Collaboration and Visibility for Writers
An Introduction to ILLUMINATION Slack Workspace
No more solo riding: Join a Slack group, collaborate with your fellow writers, and enjoy the vitality of our joyful community
New writer inquiries and applications for Illumination Integration Publications are through the registration portal. Please review the onboarding pack before submitting your stories. I look forward to supporting your stories on Medium.
New writers may check the details of our publications in the master onboarding pack, including essential information.
ILLUMINATION’s Slack workspace is complementary and moderated to create a pleasant collocation environment for writers of Medium.com.
Introduction
Some writers and readers say that ILLUMINATION Integrated Publications are growing fast. This statement is not an exaggeration. 24,000+ writers contribute to this publication currently. We are diverse and inclusive.
With the addition of new services such as the unique collection ILLUMINATION-Curated and the technology collection called Technology Hits, the growth turned into an exponential state.
To adapt to this fast growth, we need to improve our services and make them more efficient to serve thousands of writers contributing to these publications serving thousands of readers.
We upgraded our Slack infrastructure, capability, and processes. I invited all applicants who are interested in contributing to our publications. 18,000+ Medium writers have already joined and are collaborating joyfully.
It is free and safe as our editors moderate it. We don’t allow toxic activities and behaviors like on some social media platforms.
In this post, my goal is to introduce the Slack workspace briefly and how writers can benefit from it and use it efficiently to achieve their writing and reading goals.
I will also introduce other resources to help you learn Slack quickly and easily. For beginners, let me introduce Slack.
What is Slack?
Slack is an online collaboration and productivity tool. It has many useful features to enhance communication and collaboration and deepen relationships among members.
In a nutshell, with Slack, members can work together more effectively and connect their software tools and services to find the information that they need to do their work. It is a secure platform with an enterprise-grade environment. It is used by thousands of organizations globally.
A Slack workplace may look overwhelming initially, but many users get used to it quickly. It is an intuitive program and an easy-to-use platform. Millions of people use Slack for various purposes.
Slack is one of the most popular communication tools. It supports both personal computers and mobile devices. You can run the Slack application on your Windows or Mac machine and any smartphone or tablet device. Your profile and information details are automatically moved to the preferred device.
A Slack workspace has a team of members with different permissions. Let me introduce our Slack workspace so that you can start your journey with ease and comfort.
ILLUMINATION Slack workspace
As the owner of the workspace, I created and configured the workspace. I invite members and set permissions for other administrators, members, and guests.
As a complementary service, I invite all contributing writers as a member of the workspace. I plan to invite some guests to use specific channels for our extended projects. We run multiple collaboration projects to give more visibility to the great work of our writers and reach out to a broader audience.
Slack invitations work with an email address. For example, if you applied to ILLUMINATION as a writer using our application tool, I will send you an invitation to join our Slack workspace. The invitation you receive will say “Join your team on Slack. Dr Mehmet Yildiz has invited you to use Slack with them in a workspace called ILLUMINATION.”
You need to click on the JOIN NOW button. If you have a Slack application, you will automatically be introduced to the workspace; if not, you need to install the app. When you join, the first page you see is a channel called #1_start_here.
The core architecture of Slack is related to the provision of channels.
You can learn the concept of Slack channels from the attached short video.
Messaging is the primary communication way in Slack.
Slack also allows phone calls and video calls. However, our version does not support video calls yet. We may consider a video version in the future. The primary inhibitor is the cost. Considering our publications do not generate any income, we cannot justify the cost of video calls.
Each member has a profile on the Slack workspace. You can add a photo and contact details such as email, phone number, and your role in the workspace. The Slack workspace also links all the files you own in the space.
Here is my member profile on Slack as a sample.
I recommend our writers use their Medium account ID as a display name so that other writers can easily find them on Medium. As the purpose is collaboration, presenting your profile with sufficient publicly available information can be helpful. Adding information about yourself is optional, of course. If you prefer to stay anonymous, it is fine; we respect your choice.
You can leave Slack anytime without being dependent on the administrator.
Slack has several automation tools as well.
For example, I forward all ILLUMINATION articles via Medium RSS to a particular channel so that the members can easily access them, read them, comment on them, and share them with other members.
We operate all publication activities in a secure channel dedicated to editors. You can easily access editors via channels or even by sending a private message.
Sending private messages on Slack is much easier, faster, and more reliable than sending private messages on Medium. For example, your private messages on stories submitted to publications can be viewed by all editors. On Slack, only the owner of the account can see it. This feature is handy for communicating sensitive matters with your target audience.
You can learn more about Slack by reading the instructions in the attached link by the official Slack organization: https://slack.com/intl/en-au/help/categories/200111606
Tips for using ILLUMINATION Slack workspace
Let me give you some tips to make your journey comfortable and productive.
