Dear Medium Writers, You Owe Me An Apology
Please stop harassing publication editors
Whether you work for Illumination, The Writing Cooperative, Better Marketing, or Write To Inspire, your work will be evaluated by a publication editor carefully. We have to admit that publication editors are concerned when it comes to quality and maintaining their reputation. It is their right; if they send you a private note and request to change something, you shouldn’t get angry or make unnecessary arguments.
What Happened To Me?
When I decided to add some writers to my publication, I thought that it would be good to offer a fixed price for every approved/published piece. I mentioned two things clearly in the guidelines. The first one is that we will give one chance to the writer to fix their work based on the feedback, and the second is that we reserve the right to reject a piece if it doesn’t meet all of the requirements.
This is said by every publication owner/editor. Nobody blindly publishes your piece. If your formatting is not correct, you have made some spelling or grammatical errors, or have plagiarized the work, the editor can refuse to publish it. In such a situation, arguing with them makes no sense.
Here’s the screenshot of the message I typically send to writers who want to publish their content with my publication.
You can see how politely I ask my fellow writers to make some minor changes/fix something and resubmit. Is it something you should get angry about? Do you want me to publish your work randomly even if you’ve made so many mistakes or have ignored the guidelines? If you think so, I am sorry you are wrong. There is nothing a publication editor can do for aspiring writers if they don’t realize their own mistakes.
I Can Also Make Mistakes
Besides my own publication, I have my pieces published with the Illumination group. I work closely with them. Their editors also point out mistakes in my work, and I apologize and correct everything right away. The Lark rejected one of my pieces yesterday, and it was my mistake. I was quick at saying sorry to Denise Larkin and promised to be careful the next time.
Basically, publication editors, whether paid or unpaid, are here to help you improve your writing. You and I have no right to harass them. If someone is not able to identify and admit their own mistakes even when an editor points them out, I don’t think their work should be published. In this situation, work can be self-published.
You Owe Me An Apology
I am sad to say that I have taken back the offer of $2 to $3 for every published piece because the behaviour of some aspiring writers is unacceptable to me. If you are following me, you might remember I had shared a similar post some days ago. The problem with some aspiring writers is that they want the publication editor to quickly check and publish their work, which is not always possible. They also want them to publish even when the content doesn’t align with the guidelines, and I don’t think any publication editor will do so.
Learn to respect others.
Please remember that Medium doesn’t allow harassment or disrespect. It is a very good and friendly website. Anybody can join the Partner Program to earn a living. We can act as a team, and there is no need to send stupid messages to the publication editor. This is what I say to my fellows in the Facebook group and newsletter.