avatarThe Accidental Monster

Summary

The web content provides a comprehensive guide on how to navigate and contribute to Medium publications, including tips on joining publications, submitting articles, and the etiquette of publishing on the platform.

Abstract

The article titled "Follower To Follower #21" on the undefined website discusses the intricacies of engaging with publications on Medium. It acknowledges that despite being less than a year old on the platform, there is a wealth of knowledge to be shared about publications, colloquially known as "pubs." The author, who owns a publication, offers insights into three methods for finding and contributing to publications: via the "Manage Publications" page, using the search bar, and through "The Evergreen Directory." The piece also advises on becoming a writer for a publication, the process of submitting drafts, and the importance of not publishing an article before submitting it to a publication. The author emphasizes the need to adhere to Medium's rules to avoid penalties, such as those for double posting. The article concludes with a list of community members and instructions on how to get mentioned or excluded from future lists.

Opinions

  • The author believes that Medium's interface could be more intuitive for finding and contributing to publications but acknowledges efforts made by the platform.
  • There is a hint of frustration regarding inactive publications, likening them to "abandoned ships with no captains."
  • The author values transparency and ease of access, suggesting that publications that make the writer application process clear are more welcoming.
  • The preference is for publications that do not "gatekeep," indicating a belief in open collaboration.
  • The author admits to making mistakes in the publishing process and reassures readers that errors can be corrected.
  • There is a strong recommendation for using "The Evergreen Directory" to find active publications that are accepting writers.
  • The author encourages engagement with the community, suggesting readers to clap, comment, and follow the publication or save the list for future reference.
  • The piece promotes the author's newsletter, Twitter, and Facebook accounts, indicating a desire to build a broader audience and community.
  • The author emphasizes the importance of supporting writers and being an active member of the Medium community.

Followers

Follower To Follower #21

The art of publications

Image by geralt on Pixabay

(This is an old article, more than 60 days old. Many of the people tagged are no longer active.)

The other day, I got an inspiring question from Ekene Moses about publications. It’s easy to forget how much there is to learn about pubs (that’s the shortened lingo) on Medium- even though I’ve been here less than a year!

So I figured this article would be a great place to help people understand how to deal with pubs — finding them, becoming a writer for them, and submitting articles to them!

How To Pub Crawl On Medium

There’s a few ways to go about this. Medium doesn’t make it super easy, but you can tell they try. I’m sure they’ll do better eventually…

I hope.

Anyway, way #1 is through the “Manage Publications” page:

Image by author

Since I am a pub owner, my pub is its own quick-link from this menu as well.

Once in there, you can either create a new pub (I think there’s a requirement before you can do that), or check on existing pubs.

When you’re accepted in a pub, the pub will show up here as well- I don’t think there’s a limit on how many you can write for, either!

The problem with using the suggested pubs here is that you don’t know if they’re even still active until you visit the page and skim around for publish dates. Some are like abandoned ships with no captains…

Way #2 is through the search bar on the main screen

Using whatever tags you’d like, you can refine your search to specific topics or genres, and set it to ‘publications.’ Like “self-help,” “fiction,” or “future of food.” Whatever you’re looking for, there’s probably a pub out there for it.

Except that the same problem exists here, too! You don’t know if they’re active until you visit the page.

Way #2.5 is ALSO through the search bar

Searching the stories themselves will show you the date it was published- and let you click straight to the publication it was published in. Win-win, right! It’s got all the benefits with fewer drawbacks.

The searches still aren’t organized by date, though, so you may need to scroll through a bunch to get what you’re looking for.

Way #3 is upcoming…

Shameless plug here, The Evergreen Directory now includes publications- and lists whether they’re accepting writers at a glance! It’s not very big yet, but spread the word — publications can have an easier time at getting seen by readers and writers alike!

Become A Writer Here

Each publication has their own method of accepting writers. Most of them use the same tactic I do, which is using an article that explains the rules, expectations, and guidelines all in one place. That article will also explain how to apply to be a writer.

