By skyforbes 
Stop clicking on these clickbait stories. They sell a dream, not real experience.
Yesterday I was writing a story about the Gumroad lie. I went to find the source link again.
And surprise!
I found two different Medium stories with the same exact title. Two different authors. Same exact scenario.
The title is exactly the same: “I Can’t Write. So I Used ChatGPT to Create a $9.99 eBook That Sells Daily”
The theme is always the same: “I can’t write. I used AI. I published. I went to bed. I woke up rich.”
These are not unique, personal stories. This is proof. They are selling a narrative template. It is designed only for the click.
Update: I did the same search again on Google, and guess what, now I see three stories (and a 4th one slightly different). You can check yourself by doing a quick search on Google.
Clickbait Story Formula: Why It Works
This template is a successful formula, not the truth. The steps are always clear and predictable:
1. The Hook (Relatable Pain): Start with “I can’t write.” This is a big problem for many. It makes the reader connect instantly.
2. The Fix (Easy Answer): Say “I used ChatGPT.” The tool solves the pain. It makes the effort seem like zero.
3. The Reward (Instant Gratification): End with “I woke up with sales.” This is the magic part. It says you don’t need to work hard.
Why they write these stories
They are selling a dream, not the truth.
I showed you the rule before: Gumroad Discover only lists a product after your first sale(s). These template authors know this.
They use a true fact — that AI wrote the content — to hide the biggest part: They leave out the marketing.
They skip the hard work: posting on forums, messaging contacts, and sharing on Reddit.
Why? (The real win for them)
They make money in two ways.
They want you to read the story. Just reading their monetized stories makes them money. They get paid for your time.
If the author sells an extra product (like a course or newsletter), they want you to think the key is in their paid training. They gain twice. The story earns them money from reads. Any product sale is extra profit.
They are selling false hope to people who want easy money.
So, why is Medium allowing this?
It makes no sense. Medium said it wanted high-quality content.
It is explicitly against the rules to use duplicated content without credit. (The question is: Does this rule apply to duplicating titles too?)
See Medium’s rule here:
https://help.medium.com/hc/en-us/articles/360039513913-About-the-No-Duplicate-Content-rule
Medium also says clickbait titles disqualify a story from general distribution.
But the platform promoted the story: “I Can’t Write. So I Used ChatGPT to Create a $9.99 eBook That Sells Daily.” It showed up in my recommended stories. I pay for a membership, and Medium pays that author.
Medium’s rules vs. reality
I think that the answer is simple: The algorithm wins.
- Clicks equal cash: These titles are perfect clickbait. They promise a fast, life-changing solution. Medium’s business model pays authors based on read time. High clicks and long reading sessions mean more money for Medium.
- The algorithm is blind: The system promotes stories that get engagement. It doesn’t check for “truth” or “originality.” It checks for clicks. A predictable, formulaic story that gets clicked on beats a high-quality, truthful story that gets ignored.
Medium is letting these writers profit because they deliver engagement. And they cannot control the content of millions of stories (1.2 million stories published weekly according to this post).
Conclusion: The template doesn’t sell
The template stories don’t help you sell. Stop reading them.
To sell, you need to find your audience. You must do the work to share your product link.
The magic is not in the AI. AI is just a tool (a very powerful tool).
The magic is the idea, distribution, and niche marketing.
The only way to make money is to do the work.