Excerpt: I’m starting to realize Medium isn’t the goldmine it once claimed to be. The platform keeps cashing in while the writers — the ones actually creating the content — get crumbs. It’s insulting.

Post by Lucy:

I don’t know who needs to hear this, but Medium is not the same anymore. Remember when people were bragging about making hundreds or even thousands from their posts? That dream feels dead now. It’s like the platform flipped the script — they’re making money off of us while we’re sitting here getting paid pennies. And it’s not just frustrating; it’s downright disrespectful. Writers like me are the reason Medium even exists. Without the stories, without the raw emotions, opinions, and creative takes, that website would be a blank page. But somehow, they’ve managed to make us feel like we’re lucky to get scraps.

I’ve spent hours crafting articles, editing them, and promoting them — all for what? A few cents here and there? I checked my stats and earnings one day, and I had to laugh to stop myself from getting mad. You can pour your soul into a post, get decent reads, and still not even make enough to buy a cup of coffee. Meanwhile, Medium is charging members and cashing in on the traffic we bring in. They profit off our words, our effort, our ideas — and we’re supposed to just keep smiling through it? No thanks.

At this point, I honestly believe I could do better creating my own blog. Why keep feeding a system that doesn’t feed you back? With my own site, at least I’d have control. I could build a brand, attract sponsors, and keep the ad revenue that I generate. On Medium, I’m just another name in their machine, making them richer while I sit here trying to justify the time I’ve wasted. It’s a sad reality, but the more I look around, the more other writers are saying the same thing — it’s not worth it anymore.

I used to love the community aspect — the comments, the engagement, the collaborations. But even that has slowed down. It feels like fewer people are actually reading and interacting now. Maybe it’s because the algorithm favors big names or those who write about specific topics that Medium wants to push. Either way, it’s hard not to feel invisible. I’ve seen people with real talent, amazing storytelling skills, and fresh perspectives get overlooked while generic posts rack up views. It’s discouraging and disheartening.

Medium likes to sell the idea that it’s a place for authentic voices and creative thinkers, but the truth is, they’ve turned it into another corporate content mill. They dangle the promise of earnings in front of you, but when you finally get a peek behind the curtain, it’s all smoke and mirrors. It’s not about supporting writers — it’s about using them.

I think it’s time we start calling it what it is: exploitation wrapped in a “creator platform.” They’ve built an empire off our backs, and it’s time writers start realizing that our power doesn’t come from being on Medium — it comes from being the ones who write. If we all decided to take our talent elsewhere, their whole model would collapse overnight. That’s how much they depend on us.

So yeah, I’m done chasing pennies while they collect dollars. I’d rather invest my energy into something that actually belongs to me — my own platform, my own audience, my own control. Because at the end of the day, if I’m not getting fairly compensated for my work, I’d rather not get paid at all than help someone else get rich off my words.