14 Things To Do Waiting For A Story To Be Accepted Into A Publication

Best practices to pass time if you get antsy

You’ve had that antsy feeling waiting for your story to be published.

We’ve all had that feeling after you’ve submitted a story to a publication.

When is my story going to be accepted and published, so it can start earning money by people clicking and reading your story?

A lot of times a story can sit in the queue of a publication for 24 hours while editors accept and published stories ahead of yours in line — and editors have jobs and families and run publications with a team of dedicated volunteers.

I used to feel antsy in the waiting period, but then I realized there are so many productive ways that I could spend my time rather than just being anxious.

Here are twelve ways to make good use of your time:

1.Double-check your title: I agree with what Zulie Rane said in a YouTube video: Your title can double the number of views and income. Ask yourself does your story tell the who, what, wow of your story. Who is it for? What’s it about? And how will it wow your reader? It’s great if it can also tell how a reader will benefit from reading your story and if emotionally grabs you.

2. Look at your opening: If you’re new to Medium and haven’t found this out yet, readers will give you about 1.6 seconds to look at your headline. And if you notice your view-read rate is in the 20 to 30% range, it means they didn’t find the opening to your story engaging — and there’s a flaw in your writing.

I agree with Linda Caroll. Open hard in your story. Grab us. Make us feel something. Cause us to care about your subject. Slow us down from the Skimmer’s Lane. Or we will stop reading and move on to another story.

3. Does your story need tightening? Sometimes the good stuff in your story might be buried so deep in your story that your reader might not keep reading to get to it. If that’s the case, you need to tighten up your story. Cut the FAT!

Just get rid of the parts of your story that aren’t essential to the main part of your story. Your story will flow better and have more focus if you get rid of the non-essential elements. And your readers will be more likely to stick around.

4. Revise previous titles: I look at my stats after a story get published to see how it’s doing. If it’s not doing well in the first six to eight hours, I look at the title to see if it’s doesn’t have the who, what, wow. And if doesn’t then I open the story, click the three dots at the bottom of the story, and change the title.

What’s cool is if you change your title enough readers who passed it the first time might even think it’s a new story (unless they’ve read your name). So if your readers aren’t biting and your views are low. Freshen up your headline.

5. Spruce up your story: As you’re fixing your title you can also double-check to see if you opened hard. It might be easier to notice now that your story has a 15% view-to-read percent that something isn’t working with your story.

Or people just aren’t interested in your topic and that’s okay. But check your story first. Pretend you are a reader and ask yourself if you’d keep reading.

6. Tag some writers: Are you sitting on a HOT story? I was last week. My wife and I met our son, who is adopted, for the first time on Valentine’s Day. I figured a lot of people would want to read my story. So after I finished my story, I made sure to tag some writers who might want to read my story.

Well, the comments started popping off right after it was published since tagging a writer sends an email notification. I don’t suggest you do it all the time. That could annoy some people, but when you have a story that your think would interest people you know, then don’t be afraid to tag writers.

7. Interact with other writers: We all figure out after a while the number of followers you have doesn’t matter as much as your number of readers. If you wondering why no one reads your stuff, maybe it’s because you haven’t taken the time to build a relationship with other writers by reading their stories.

A best practice is to read the stories of writers who have commented on your stories since anyone can clap without reading your story. Relationships with other writers take time to nurture just like in real life — so put in the effort.

8. Analyze your stats: There is so much to learn from your stats. I try to look at what stands out, especially the ratio of views to reads. The high numbers are telling your something: The fish are biting on that subject or in that publication. The low numbers are telling you something important too.

The most important state the percentage of read-to-views is for your stories: Right now mine 42.2%. This stat tells how people are reacting to your stories. Are they connecting with your stories or not? It can be hard in the beginning because you haven’t gained regular readers, so you’re getting drive-by readers who will take a peek at your story and maybe move on since your a stranger.

If this is the case, you know what to do: Go back to tip #7 if you forgot : )

9. Brainstorm new story ideas: I agree with Scott Younkin. He says if you’re earned $1 per story and wrote 100 stories, then you would earn $100. So keep writing. Scroll through stories to see if they spark any story ideas.

10. Pay attention to your thoughts: My brother Michael L Butler just joined Medium. I noticed he was getting antsy for his first story to be accepted into a publication and that’s how I came up with the idea for this story.

11. Check your email for a Private Note: You could be antsy for your story to be published and an editor could be antsy for you to respond to the Private Note feature they use to communicate writers about their stories.

12. Start your next story: I agree with what Kristina God likes to say. The goal of a writer/content creator (we’re both) is to keep the Hoola Hoop spinning. Write one story and keep the creativity going with your next one.

The way you do this is to start your next story after you finish your last one. Don’t wait a week or two weeks until your next story. You want to become a familiar face to Medium — to become part of your regular reader’s routine where they read your story with their morning coffee and Cherry Pop-Tart.

13. Look for new publications: I don’t understand people who self-publish their stories. If you want to write a story about cats, well, it makes sense to publish your story in Catness where people love cats and read about cats.

Do you have a personal story with a narrative writing style? Put it in The Memoirist. Look at the name of publications at the top of stories. This is the best way to find out about new publications. Google the publication name and Submission Guidelines and then ask to be added as a writer in the comments.

14. Watch my YouTube channel: I offer helpful tips on writing on Medium and creative nonfiction/memoir writing on my channel. I’ve gone from making $6 in November on my first month in the Partner program to $155 last month. Let me teach and show you how to be successful on Medium. Leave a comment if there’s a writing topic you’d like me to make a video on.

Thanks for reading my story.

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Or you check out my YouTube video on writing on Medium.