Chapter 1: Earnings Insights

This June has proven to be exceptionally challenging in terms of profitability, leaving me with only a modest income, far from my best performance.

While I initially intended to refrain from lamenting over my earnings at the end of this month, a thought struck me during the editing process for The ShortForm. Claudia Faith, a fellow writer, shared her experiences regarding her earnings this month, prompting me to reflect.

It seems I sometimes can't help but voice my concerns, Jan Sebastian 🖐👩‍🦰! You can read Claudia's article below:

Despite earning slightly more than Claudia this June, I can't help but wonder if other writers on Medium are facing similar declines. I had enjoyed several months within the $100 club, but now I find myself questioning, "What has changed? What's happening?"

Here are my earnings as of June 28th:

After five months of comfortably remaining in the $100 club, I fell short by just 49 cents one month, but now I'm witnessing a significant drop as the month draws to a close.

As Claudia notes, "perhaps summer is causing fewer people to read, or maybe my posts haven't resonated as strongly as in May." It's a thought-provoking idea, wouldn't you agree?

Shayla Renee 💖 also shared her perspective in response to Erica L Soerensen, stating, "I agree. This month has been the lowest for me as well. It seems there have been numerous glitches and community changes affecting everyone’s earnings. Nonetheless, I cherish being part of this community, and the act of writing and sharing remains paramount."

You can find Erica's full article below:

But could there be more underlying reasons for the reduction in earnings this month? Shayla Renee 💖 has been vocal about this topic on Medium, exploring the dips in payments writers have been experiencing.

Earlier this month, Shayla published an article titled 'Medium Engagement Confusion' on June 9th. One of her comments resonated with me: "I have been on vacation and a bit out of touch, but I've noticed the dates on my stories showing December 1969."

I sometimes read on my phone at night, as it’s more convenient than my heavier laptop, and I've also noticed the unusual dates when using the app.

This leads me to a pressing question in my mind: "Is Medium grappling with more significant algorithm issues than initially anticipated? Has the platform's rapid growth led to bandwidth concerns?"

To illustrate, consider this analogy from Livewire: "bandwidth is like plumbing; as data equates to available bandwidth, water corresponds to the size of the pipe." Essentially, as bandwidth increases, so does the volume of data that can flow, similar to how a larger pipe allows more water to pass through.

Livewire. (Tech for Humans.) October 21, 2023.

Thank you all for taking the time to read my reflections.

Do you find value in my writing? If so, would you consider showing your support by buying me a steaming coffee? Your thoughtful gesture would mean the world to me and help sustain my passion for writing, keeping the lights on at home too 😊.

Chapter 2: The Community and Its Challenges

The video titled "Options Trading for Beginners (The ULTIMATE In-Depth Guide)" offers insights that can parallel the challenges faced by writers in a fluctuating market. Understanding the underlying principles can help us navigate our own financial landscapes.