It’s usually pretty obvious from their main page which tab features that particular article; when it’s not, you might have to find their contact details to learn more.

And when that’s not there… they probably don’t want new writers.

BUT, you can try anyway either by commenting at the editor, or using the pub’s social media pages to contact them directly.

I mean, I don’t, but you could. Personally, I’d rather find a pub that makes the process easier; if they need to gatekeep then they probably don’t need writers. And I like to feel welcome, you know? But that’s just me.

Submitting The Story

Most of them add this in their guideline articles, but just in case I’ll add it here. You could be making your own, after all.

SO — you’ve written an article and want to submit it. First thing’s first…

DON’T PUBLISH IT YET.

Most pubs want to be the one to publish it fresh, for multiple reasons:

  • It shows up as the most recent post on the main page when published (otherwise it gets shuffled in according to date, and could get buried).
  • The story gets mailed out to those signed up to the pub’s email list (which it won’t do if it’s self-published).
  • Only drafts can be scheduled to publish (some say there’s a limit on how many per day can be published, but it’s best to publish each story a few hours apart to give each one its own time — too many at once and people won’t read either as much).
  • There’s probably other reasons I’m not aware of yet.

Instead, submit the draft to the publication by clicking that “…” in the top right corner and selecting “Add to publication.”

Never mind those 7 alerts… Image by author

Click the option you want (assuming you have more than one), and then save and continue. If you’ve done it right, the “Publish” button turns into “Submit:”

Image by author

Then, complete everything else like normal!

Last Bit — A Confession

I’ve messed up on this stuff many times. Even knowing what to do, mistakes are still easy to make. Don’t sweat it — you can fix it.

Some pubs are fine with the accidental publish if it’s in the same day. Others aren’t. If you accidentally published it, just copy the entire article into a new draft, and delete the one you published.

Start over, and make sure that button changes to “Submit.”

It’s not something you want to make a habit of, but once in awhile it happens. You just fix it as best you can and move on.

These don’t count as double posting (which is against Medium rules, btw), because you’re deleting the first one entirely. As if it didn’t exist. Do not leave both published. Medium will punish people for double posting.

(I saw someone that had posted the same article four times to add it to different publications. This isn’t about whether the pub allows it. Medium doesn’t. So don’t do it.)

And with that, we’re on to the day’s addition to our community! Happy publishing, all!

Remember: no one is required to follow anyone else, ever. This isn’t a “follow-for-follow” kind of list (though what you all do with it is up to you).

  1. Spiritworth 2. S. G. S. Abel 3. Faith Abalaka 4. Archatterjee 5. Alex

6. Ahmed Ikram 7. Krutikashri 8. Rock 9. astrovertana 10. Gyan R. Biswal

11. Pavlo Tiupa 12. Lavendula 13. Shyamashree Acharya 14. Baddro

15. Lysergic World Design 16. JMC 17. M. Elizabeth Blair 18. Erica Lyn

19. Abby Lacy 20. Ashley French 21. Instagram Followers 22. Rimsha Munir

23. Samantha Lawton 24. T. Maxwell-Harrison 25. Sherie Hartman

Due to volume and time constraints, unless there’s a question or you’re brand-new and looking to be on a future list, I’ll respond to comments with claps to let you know I’ve read and appreciated your thoughts and encouragements!

How To Get Mentioned In A Future List (Or Not)

Let me know in a comment on any F2F article like this one, and I’ll add you to a future one. UNLESS you request not to be on a list, then you’ll be removed-no questions asked!

Each profile can only be listed in the series once. If you’ve been listed previously, I won’t add you to a future one, no matter how much time has passed.

Consider checking out the Evergreen version instead! Click the link or sign up to the newsletter below for more details!

Remember to clap, comment, and either follow Monster Alley (where they’re published) or save the list for more of these! Good luck on your climb!

Until next time, follow each other, follow the dopamine, and follow yourself, always!

Hey, look: a newsletter. And also Twitter. And Facebook.

Support writers, read without limits, and be part of the community — all for $5.

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