I'm very pleased to see that publishers will be paid -- I've run a pub, Crow's Feet, for 3-1/2 years and spend so much time editing, developing a podcast run by writers, and composing a weekly newsletter that I have little time for my own writing. Still, I'm very dedicated to my pub and would like to see the community thrive. Payment is a way to acknowledge our contribution to building a place on Medium that constantly attracts new readers and more interaction. BTW, I would love to see a way for publication editors to share best practices. I run the CF publication on instinct and experience but I'd love to learn from others.