10 Medium Publications for Readers & Writers for 2021

Some hidden little gems, and some worthy giants

Whether you’re a reader or a writer on Medium, it is important to be able to sift through the overwhelming amount of content available on the platform.

Especially in the new layout, as a reader, you want to be following the right people and the right publications, so your homepage shows just the content you want to read.

As a writer, new or old, you want to have a set of publications that are your go-to based on the topics you write about and to maximize your reach to readers.

So based on my six months of fairly prolific writing and reading on Medium, I’ve put together a current list of publications that are still active, and a great place for both readers and writers to focus their energies on.

#1 — Illumination & Illumination-Curated

Disclaimer: I am an editor with Illumination and its related pubs such as Illumination-Curated.

However, my suggestion isn’t necessarily based on bias. Here’s why.

For Readers

Illumination has one of the biggest rosters of writers. While this means a LOT of content, it also means diversity of voice and opinion. One of your senior editors Arthur G. Hernandez highlights how Illumination, now with 60k+ followers is the 87th largest publication on Medium, out of 14,000+ publications. Dr Mehmet Yildiz has built a democratic platform with an aim to provide a voice to a diverse set of writers so we can provide our readers with the variety they need. We don’t reject writers because their Grammar sucks because a majority of the world doesn’t speak English as their native language — and that should be no reason for them to not have a voice. I’d take genuine views and opinions in sub-standard English, rather than an armchair view of the world in perfect English.

Only want GUARANTEED quality content? You’re in luck. We’ve got a home for the absolutely high-quality articles at Illumination-Curated. The only articles that go here are either Medium-curated or voted by the senior editors of Illumination to be worthy of curation in the true sense of the word. So everything you read here is of absolute top quality, guaranteed.

For Writers

If you have something to say, Illumination is here to give you a platform. As long as you fulfill Medium’s guidelines and don’t spread hate or radical views with your content, there is no reason why the publication will reject you. There’s no specific set of topics we cover vs. not, and so barring a very small list of topics that aren’t for Illumination, most everything works! Process-wise, the team strives for a 24-hour turnaround which can be a challenge sometimes given the long queues, but writers’ efforts and time are highly valued. Here’s all you need to know about the resources that are provided. There is a very large and lively community of writers and editors on Slack as well for collaboration and mentoring.

#2 — Be Unique

Another relatively new but rapidly growing publication run by a teenager who sure knows his stuff! Abhay Salvi has created a wonderful platform for writers to express their views in a “unique” style.

For Readers

The only way you get accepted in the publication is by writing something that isn’t “run-of-the-mill” stuff. Abhay actually encourages people to stay away from the content that can be found everywhere on Medium but to focus on rather differentiated stuff. The topics covered broadly are Parenting, Relationships, Mental health, Self-improvement, Advice, but that isn’t the only thing that they cover.

For Writers

The submission guidelines are here and are clear and precise. There’s also great support from editors and writers so it is a fun little community of writers. The processing time is quick — usually response within 24 hrs and comments on acceptance/rejection /further work etc. and editors are willing to work with you too.

#3 — The True Crime Edition

For my first few months on Medium, I had no idea about True Crime being a genre at all. But that all changed once I got to hear about it. It is one of the most engaging set of stories on Medium. Josie Klakström does a great job as an editor and puts together some great reads for the aspiring Sherlocks of the world. The True Crime Edition is one of the few great publications dedicated to the genre.

For Readers

Whether you’re a lover of mysteries and thrillers, only based on real-life events, and like to keep in touch with the real-life dangers out there, this is the place. True Crime is an area that has a niche but ardent fan-following and you’ll never be able to leave a story mid-way because of the gripping nature of the content. And this publication is selective and only publishes a few stories every day for a great reading experience.

For Writers

Josie knows what she’s doing. So, don’t expect to get your stories past her too easily. But, if you know your stuff, and write detailed stories covering the right aspects of the crime and put them together in a well-researched and well-written format, she’ll be happy to publish. She’ll also provide useful tips and tricks to make your story better but won’t change the soul of your story ever. So if you’re an aspiring crime reporter/detective, sure give this one a shot! Very timely reviews and I’ve noticed Josie has around two windows she publishes content around — one is broadly Europe morning, and the other US morning so the content gets good airtime.

#4 — CrimeBeat

Staying on the True Crime theme, another gem on Medium is CrimeBeat, that’s run by editors that I rate very highly in their art of writing and editing — Sam H Arnold and Edward Anderson. Another relatively new publication that now has a solid fan following of genuine true-crime lovers.

For Readers

There is a large amount of solid content, and the editors do a great job at ensuring they don’t run the same story twice and so the content always is new and engaging. The stories are classified beyond true crime also into the angle that goes behind the crime — family, history, relationships, and so on. Another great publication to follow if you love real crime stories.

For Writers

Another set of delightful editors to work with. They’ll go through your piece and identify any scope for improvement as well as provide some guidance on making sure the basics are right. With no intention to try and change the core of the story, they’re the perfect balance in terms of acting as gatekeepers for their readers, but also providing a great platform for writers. Submissions are reviewed and published very timely with comments provided for any changes or revisions.

