then bring them over. :)
Good point about readers first. Readers are the chickens. Writers the eggs.
Those mesh perfectly! I can't wait!
Hugs
I appreciated this. As someone who has been on and off Medium since it began I've been dismayed by the 'visionary' whipsawing that sent thousands of great writers and interesting minds screaming into the forest. They've done so many things wrong. And the idea that someone who seems more interested in the word "tips" than "journalism" or "fiction" or "music" proves that the initial vision, that is to be as repository for fine writing and forward thinking, is officially dead.
I agree that it is the Wild West out there in trying to go it alone, even on Substack (and I toyed a long time with Ghost but their capabilities with sound still don't cut it (another huge problem at Medium)). But what I am shooting for is small. And I don't think people talk about that enough. Small, engaged, connected audience creates a sense of community and mutual respect. It is what I thought was the great potential of the Internet -- that we could share knowledge and ideas and creations in order to advance life and culture and understanding. And for years I created these small communities online for young writers and then young writers and their teachers and then youngish writers. They all operated on one word: Respect.
And what I find reassuring about Substack is that they seem to respect the writer. They want to help us make a go of it. They want to help us gain audience. That's a far cry from Medium. And I'm not sure the new fellah will be able to change that. That's an inside thing, a soul thing. If web platforms can have souls.
But they can. Because they are created by people and populated by people and it is up to us to engage with others that we find interesting. And that builds community. And that builds affirmation and confidence. And that builds creative risk. And learning.
So I appreciate what you had to say. But I had to look twice to make sure I was on substack because it sounded like a piece written on and for Medium. And I don't mean that as a slam, just an observation. Because, as I said, I appreciated your piece.
Be well.
gg
What a truly great response. First paragraph nails it -- no comment on fiction, personal essays, people who don't stick to one niche, but let's talk about tips. Sigh. And no, I didn't take it as a slam. It actually made me think a lot. Also looked you up on Medium. Good piece on the interview with Tony. I left a comment there, too. Morning newsletter was inspired by this, hope you don't mind.
Honored
I am thrilled to hear that writing and editing on mobile may be coming back! The loss of that feature has absolutely tanked my writing output. :( I didn't realize how much I relied on it until it disappeared. Yes, you can still put ideas in Google Docs or a notes app or even an email draft, but it's simply not the same and it adds extra steps to the idea-collecting process. I'm glad to hear Tony Stubblebine seems to be taking writers' requests into consideration. I'm excited for this new chapter!
I had no idea how many people felt the same way as you until the feature disappeared. Then WOW, so many people mad. So that will be a nice change whenever it happens. For me, I have zero apps on my phone. Just nada. I work 100% online and the only way to take a break from being constantly "on" was to not have the internet follow me around on my phone.
Thanks for the info, Linda. I'm most interested in the pay for exteral views/reads. That's were my readers are. I giggle at the traffic. I love giggling so it's pay enough but with only 4% of my readers on Medium I sometimes wonder.
Well, that will be an awesome change for you. I've had a few where the traffic is 90% external and it sure ticked me off to get thousands of views, but make pennies. I think when that happens, people who get seo will start making it work in their favor.
Revision. Last 2 sentences referred to the two histories you write about being perfect together for SS. 😂
Absolutely! I guess we stay tuned
Sounding like the right direction to me. Thanks for the update and your observations from the interview, Linda
I hope it's the right direction. So much will ride on how the new CEO defines "quality" I think. :)
Linda, thanks for this update about the new "gun" in town. To be honest I didn't listen in - it kind of felt like listening to yet another preacher standing at the entrance to the park with his mic, amplifier and talks of redemption. So, I baked Italian cookies instead.
As far as the changes go - I agree on readers being a priority - from a financial perspective that is. They drive the revenue that drives the payments to writers. But readers are, well, readers, and they are heavily influenced by all things social media and tend to come to this platform wanting very specific things. Listicles and good bits of information reduced down to summaries and I get a massive case of anxiety just thinking about how I might try to figure out what they really want to read. I don't know.
I like Medium for what it gives me - a chance to write and have some people read what I write. A chance to improve my craft. Is it a fair playing field - no, it's not because the decisions being made and resulting programming favor the company first and provide a rather mysterious landscape for the rest of us.
