Demystifying Medium Earnings:

Busting the “Reads = Money” Myth

Ever obsessively refresh your Medium stats page, wondering why there’s such a wild range between how much some articles earn compared to others? I used to be right there with you — totally baffled when I’d see a story get thousands of views, yet my earnings barely budged. Then, I’d have a piece that seemed less popular make a surprising amount of money. It made absolutely no sense!

Turns out, the key to understanding your Medium income potential isn’t about the number of eyeballs on your work — it’s about how many of those eyeballs are actually glued to your writing, word for word.

The Metrics that Matter (And the Ones that Don’t!)

Here’s a breakdown of what your Medium stats dashboard reveals, and what it hides.

Does Matter:

• Views vs. Reads: Views include anyone who clicked, even if they bounced immediately. Reads = people who stayed for at least 30 seconds. This shows genuine interest.
• Member Reading Time: This is the golden metric, as it directly corresponds to how much you…