A Guide to Medium Publications For New Writers
If you’re thinking about applying to join a publication, read this first. Or don’t. Your call.
I’ve only been on Medium for around a month. But, in that time, I’ve applied for various publications and learned a bit about how they work.
I feel like I’ve learned a lot, even in this short space of time, which might be helpful to you before you start down this route. The stuff you initially learn about publications doesn’t give you the whole picture.
Neither will I, to be honest, but I know a bit more than you do right now :)
Please note, no publications will be harmed in this article. No names.
Might give a shout-out to this one because it’s home to this story. Rude not to. Hello Smillew family.
So, in no particular order, here we go.
Manage your expectations
When I first joined Medium, I did a lot of reading around to find out how the site worked. The piece of advice I saw most was to join publications.
People I know who use — or have used — the site also all said the same thing. Over and over again.
The principle is easy to understand. When you start publishing here, your articles sit at the bottom of the visibility pool. You don’t get a lot of views.
However, if you join a publication, your articles go into a ready-made community that has visibility and its own followers. So, the principle is, you should get a viewing boost.
Does this work? I’m not so sure.
I’ve had surprisingly good results from smaller publications and surprisingly disappointing results from larger ones. Don’t assume that putting your articles in a publication, whether it is Baby, Mummy or Daddy Bear sized, will suddenly make you the most popular writer on the site.
Sometimes, it’s just crickets, you know.
Choose the right publication
Some publications have a specialist focus; others are more general. However, even some general ones don’t accept all subjects.
Plus, every editor sets their own rules. You might have to follow formatting guidelines, daily submission limits and word counts. Some publications don’t like you to be sweary; others don’t care.
If, like me, you write a lot of diverse stuff, then you aren’t likely to find one publication to become home to all your articles. This is fine. It’s good to spread them around.
If you have multiple publication options in your niche, then take a look at each site’s articles. You’ll get an idea of each publication’s focus, tone and preferred topics and whether it is a good fit for your writing.
Use the 25-article rule
Publications display 25 newly-published articles on their front page. Every time a new article is published, it pushes the oldest article into the publication’s archive.
The longer an article sits on the front page, the more exposure it has. Once it’s in the archive, it disappears unless an intrepid reader goes down that rabbit hole.
Think about this limit before you join a publication. Look at the newly-published articles on its front page and check their dates. You might be on this page for a few days with smaller publications; you might get minutes with some of the behemoths.
Minutes of exposure are pointless. You might as well not bother.
Some editors make this system work for you. They are good guys. So, they limit how many stories they publish each day so that all their writers get a fair whack on the front page.
This article limit also affects self-published transfers. Some publications allow you to submit stories you have already published as well as drafts. This is only worth doing if you will get front-page exposure.
Articles have a fixed publishing date. If you put a self-published article in a publication, it is sorted by this date. So, an older piece usually ends up in the archive. It won’t touch the front page. Not worth it.
Be prepared for a wild application ride
Editors set their own application rules and approval timescales. Sometimes, you are accepted in minutes (hello again Smillew family); other times you wait for weeks.
Some publications simply ask you to leave a comment on an application article saying that you want to join. The editors then add you to the list; they don’t screen.
Some editors want you to send them an email or fill in a short form. They then check you out and decide whether to accept your application.
However, some publications have more complex processes. You might have to read reams of content that are longer than War and Peace to find out what you need to do.
You might have to fill out a longer form and tell the editor why you are a good fit for the publication. You might have to submit a draft article that you haven’t published yet.
One publication made me go through multiple and increasingly irritating hoops. I had to follow every man and his dog and sign up for way too many newsletters.
When I got to the hoop that insisted that I do something that the editor could use to promote their publication and themselves — with no idea whether they would accept me or not — I just pissed off out of the process.
It is what it is. We don’t make the rules. We just have to decide whether they are worth following.
Cut editors some slack (unless they are useless)
Some editors don’t edit your work at all. Others take a light touch and will fix minor typos or mistakes. If you really screw up an article or if it doesn’t meet submission criteria, then some editors will reject it.
You know, it’s their call. I’m happy to have someone catch a mistake. A lot of the editors here are volunteers. They aren’t getting paid to fix my stuff.
However, I haven’t just had good experiences with editors. One introduced multiple typos into an article and mangled a couple of sentences so badly that they stopped making sense.
That kind of editing boils my blood. I changed everything back and probably won’t submit to this publication again. I am that petty.
Don’t write off self-publishing
I didn’t think I’d self-publish when I joined the site. However, I’m more likely to move to this route in the future. I’ve been trialing a mix of using various publications and publishing my own stuff.
As I got to know some more experienced writers (hello RC Hammond), they showed me that you can build an audience on your own or by mixing publications and self-publishing. Bette A. Ludwig has found a blended solution — she publishes in her own publication.
The articles I publish myself do better than I expected. They do better than some of the stories I put in some publications. I like being able to publish instantly without having to follow other people’s rules.
You have to put some engagement work in here to get traction but you can build relationships with other writers who will become regular readers. So, don’t write off this option.
Oh, and one last thing. Don’t devalue yourself. Yes, a publication can help you build your Medium profile. But, you are also helping it grow and build its profile. It’s a two-way street — respect goes both ways. If you don’t feel that an editor treats you well, take your stories somewhere else.
Right, if I was a nice bunny, I’d create a list of publications for you to look at. Luckily, I don’t have to bother because Robin Wilding has already done it. Take a look; it’s going to save you so much time.