You can focus on quality of content but there are articles that have gone viral - generating good income all around - that were well-written and others that were not quality by most standards and yet - money was made. So, will he really move away from writers that do well in this area? I don't think so.
When so much is tied to the financial wellbeing of the company (and which company doesn't like good revenue streams) then this one factor will inform almost every decision being made. Large grocery chains sell crappy cereal to children because parents look for it and it makes them a ton of money. Same principle applies here. I would like to walk down the cereal aisle at Ralphs and see quality "content" all around me - but I'm more likely to see sugar-frosted dinosaurs that granola.
But ... I'll reiterate, I like Medium. It gives us something. I think if they broadened their revenue options a bit (yes, small amount of Ads) they would be less reliant on memberships and both writers and readers will benefit. Look, I've seen PBS with advertising - PBS! after years of no ads ever. Just play with this concept Mr. CEO - I swear you'll be surprised at how many others will raise theirs hands. Ciao Linda
I agree, Joe. Quality is such a subjective word it's not even funny. He mentioned that he's not really familiar or into the world of fiction and poetry, which made me wonder if those will be devalued. But yes, for sure, Medium is filled with sugar frosted dinosaurs and if that's what readers want, will that be what there's more of? Will be interesting to watch. I like the place, too. Even more so, the ability to publish my words and hope they find some kind of audience. I'm half tempted to write a piece on some changes I'd like to see. No idea if it would get read, but who knows. I seldom jump into the meta post pool, but I'm really tempted this time.
Hey Linda,
Go ahead and write it, we can all use your perspective. 😊
I know I have said this before, but I do like to bang the drum now and then, that as long as Medium is a for profit corp., which it is, their decisions will best serve their bottom line no matter how much they might try to curry favor by declaring their desire to improve quality, improve interaction between writer and reader, or improve the quality of coffee in the writer's lounge.
But if we don 't make the occasional suggestion and try to change their direction, nothing will happen.
As to his lack of familiarity with fiction and poetry - not sure what that means. Non-fiction is cool for sure, but there's a lot of creativity on Medium in these two genres. I guess we'll see.
Ciao Linda
Joe
Linda, I looked up Tony Stubblebine - and found a youtube video (about an hour long), an interview with Sinem Günel - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YA_Bf2JJWso. So I've watched a few minutes, but seems good. OF COURSE, i felt suspicious at first (I trust not easily!) but I like what he's saying. There ya go!n
That's the same video I already linked to :)
I wanted to make sure he wasn't a mobster!
I missed your link!
lol. I could tell. I saved you the work, but you did it anyway. Heh. Are we related? lol
Thanks for the overview, Linda. I actually hadn't heard about the leadership change.
I like the emphasis on quality and subject matter experts. Too many people on Medium have learned to game the system, resulting in these one-dimensional, clickbait-y pieces that get lots of engagement. Good on them for figuring it out, but the overall reading experience does suffer.
I'm rooting for Medium, but I'm skeptical. I've been publishing on Medium on and off for years. I've seen its many iterations. While I can appreciate the company's willingness to adapt, I've never been confident they were moving deliberately in a particular direction. I hope this time is different.
Rooting but skeptical is a great way to put it. That's where I am, too. Guess a lot will depend on how Coach Tony defines quality.
Linda, thank you so much for the summary post of the video and for sharing your thoughts. I am actually optimistic, not because of the CEO but because of the awesome community of writers on Medium.
One simply cannot fake good writing. As someone fairly new to the platform (three years, but significantly increasing my all-around engagement this year) I still see the cream rising to the top. Surely, the algorithm will affect the velocity and rate of the payout which I probably cannot fully appreciate.
Beyond that though, readers who want good content will be pressed to find a better platform or set of communities to engage.
Proud to join your tribe here.
wow! I rarely login to Medium these days, so this post is like a golden update for me. I didnt hear the podcast interview, but from what you shared, I can only "sense" good changes. Like what you said, when everything is all settled, only the really great writers on Medium will see their income & other money making/ fame / influence soar !! and thus churn out new set of articles on "How to Make (even more) Money on Medium?" or " How I make xxxxx$ in 3 months?" :P Thanks for being awesome Linda.