I think there is a misunderstanding. I was stating a difference of opinion, because you asked what we thought.

Ed Williams closed down publications on Medium for a reason. The editors didn't recognize good stories, and the publications weren't pulling their weight. Readers were following good writers - not the publications.

I never found a single good story on any of the Medium publications. They were filled with bad writing and bad stories. The editors basically approached people who were experts in various disciples and asked them to write a story.

Only, here's the catch. Readers (those of us who read compulsively) note in a minute the person can't write. The word order is wrong. The rhythm is out. The sentences don't follow and the structure is awful. The 'writers' might have been expert at their topic, but write? They could not.

Even editors in publishing houses have difficulty in recognizing when a book will sell. They simply don't don't know.

I understand that you run a publication, but I advice writers to open their own publications and build a following that way. That's what Ed Williams saw, and as he was the best information about Medium, I think he would know.

https://medium.com/born-to-write/submit-to-publications-or-open-your-own-da3594ab9cef