Start your first visit with #1_start_here channel.
This is the channel you can introduce yourself.
Then proceed with other channels that you want to engage.
The hashtag (#) sign depicts the channel. When you type, # in a chat box, Slack prompts available channels in the workspace.
You can search all channels from the Channel browser tool.
Use your Medium account ID to be recognized by other writers.
Use channel browser to see relevant channels.
Use People & use groups to find members.
One of the best ways to catch up with conversations is by using threads. You can use “threads” to see all the new discussions on any channel.
You can also star channels so that you can find them easily in the future. And, of course, you can remove the stars if you don’t need them anymore.
Ground Rules
As the Slack workspace is a social platform, we need to act ethically.
We act with common sense. The golden rule is to treat other members as you want to be treated. Respecting the privacy and opinions of other people is critical.
Read the channel labels and use them according to the rules. For example, don’t use every channel to promote your stories, as only specific channels are allocated for this purpose.
We don’t allow harassment, hate speech, discrimination, and toxic behavior in this collaboration environment. Our members want to have secure, joyful, and pleasant conversations. Our Slack is not like standard social media. It is managed privately, and we have the right to choose our members.
If you observe or experience toxic behavior in our Slack workspace, please contact me directly or contact our editors in my absence. We will remove the privilege of offending members and will not allow them to use our services.
Now and then, conflicts may arise. We are all humans. Mistakes and misunderstandings can happen. We approach the case of the problem by each case. Please always give the benefit of the doubt until a matter is understood clearly and resolved amicably by our administration team.
Low-hanging fruits for members
1 — Introduce yourself, create visibility, and start the collaboration
2 — Add your writer bio to the channel called #writerbios
3 — Share your story links on the #post-your-own-writing-here
4 — Say “hi” to a few members and introduce writing practice.
5 — Share your mailing list and other materials in promotion channels.
You can also show your reactions with emojis in the comments.
Let me introduce you to our promotion channel.
Promotion Channels
The visibility of writers requires smart promotion.
Writers are usually shy creatures by nature. I encourage writers to think and act like an entrepreneur. There is no other way to survive and thrive in this economic climate. There is no shame in promoting your great services. You deserve recognition and appreciation. The best approach is to find creative and meaningful ways to reach out to your audience.
Therefore, I created this innovative platform and encouraged our writers to promote their profiles, content, external products, freelancing services, newsletters, and mailing lists. Our Slack workspace is an excellent promotion tool for writers to create visibility.
Here are the channels that you can use to promote your materials.
#promotion-fiction-books
#promotion-nonfiction-books
#promotion-nonfiction-books
#promotion-poetry-books
#promotion-blogging-links
#promotion-training-education
#mailinglists-and-newsletters
We also have clubs such as
#poetry-club
#fiction-club
#technology-science-entrepreneurship-club
Conclusions
Our Slack workspace is designed as an engagement, visibility, promotion, and collaboration tool.
Our Slack workspace is a privilege that we give to contributing writers of ILLUMINATION, ILLUMINATION-Curated, and Technology Hits publications.
You can use the ILLUMINATION Slack workspace to meet other writers, engage in their content, collaborate with them, and promote your materials.
Joining and engaging in our Slack workspace can help you enhance your network and make you feel joyful in your writing journey.
I hope you enjoy your journey. I am one message away from connecting with you.
After Slack workspace, we now have a Discord server to support our writers. Thanks to Aiden (Illumination Gaming) for establishing and managing this platform for us.
Thank you for reading my perspectives.
I wrote over 100 articles to guide new writers, and you may easily access them from this collection.
I am also a boost nominator for ILLUMINATION-Curated publication, which is a formally recognized pub serving advanced and experienced writers. You can learn more about our boost-nomination process from the attached interview posted by ILLUMINATION editors.
We have updated our submission guidelines to align with these changes. We kindly request that you review these guidelines thoroughly before submitting your stories to the relevant publications.
Recently Updated Submission Guidelines
Publishing and Conduct Guidelines for the Lampshade of ILLUMINATION
Useful Resources for Writers
Publication Conduct Guidelines: Rules of engagement and cross-pollination at three levels
Process and Procedures: Anything you want to know about ILLUMINATION Integrated Publications
Copyright Matters: Zero tolerance to plagiarism on ILLUMINATION
Use Of Affiliate Links On Medium: Guidance to writers who need to use affiliate links in stories
How to Survive and Thrive on Medium: Essential guide to new writers
A Practical Guide for Writers: My collection for writing and writer performance on Medium
Essential Checklist for Writers: Improve quality and readability of your stories
Storybooks and Indexing Publications: They work. Here is the evidence.