#5 — A Parent is Born

I am a new parent (or relatively so) with a two-year-old son. I have questions I want to ask and advice I want to share. A Parent is Born is a great publication for such content that addresses a variety of vital topics. The publication is run by The Good Men Project and is only one of their many great platforms. lisa hickey, the CEO is a wonderful person to work with and is doing some great work at showcasing the right kind of content to the right kind of audiences.

For Readers

If you’re a new parent, or just a parent, who is struggling with the daily challenges of parenting, come here for some great advice and a community of sharing and caring! The idea here isn’t to judge or provide radical views on the art and science of parenting but to share common experiences that we can all learn from — collective wisdom!

For Writers

A very welcoming platform, as long as your content meets certain standards and talks about the topic at hand — parenting. The scheduling of stories is a great feature, and stories are mostly published in US daytime to give them maximum airtime and are also showcased on the various platforms outside of Medium as well.

#6 — Hello, Love

Staying with the publications provided by The Good Men Project — this is another one targeted at everything related to love and relationships. So if you’re looking for relationship advice or anything to do with love in your lives, this is the place to be.

For Readers

A niche publication specifically targeted at all things related to love and relationships. As they describe it aptly,

In the changing world of the 21st century, we will be publishing personal stories that explore the themes of relationships: love, marriage, intimacy, commitment, dating, and social change. We welcome relationship content from all perspectives including non-heteronormative; Love is Love.

For Writers

For writers looking for a home for stories related to love, relationships, life lessons, advice, self, marriage, dating etc., this is a great platform that welcomes writers big and small, old and new. The process is quite simple and the review times are relatively short — mostly 24–48 hrs for your stories to be reviewed and published.

#7 — The Startup

I am going to keep this one short as they don’t need much introduction. The most widely-followed publication on Medium with over 700k followers largely focused on evergreen topics + everything related to business, startups, marketing, etc. The Startup is definitely the pre-eminent pub on Medium.

For Readers

The process to get through the publication is rigorous, which means quality of stories is taken care of. So if you’re looking for some content around evergreen topics as well as topics around business, startups, marketing, work, leadership, etc. this is a great one to follow.

For Writers

It isn’t easy — but it is worth it. As they say in their submission guidelines, only about 30% of all submissions are accepted. Yet, their 36-hr rule is great and the reviews and comments are pretty prompt. The editors are also happy to work with you on your stories if there is potential, so if you think you’ve got it in you to write a quality piece that suits their guidelines — do give it a shot!

#8 — Runner’s Life

Are you a fitness freak or in general love to read about running, fitness, and health? This is the place for you. Runner’s life is a great place for regular runners or fitness enthusiasts to come together for a lively community.

For Readers

As owner and editor, Jeff Barton puts it, this is a platform “for runners, by runners.” They provide stories that are not just about running but often about the overlap between life and running — and so life lessons, running, fitness, health, are all topics you can find here.

For Writers

The submission guidelines sum it up quite well. The process is pretty smooth and the stories are reviewed and published timely, with some minor edits to align them with the publication and make them more user-friendly.

Runner’s Life is a publication for those who love all things running. It is about sharing advice and stories from the intersection of running and life.

Whether you have tips to share, stories to tell, or want to talk about how running has impacted your life, we want to hear from you. As long as it’s running-related and we believe your writing is a good fit for the publication, we are happy to add you as a writer.

#9 — Technology Hits

This is a new little gem by Dr Mehmet Yildiz focusing on everything that relates to technology — something that is a ubiquitous part of our daily lives.

For Readers

Being a multi-decade veteran in the Technology industry, trust Dr. Yildiz to curate the best content for you in everything that relates to technology. This is also a relatively new publication, so you’ll get the benefit of being an early subscriber to some awesome content.

For Writers

You can contact Dr. Yildiz here to be added as a writer. But as with his other platforms, he is willing to provide everyone a platform as long as they write on the topics that are aligned with the publication. A great place for fast reviews, access to a niche set of readers, and the opportunity to be an early part of a future star of a publication.

#10 — Number One Tip

Another one with discovery value — a very new publication by Debesh Choudhury who has put this publication together to provide punchy advice on a variety of topics. Debesh believes it is important to keep any “advice” limited to your one top tip than diluting the content by going into too many pieces of advice.

For Readers

Debesh has brought together some of the best writers on Medium to provide little gems of advice on a wide array of topics ranging from technology, life lessons, fitness, cooking, writing, health, education, and a lot more. If you are looking at an unadulterated SINGLE piece of advice on various topics, in easy to read and follow format — this is the place!

For Writers

Smooth and simple process to write — Debesh doesn’t limit your creativity apart from the fact that he requests to limit your suggestions and tips to one single tip and do a deep dive into that vs. crowding your article by a series of tips that don’t remain as useful. He is quick to review and respond to writers and submissions and I can see this becoming a bigger, sought-after publication in the future. The simplistic submission guidelines can be found here.

I started off with a list of 21 but realized that may be all too much to digest all at once — but if you’d like more ideas on some awesome publications, I’ll probably do a part 2 to this story at some point. But until then — check these awesome publications out, and you won’t be disappointed.