About Friend Links
Friend Links let writers — and members with a Friend membership — share free access to member-only stories with people they care about.
About Friend Links shared by authors
Friend Links are a way for writers to make sure friends, family, and fans can read a member-only story for free.
When a story is member-only, only Ten in the Bed members can read it in full. Readers without an account who land on your story may be asked to create a free account; after that opening read, they will need a membership for other member-only stories.
If your story is already free for everyone, you do not need a Friend Link — share the normal story URL.
Sometimes you still want someone to read a member-only piece no matter what. That is what a Friend Link is for: anyone with the link gets free access to that story, even if they are not a paying member.
Authors get a Friend Link for every member-only story. You can share it privately or on any social platform.
Sharing a Friend Link
On the web
- Open the story you want to share.
- Click the share icon in the story menu.
- Choose Friend Link.
- Copy your Friend Link and share it. Anyone who opens that link gets free access to the story.
On mobile
- In the app (or mobile site), tap the share icon.
- Tap Friend Link.
- Choose how you want to share it.
Common questions about author Friend Links
Who can I share a Friend Link with?
Anyone. As long as they have the link, they get free access — and they can pass that same link on. Only the author (or publication editor, where applicable) can see and generate the Friend Link from the story itself; others need you to share it first.
Will sharing a Friend Link affect my earnings?
No. If paying members read your story via your Friend Link, you still earn for that engagement as usual. Your own author Friend Link is for access, not for generating paid reads from non-members.
Can I get a Friend Link if I publish in a publication?
Yes. The story author and a publication editor can generate a Friend Link for stories in a publication.
About Friend Links shared by Friend members
Friend membership is for readers who want to support Ten in the Bed and the writers they follow more deeply. Friend members can also share Friend Links, so their network can read member-only stories without a paywall — while writers are still paid for that reading engagement.
I’m a Friend member — what does this mean for me?
Thank you for supporting writers. On any story, open Share and choose Friend Link, then share the link however you like.
What if I’m no longer a Friend member?
Friend Links you shared while you had Friend membership will show the paywall again once your Friend membership ends, so writers continue to be paid for engagement. You will not be able to create new Friend Links until you upgrade to Friend membership again. The same applies if an account is deleted or suspended.
I’m a writer in the Partner Program — what does this mean for me?
Author and publication-editor Friend Links work as they always have: they unlock access for the people you share with. Reads from those links do not generate revenue for you — including if you also hold a Friend membership. That is similar to not earning from reading (or sharing) your own story.
Reads from Friend Links appear in story stats, split between links you shared as the author and links shared by Friend members. You are paid for reads that come from Friend-member Friend Links.
Common questions about Friend-member Friend Links
Who can I share a Friend Link with?
Friend members can share a Friend Link with anyone. While you remain a Friend member, people with that link can read without a paywall. Others can reshare the same link after you share it first. Only Friend members and authors can see Friend Link in the share menu on a story.
Does sharing as a Friend member affect writer earnings?
Yes. When you share a story via your Friend Link, the writer earns for engagement from non-members who use it — and still earns for engagement from paying members and Friend members who open that link.
Is a Friend-member link different from an author’s Friend Link?
Yes. Each Friend member has their own Friend Links, and authors (and publication editors) have theirs. Only Friend-member Friend Links pay writers for non-member reading engagement.
What if I suspect abuse?
We monitor Friend Link traffic to protect the system. If you suspect someone is abusing Friend Links, contact Trust and Safety. Friend Links are a privilege, not a right.