We're definitely aware that a lot of authors feel this way: if you want to be in the partner program then you should also be a member.

I bet there are a lot of internal reasons we don't do this and I might not know all of them. But I'll share the two that resonate with me: the share of members who are also in the partner program is not very high. That plays into my second feeling: pay to play is one of the hallmarks of multi-level marketing. It just feels off to ask a person to pay us money for the opportunity to make money and then not guarantee that they will make that money back.

That said, I bet we will eventually add a paid "Pro Author" tier. But even then, I doubt it'd be a requirement for being in the partner program.