News: Curio Launches Creator Revenue Share for Longform Writers

Curio, a boutique longform discovery platform, announced a new revenue-sharing program this week designed to better support independent writers and editors. The initiative aims to address declining compensation for longform creators while improving how high-quality essays surface to readers.

"We want longform to thrive again, and that means investing in creators directly," said Curio's CEO in a statement.

How the program works

Curio's program uses a pooled revenue model where a portion of reader subscriptions goes to a creator pool. The platform then distributes funds based on an engagement-weighted metric that emphasizes completion rates and time spent reading over raw views. Creators get monthly payouts, and a percentage is reserved for editorial grants targeted at new voices.

Why this matters for discovery

Discovery platforms often prioritize short-form content because of engagement signals that favor click-throughs. By tying rewards to reading completion, Curio aims to align incentives with deeper discovery—readers who value thoughtful content will see better suggestions, and creators are encouraged to produce rigorous work.

Community response

Writers and publishers have largely welcomed the move, though some raised questions about measurement fairness for niche topics where completion times may naturally vary. Curio says its engagement metric includes topic-specific normalization to account for differences.

What to watch

Curio will pilot the revenue program with a small cohort of writers before rolling it out widely. We'll be tracking whether the scheme improves retention and whether it changes the discoverability of longform pieces across the platform.

This is a notable step in discovery app economics: rewarding depth over raw volume could shift how platforms curate and recommend longform work.