The Medium Quick Reference Guide®
Chapter 3: Getting to Know Your Homepage
To be productive on Medium, it’s best to get to know your surroundings.
Refining Your Recommendations
Navigation:
Your Homepage -> Click +
Clicking on the + tab displays the Topics to follow section at the bottom of the Refine recommendations page. We’ll discuss Topics in more detail in Chapter 3: Getting to Know Your Homepage Commands.
Recommended Reading, Just “For you”
Navigation:
Your Homepage -> Click For you
Clicking on the For you tab displays recommended stories tailored to your interests and reading history. As you read more stories on Medium, the “For you” recommended stories will personalize your interests.
Your Current Following
Navigation:
Your Homepage -> Click Following
Clicking on the Following tab displays the users you currently follow. If you decide to unfollow a writer, choose the … drop-down below the person’s story, and pick Unfollow this author.
Reading Topic Choices
Navigation:
Your Homepage -> Click a Topic
The five topics, Startup, Social Media, Business, Education, and Technology were the topics of interest I chose when doing my Medium account set-up. Later I refined my topics to be Entrepreneurship, Freelancing, Freelancers, Writer, and Blog. I did this because the change best represented my target audience.
Medium’s Staff Picks High-quality Posts
Medium’s editorial team selects Staff Picks as high-quality content among the thousands published daily. These articles showcase various perspectives, topics, and formats and can be an excellent way for writers to access a wider audience.
Recommended Topics — What Are You Missing
Medium’s recommended topics are a set of curated collections of articles organized around specific subjects or themes. Medium’s algorithm and editorial team generate these topics. They are prominently displayed on the Medium homepage and in the topics section of the website, so readers can easily find and explore content on a wide range of subjects. Some topic examples are History, Startup, Freelancing, and Entrepreneurship.
Whom Should You Follow
“Who to Follow” is a feature that recommends writers and publications to follow based on a person’s reading history. Medium’s algorithms generate the list by considering the articles one’s read, the writers and publications a person follows, and an individual’s overall reading history. Its purpose is to help users discover new and exciting writers and publications.
How to Use Recently Saved Stories
Recently saved are stories a reader may archive for later reading or reference. Save stories by clicking on the Bookmark button in the upper right corner of any story page. Creating personalized lists to save stories is discussed in Chapter 4: Exploring the Picture Profile Drop-down.
Medium’s Help Center
Navigation:
Your Homepage -> Click Help
Medium’s Help Center includes articles on Getting started, Managing your account, Reading, Managing stories, Writing & editing, Distribution, Partner Program, Publications, Terms & Policies, Content, and Safety. We’ll cover Medium’s Help Center in Chapter 13: Using the Help Center to Get Answers.
Find Out Medium’s Status
Navigation:
Your Homepage -> Click Status
Worried Medium is out of service? Choosing Status displays Medium’s health. It shows any interruptions in service.
Learn More About Medium Writers
Navigation:
Your Homepage -> Click Writers
Choosing Writers displays Publish, grow, and earn, all in one place page. This scrollable page is devoted to helping writers hone their craft.
Read Medium’s Official Blog
Navigation:
Your Homepage -> Click Blog
Clicking on Blog displays Medium’s Official Blog titled 3 Min Read.
Medium’s blog contains stories about the platform’s features, functions, initiatives, and updates. You’re apt to find stories about Medium’s Membership Program, their commitment to equity, and how to use Medium’s stats to improve your writing.
Medium’s Official Blog content changes over time, so stop by occasionally.
Applying to Work at Medium
Navigation:
Your Homepage -> Click Careers
Clicking on Careers takes you to Jobs @ Medium. Working at Medium may be just the right fit.
Good luck landing your dream job.
Read Medium’s Privacy Policy
Navigation:
Your Homepage -> Click Policy
Clicking on Privacy displays Medium’s Privacy Policy. The company’s privacy policies contain lots of lawyer jargon but scan through the document to acquaint yourself with how Medium operates and expects everyone to behave.
Read Medium’s Terms of Service
Navigation:
Your Homepage -> Click Terms
Clicking on Terms displays Medium’s Terms of Service. Terms of Service is another document worth a read.
Learn More About Medium
Navigation:
Your Homepage -> Click About
Every idea needs Ev Williams first published a Medium in 2013. It outlines Medium’s mission and philosophy. The main premise of the document is that ideas are only valuable if they are effectively shared and distributed to the correct audience.
How to Listen to a story
Navigation:
Your Homepage -> Click Text to speech
Listen to stories using Medium’s Speechify feature.
The Speechify button is at the top of any story page.
The book chapters are hyperlinked for easy access. Click on the title that interests you most.
Table of Contents, Foreword, Introduction, 1: What is Medium, 2: Navigating Your Homepage, 3: Getting to Know Your Homepage, 4: Exploring the Profile Picture Drop-down, 5: Searching for Stories from Your Homepage, 6: Navigating Your Story Homepage, 7: Writing/Editing Great Stories, 8: Jazzing Your Stories with Images & Embeds (Sf), 9: Publishing Great Stories (Sf), 10: Managing Your Stories (Sf), 11: Tunning Your Account Settings & Preferences (Sf), 12: Getting More Email Subscribers (Sf), 13: Using the Help Center to Get Answers (Sf), 14: Gaining Your First 100 Followers (Sf), 15: Building a Following with Publications (Sf), 16: Earning Money at Medium (Sf), 17: Continuing to Gain Followers (Sf), 18: Boosting Your Brand with a Newsletter (Sf), Appendix A: Locate Commands Fast, Appendix B: Top70 Most Popular Topics, Appendix C: Top 50 Medium Publications, Appendix D: Keyboard Shortcuts, Glossary.
You might check my recent interview conducted by Dr Mehmet Yildiz, chief editor of Illumination Integrated Publications, on Medium, introducing me and my book to the writing and reading community.