A number of publications were Medium-run by paid employees. Medium fired them, so the publications died. Other publications were subsidized by Medium. They folded when Medium canceled their contracts. Still other publications have folded because the unpaid editors got burned out. Most were also writers who had no time to write.

So, I don’t agree that writing for money instead of for the sheer joy of being a writer is killing writing online. Medium profits from the efforts of thousands of writers who also pay subscription fees. Even if we don’t earn much money for our efforts, we can read all we want, and there is a lot of great advice here about writing and other things.

The MWC disillusioned those who, for once, wrote their hearts out, left bloody fingerprints on the page, and discovered that it led nowhere. It wasn’t really a writing contest. It was a subscription drive and brand building exercise. I entered knowing full well that was the case, so I wasn’t disappointed when I lost. I don’t know how many will leave the platform in its aftermath, nor do I know how many new subscribers signed up to replace them.

I’m here for practice, feedback, networking, and knowledge. I’m making enough to pay my property taxes, so that’s cool with me.