Now how about coming up with some nice reward ideas for Platinum level authors, i.e. free Ben & Jerry’s etc. when you reach 100 articles.. etc. :)

In my view, the problem consists in the fact that there are too many Platinum-Status Authors, and only a handful of Editors reading the Articles they send in. Which, coupled by the myriads of Articles sent in by all the Basic and Basic Plus Authors, in turn means that you are swamped with Articles each and every single day, with the end result that publishing is necessarily slowed down. If this is the case, there are two solutions to speed up the publishing process: 1) increase your editorial staff - but this may no be cost effective or 2) raise the bar of the Platinum-Status level (or come up with a third designation, such as Diamond-Status, or Plutonium-Status, or …. well, you get the idea).

I would much rather see the Platinum-Status bar raised, essentially for two reasons: a) quality, which elevates the entire category of Platinum-Status Authors, irrespective of their field(s) of expertise and/or specialization. b) Because it reduces the number of Platinum-Status Authors, thus making the achievemt of this designation more valued even in the eyes of the Publishers that ultimately read, and hopefully publish, the contents of the Articles. And with the proximate result, furthermore, of streamlining publishing of Platinum-Status material.

Scarcity increases value, so to speak. Afterall, your recent decision of attaching an ‘Editor’s Choice’ logo on Articles follows the same economic principle.

All the best.