Short-Form Stories Not For Income But For Visibility. Think Of Them As A Tripwire
Mentoring on ILLUMINATION: Peer support is essential for success.
Writing Prompts and Challenges
100 Day Challenge For New Writers: How to grow and become a top writer on Medium in three months
Invitation To A Writing Challenge: Share your concerns and aspirations in a story
About ILLUMINATION-Curation
Learn About ILLUMINATION-Curated Essential articles about ILLUMINATION-Curated publication
Paradigm Shift in Content Curation, Distribution, and Marketing
Self-Presented Collections: Annotated stories by writers of ILLUMINATION-Curated
Stories on ILLUMINATION-Curated — All Volumes: Easy access to curated and outstanding stories
About SYNERGY
Purpose of Synergy And how to publish your stories in this publication
SYNERGY on Medium Upon reader request, we renamed Passive Income for Writers publication
ILLUMINATION Book Chapters
ILLUMINATION Book Chapters: A publication giving voice to published authors on Medium
Sample Book Chapters: Discover 70+ published authors on ILLUMINATION Book Chapters
Index of Published Book Chapters: Easy access to chapters for readers on Medium
About Technology Hits
Introduction to Technology Hits Scope, overview, and participation methods
Reading List #3 — Technology Hits: Selected stories for enjoyment of tech readers
Sample Book Chapters: Discover 70+ published authors on ILLUMINATION Book Chapters
About ILLUMINATION’S Mirror
ILLUMINATION’S MIRROR: A publication created to address Medium constraints for editors
Writing Clubs on Slack
ILLUMINATION Poetry Club: An invitation to poets to collaborate for productive fun
Topic Collections
Featured Stories About “Writing” From The Top Writers of SYNERGY
NFT Story Collection on ILLUMINATION Integrated Publications
Featured Stories by Editor of Technology Hits
Publication Related Collections
Testimonials for ILLUMINATION: Thoughts and sentiments of ILLUMINATION writers.
Sample Health Improvement Articles for New Readers
Besides aiming to increase the hormonal intelligence of my readers and writing about neurotransmitters such as dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin, GABA, acetylcholine, and norepinephrine, one of my goals as a writer is to raise awareness about the causes and risk factors of prevalent diseases that can lead to suffering and death for a large portion of the population.
I aim to educate, create awareness, and empower my readers to take control of their health and well-being.
To raise awareness about health issues, I have written several articles that present my holistic health findings from research, personal observations, and unique experiences. Below are links to these articles for easy access.
Metabolic Syndrome, Type II Diabetes, Fatty Liver Disease, Heart Disease, Strokes, Obesity, Liver Cancer, Autoimmune Disorders, Homocysteine, Lungs Health, Pancreas Health, Kidneys Health, NCDs, Infectious Diseases, Brain Health, Dementia, Depression, Brain Atrophy, Neonatal Disorders, Skin Health, Dental Health, Bone Health, Leaky Gut, Leaky Brain, Brain Fog, Chronic Inflammation, Insulin Resistance, Elevated Cortisol, Leptin Resistance, Anabolic Resistance, Cholesterol, High Triglycerides, Metabolic Disorders, Gastrointestinal Disorders, and Major Diseases.
I also wrote about valuable nutrients. Here are the links for easy access:
Boron, Urolithin, taurine, citrulline malate, biotin, lithium orotate, alpha-lipoic acid, n-acetyl-cysteine, acetyl-l-carnitine, CoQ10, PQQ, NADH, TMG, creatine, choline, digestive enzymes, magnesium, zinc, hydrolyzed collagen, nootropics, pure nicotine, activated charcoal, Vitamin B12, Vitamin B1, Vitamin D, Vitamin K2, Omega-3 Fatty Acids, N-Acetyl L-Tyrosine, and other nutrients to improve metabolism and mental health.
Disclaimer: Please note that my posts do not include professional or health advice. I document my reviews, observations, experiences, and perspectives only to provide information and create awareness.
I publish my lifestyle, health, and well-being stories on EUPHORIA. My focus is on metabolic, cellular, mitochondrial, and mental health. Here is my collection of Insightful Life Lessons from Personal Stories.
If you enjoy writing and storytelling, you can join Medium, NewsBreak, and Vocal as a creator to find your voice, reach out to a broad audience, and monetize your content.
You may also check my blog posts about my articles and articles of other writers contributing to my publications on Medium. I share them on my website digitalmehmet.com. Here is my professional bio. You can contact me via weblink.
If you are a writer, you can also join Vocal Media, and NewsBreak as a writer using my referral links and monetizing your content while inspiring a large audience.
You might join my six publications on Medium as a writer by sending a request via this link. 24K+ writers contribute to my publications. You might find more information about my professional background.
