avatarHarold Zeitung

Summary

The author shares their experience with Medium editors and encourages writers to keep writing despite rejections.

Abstract

The author recounts their experience of having their Medium account under investigation due to violating Medium rules, specifically for including a private message from an editor in their story. They express embarrassment and explain how they resolved the issue. The author then shares anecdotes of famous authors who faced rejection before achieving success, highlighting the importance of perseverance in writing. They also discuss the role of editors on Medium and the responsibility that comes with running a publication. The author encourages writers to write to the best of their ability and not get discouraged by rejections. They also provide examples of feedback they received from an editor and ask for the reader's feedback.

Opinions

  • The author believes that Theodor Seuss Geisel, Steven King, and Harold Zeitung's perseverance in the face of rejection is a valuable lesson for writers.
  • The author questions the bragging rights of editors who claim ownership of their publications on Medium, as the platform is free and has no prerequisites for editorship.
  • The author believes that running a publication on Medium conveys a sense of responsibility and that editors should make the rules for their publications.
  • The author encourages writers to write to the best of their ability and not get discouraged by rejections.
  • The author believes that some editors provide quality feedback and that writers should stick with them.
  • The author encourages writers to feel free to tweak their stories to fit publications, self-publish, establish their publications, and seek out other publications they are comfortable with.
  • The author promotes their own publication, Klearance Cannabis Collection, as a place for stories that don't seem to fit elsewhere.

BUSTED! — In Their Quest To Be Right, Editors Can Be Wrong.

My contact with some editors has taught me valuable lessons.

Photo by Hannah Olinger on Unsplash

Disclosure

It is embarrassing to see these words on my Medium account, “This account is under investigation or was found in violation of the Medium Rules.” To clear my account, I have deleted the original content of this story, and I am republishing a copy that complies with Medium rules.

What was my grievous transgression in the original story, you ask?

I included the text of a private message I received from an editor. I have rewritten this story so that the original comments are alluded to rather than stated verbatim.

On to the main event

Do you know that Theodor Seuss Geisel, also known as Dr. Seuss, had his book “Cat in the Hat” rejected 27 times before being published? Steven King’s first novel, “Carrie” was rejected 31 times before being published by Doubleday, and Harold Zeitung’s post, “It Pissed Me Off, And I Cried All The Way To The Bank,” was rejected by an editor in this venue. (Wildmindcreative.com)

An editor in this venue, for the most part, is an unpaid position. Most are editors because they create a publication for free on the Medium platform by clicking their mouse a few times. There are no prerequisites to be an editor on Medium. Anyone can be an editor and have their publications. You can be an editor and have your publication if you desire. I have heard a few editors say they own their publications. Owning something provided free by the platform and having no prerequisites has questionable bragging rights.

However, running a publication on Medium conveys a sense of responsibility. Your reputation is on the line whether your post only your stories or allow others to post in your sandbox. Your name is linked to the content of your pub. I believe if it’s your sandbox, you get to make the rules.

My point in writing this story is to encourage you to write to the best of your ability. Don’t get discouraged when you are turned down. December 5, 2021, I received a publication rejection.

I have reflected on the editor’s critiques over the last four months and would like to explore each one of them with my audience.

  1. The editor said the title did not accurately describe the story's content. — Huh? The title is an English idiom. “I cried all the way to the bank,” explained the story.
  2. The editor said there were too many CTAs (calls to action), and they were not permitted. — Did the editor mean the three items that Medium actively encourages writers to include; encouragement for free readers to join Medium, for all readers to subscribe to writers, and for readers to support writers by Ko-Fi donations? Or was it the two links to similar stories I included at the end?
  3. The editor said it is not appropriate to leave a message for editors at the end of the story. — Why not? Fifty years ago, doctors and attorneys considered it unprofessional to advertise beyond the Yellow Pages. Now, such advertisements are standard on TV and highway billboards. Why is “Editors, please contact me if you feel my writing style would be a good fit for your publication” not acceptable?
  4. The editor expressed a desire to see another submission. — This statement lacks credibility because the editor later blocked me after I self-published my story.

What do you think? I’d like to have your feedback.

Many editors have made it their mission to provide good content in their publications and provide accurate quality feedback to writers seeking to submit stories for publication.

In my tenure here, I have come across some that are very good at providing quality feedback, and I wish to recognize them.

Graham Cooke — Are you Out There

Dr Mehmet Yildiz— ILLUMINATION

Karen Nimmo — On The Couch

Antonello Zanini — Language Hub

I’m sure there are many others.

Takeaways

  • When you find an editor with quality feedback, stick with them. Their advice can be golden.
  • Just because an editor does not accept your story, it only means your story is not a good fit for the publication. It doesn’t mean your story is terrible.
  • Feel the freedom to tweak your story to fit the publication.
  • Feel the freedom to self-publish.
  • Feel the freedom to establish your publication.
  • Feel the freedom to seek out other publications you are more comfortable with.
  • Shameless plug for Klearance Cannabis Collection — Consider submitting your story to KCC — A collection of stories that don’t seem to fit elsewhere.
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