After years of pouring my heart, research, and late-night revisions into stories on Medium, I have made a decision that feels both exhilarating and necessary: I am transitioning my primary writing home to Patreon. This is not a rash choice born of frustration alone, though there has been plenty of that. It is a deliberate step toward sustainability, deeper connection with readers like you, and the creative freedom that Medium’s model increasingly constrains.
In this long-form piece, my farewell note of sorts and my invitation, I want to explain exactly why. Not just the complaints, though we will cover them, but the vision for what comes next. If you have followed my work or read my essays on personal growth, culture, and the quieter corners of contemporary life, this is for you.
The Medium Honeymoon Phase
When I first started on Medium, it felt like discovering a writer’s utopia. The platform had democratized publishing. No gatekeepers, no query letters. One simply hit “publish” and could potentially reach thousands. The Partner Program promised earnings based on member reads, and the algorithm could sometimes catapult a well-timed piece into viral territory.
I experienced some of that magic. Stories that connected emotionally or tackled timely issues brought views, comments, and the dopamine hit of claps. For a while, it funded coffee, software subscriptions, and the occasional research trip. It introduced me to a community of thinkers and storytellers. Many of my most loyal readers found me there.
But platforms evolve, and what begins as empowering often reveals its limits. Medium optimized for broad appeal and time-on-page metrics. My deeper, more nuanced work, the pieces that took weeks of refinement, often underperformed compared with listicles or hot takes. That is not bitterness; it is data. The system rewards what keeps eyes scrolling.
Over time, I noticed patterns that many writers report: inconsistent earnings, heavy reliance on curation and “boosts,” and the growing sense that the platform owns the relationship.
The Earnings Reality
Let’s talk numbers, because transparency matters. Medium’s Partner Program payouts have fluctuated wildly. Updates in 2025 and 2026 shifted priorities toward search traffic, email sends, external links, and paywall conversions. For many mid-tier writers, however, the average remains modest, often between ten and two hundred dollars a month for consistent publishers. Outliers make more through virality or fortunate niches.
I have had good months and lean ones. The problem is not merely the amount; it’s the unpredictability and the lack of ownership. Earnings depend on Medium members reading behind the paywall, on algorithmic whims, and on a revenue pool shared across millions. Medium takes a significant cut, and writers have little insight into the mechanics.
In 2026, with AI-generated content flooding feeds and reader fatigue setting in, the promise of easy reach has diminished. I no longer want to gamble on boosts or chase trends. I want a model in which my most dedicated supporters directly sustain the work they value.
Creative Constraints
Medium excels at essays and articles, but it is rigid. Formatting options are limited. There are no native memberships beyond the platform-wide paywall, restricted multimedia, and policies around paywalling that discourage experimentation.
I have wanted to share serialized fiction or ongoing projects with exclusive chapters, to offer audio narrations and behind-the-scenes notes, to build tiered access with free public pieces, mid-tier discussions, and high-tier deep dives. These ambitions are harder or impossible under Medium’s structure. The platform prioritizes a clean, uniform reading experience, which serves discovery well but stifles a writer’s evolution into more multifaceted work.
Worse, the algorithm favors certain styles. Long-form, thoughtful pieces can disappear. I have rewritten introductions, added hooks, and optimized headlines more times than I care to admit, sometimes diluting my authentic voice in the process.
Audience Ownership
This is the core issue. On Medium, I do not truly own my readers. Exporting email lists is difficult, even with consent and compliance. Comments and engagement remain siloed. When a writer leaves or reduces posting, the connection fades because there is no direct channel.
Patreon reverses this. Supporters join my space. I control the narrative, the community guidelines, and the direct communication. Tools such as email updates and private feeds allow me to nurture relationships that outlast any single platform.
Many creators who have moved to Patreon, Substack, or self-hosted options report stronger loyalty. Readers become patrons, invested participants rather than transient scrollers. I have built a core group through Medium who deserve better than hoping an algorithm delivers my next piece. Patreon lets me thank them properly and give them more.
What Patreon Offers
Patreon is built for ongoing creator-patron relationships. It is membership-based: supporters choose tiers and provide recurring support, whether monthly or per creation.
The advantages for writers are clear. Income becomes more predictable. Creative freedom expands; one can post drafts, extras, audio, or video without uniform style mandates. Tiered benefits might include early access, exclusive content, polls, AMAs, or personalized feedback. Community tools turn readers into a genuine circle of supporters. Most important, one retains ownership of the brand and the audience.
Patreon is not perfect. Its fees range from roughly five to twelve percent plus processing costs. Discovery requires effort. Yet for writers who arrive with some following, the model is transformative. It rewards depth over virality and suits those seeking deeper engagement rather than mass reach.
My Plans on Patreon
I am not abandoning public writing entirely. I will continue sharing select pieces openly, perhaps crossposted or linked from elsewhere. But the heart of my work, the deeper series, unfiltered reflections, and ongoing projects, will move to Patreon.
I am considering these tiers:
- A free or public tier with occasional open essays, updates, and teasers.
- A supporter tier, around five dollars a month, for early access, behind-the-scenes material, and monthly Q&As.
- An inner-circle tier, roughly twelve to twenty dollars a month, offering exclusive serials, audio versions, community discussion, and occasional calls or workshops.
The content will include serialized nonfiction, creative experiments, research deep-dives, patron-voted topics, and resource libraries. I will share process, failures, and wins, things too raw or specialized for broad platforms.
This approach builds sustainability. Instead of chasing ten thousand views for fifty dollars, two hundred dedicated patrons at an average of seven dollars could provide meaningful income while freeing me to focus on quality.
Addressing Counterarguments
“Medium still offers reach.” True, and I will use it strategically for discovery, as a funnel toward Patreon. Many creators successfully operate across platforms: Medium for awareness, Patreon for monetization and depth.
“Patreon is pay-to-play elitism.”
Not quite. Support is optional, for those who want extras. Public work continues. It resembles buying a book rather than relying solely on the library.
Discovery on Patreon demands more marketing through newsletters, social media, and word of mouth.
That is the trade-off for greater control. I am prepared to meet it through consistent value and authentic connection.
Risks exist. Transitions are rarely seamless. Yet remaining in an unsustainable model carries greater long-term dangers: burnout, a diluted voice, and deepening platform dependency.
From Platform Tenant to Independent Creator
This move reflects a broader realization. Writing is not merely content; it is relationship-building, idea-spreading, and art. Medium treats writers as suppliers to its ecosystem. Patreon treats creators as the center, with the platform as infrastructure.
I want to value my time and your support properly. No more hoping for algorithmic luck. Direct patronage honors the exchange: I create with care; you enable it.
It aligns with the indie movements in music, art, and independent publishing. Creators are building direct audiences amid widespread fatigue with big-tech intermediaries.
Looking Back, Looking Forward
Medium gave me a launchpad. I remain grateful for the readers I found there, the lessons absorbed, and the confidence gained. Many pieces I am proud of still live on the platform and will remain or be revisited.
But growth requires evolution. Patreon represents an investment in longevity: deeper work, a loyal community, and greater financial independence.
Next Chapter
To my current readers: thank you. Your reads, comments, and shares have meant everything. I hope you will join me on Patreon for the next chapter. The best work lies ahead, more personal, more ambitious, and more shared.
If this resonates, I invite you to visit my Patreon page and consider supporting the work. Share this essay if it moves you. Let’s build something lasting together.
Writers feeling the same squeeze might consider auditing what they truly want: reach versus revenue versus freedom. For me, the balance has shifted decisively toward ownership and sustainability.
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