The company believes these changes will incentivize authors to spend more time on each story, even if it means posting less often. The new application flow and eligibility criteria will launch on August 1st, and the first payout using the new logic will be at the beginning of September. Referral bonuses will be honored for all members referred prior to September 1st, but no new referrals will be counted after that. The changes are part of Medium's commitment to making the platform the best place for high-quality writing that deepens people's understanding of the world.
Key takeaways:
- Medium is making changes to its Partner Program, which will include opening up the program to 12 more countries, removing the 100 follower requirement, making Medium membership a prerequisite for joining the program, and basing earnings on more meaningful metrics.
- The changes aim to incentivize quality writing and discourage clickbait, with earnings adjusted based on read ratio. Stories that are read by existing followers will earn more, and the referral bonus program will be replaced by a follower bonus.
- The changes will roll out on August 1, 2023, with the first payout reflecting the new changes at the beginning of September. Referral bonuses will be honored for all members referred prior to September 1st, but no new referrals will be counted after that.
- Medium is committed to being more transparent about the thinking that goes into designing the Partner Program and will continue to iterate on these changes based on user feedback.