Medium Claps đź‘Ź
“Hello, November! Let the gratitude overflow.” — Unknown
It’s a new month, which signifies a new opportunity to earn money from the stories you publish on Medium based on engagement and activity from Medium members.
While reflecting on gratitude, I’m grateful for consistently meeting Medium’s $10 minimum payout threshold since its inception. However, my earnings were some of the lowest this year in the month of October, despite writing consistently.
If Medium raises the minimum payout threshold, I am unlikely to receive my earnings every month if my earnings continue to fluctuate. I have theories as to why, but I won’t reveal them here; instead, let’s address a popular topic: Medium claps.
Clapping is a way of showing support for writers. I recall the initial time I was awarded claps; I wasn’t in the Medium Partner Program yet. I assumed over 50 readers had clapped for my piece, only to realize later that a user can clap up to 50 times.
When someone claps 50 times for your Medium story, it raises the question of whether they genuinely enjoyed the story to that extent. It sparks a discussion about whether people clap out of genuine appreciation, a sense of obligation, or simply because the option is available.
