If you’re a Medium writer, you probably already know about the Medium Partner Program (MPP). It’s a program that makes it possible for writers to earn money depending on their readers’ engagement. That’s a dream for so many content creators.
If you have still not enrolled in the Medium Partner Program, I have explained in detail How to Enroll in the Medium Partner Program from Pakistan
However, what do you do if you wake up one morning and see an email notification on your mobile telling you that you have lost your access to the program? What happened? Why? And most importantly, how to fix it?
Let’s break this down step by step to understand what is going on.
Why Does Medium Revoke Your Partner Program Access?
Medium’s Partner Program has been a total game-changer for writers. Here, you can earn based on the work you have created, depending on the number of people who will engage with your content.
Now, what happens when your account is suspended or revoked? First of all, know this: Medium has rules. Not just random guidelines but ones made to serve and protect the integrity of the platform and ensure everyone’s chance of having excellent quality content.
The following reasons can make Medium take away Partner Program privileges:
- Content Violations: There is clear guidance on what content to post on Medium. Plagiarized work, spammy or AI-generated content, and content that violates the rules on Medium’s Content Guidelines could get your access to the Partner Program revoked. Otherwise, your content needs to add value to the platform.
- Engagement Farming: Some of the content creators fall into engagement farming, which means read for read, clap for clap. They try to manipulate the algorithms.
- AI Policy Violations: As content created with AI becomes more popular, Medium has established a stand on AI usage. The AI policy states that all content generated should be original and of genuine value to the platform. If your work is found to be mostly AI-generated without any clear human input involved, then it might cause an issue in your eligibility for the Partner Program. You also need to mention it in your content or the description of the images generated through AI.
- Not Adhering to Payment Policies: If you don’t comply with Medium’s payment policies, such as failing to fill out tax forms, having a problem with your payment method, or furnishing incorrect information, then your access to the Partner Program can be terminated.
What Happens When You Lose Access to the Medium Partner Program?
Losing access to the Medium Partner Program is frustrating, no doubt.
But here’s what happens:
- No Earnings from Claps and Reads If your account is removed from the program, you’ll stop earning money based on how your content performs. That means you won’t get paid for the claps, reads, or member-only interactions that your stories get.
- Loss of Partner Program Features Medium offers perks to its Partner Program members, like access to detailed statistics about how your content is performing. Without access, you lose those benefits. Your ability to track earnings and engagement is limited.
- No Earnings from Premium Readers One of the big selling points of the Medium Partner Program is that you can earn based on Premium (paying) readers’ engagement. When you lose access, that earning potential disappears.
How Medium Calculates Your Earnings
You might be wondering how Medium calculates your earnings. Okay, that’s a pretty fair question.
Medium looks at several different things, but here is the simple breakdown:
- Member-Only Reads: When paying subscribers read your story, you’ll earn a share of the subscription revenue. The more engaged they are, the more you earn.
- Claps and Engagement: While these don’t directly impact your earnings, they show how popular your article is, and this can affect how much you’re shown to new audiences.
- Total Engagement: Your earnings depend fully on the level of engagement produced by your content to members. As you get higher rankings, the more you earn
You can read more about it here.
Now, here’s the next question that comes to mind: How to Get Your Medium Partner Program Access Back? And the bad news is that as of now, Medium does not allow you the right to appeal. Medium expanded its Partner Program into 77 more countries recently. So there was a huge influx in the past few months. Maybe that’s the reason why Medium has stopped the process of dealing with appeals.
Can Medium revisit this policy in the future? I am not sure about it. Let’s wait and see. But if you have joined Medium Partner Program, You would want to know How to Withdraw Money from Stripe in Pakistan
What You Can Do to Avoid This Issue
The best way to keep your access to the Medium Partner Program is to play by the rules and stay consistent. Here are some tips:
- Write Original Content: This goes without saying, but your content needs to be unique. Refrain from copying others’ work, and make sure that you’re adding value to every article.
- Stay Active: Publish regularly to stay on Medium’s radar. This also helps in keeping your audience engaged.
- Follow the Guidelines: Make sure you’re up to date with Medium’s AI Policy, Content Guidelines, and Payment Policies.
- Engage with Your Audience: Respond to comments, get involved in conversations, and always try to connect with your readers.
I know it is disappointing to get your access under the Medium Partner Program revoked, but panic not. The good thing you can do is learn about the situation, repair what’s broken, and keep moving forward. Medium still offers a lot of opportunities for writers, so don’t let this setback halt your growth and improvement of your writing journey.
Remember, consistency and playing by the rules are everything. Stay original with your content, and you’re more likely to stick with the Partner Program in the long run.
If your access has been revoked, use it as a lesson learned. You can do it!
