FORMATTING AND SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
Formatting — This is the Way …
WRITE IT GOOD — WRITE IT REAL GOOD …
Welcome! You can read my introduction to MuserScribe, an upcoming platform for writers to talk about their muse and storytelling here.
If you’re a regular writer on Medium, you’ll be familiar with the story editor so I’m not taking a deep dive into the technicalities. The purpose of this article is to give (1) a basic overview of formatting and (2) to talk about the submission guidelines to write for MuserScribe.
Title
Every story or article needs a title. Your title carries the promise and delivery of your topic so choose your words carefully!
The title must be in title case (highlight your title and click on the large T). Don’t capitalise the first letter of each word, only the keywords. Keep it reasonably short and punchy.
Subtitle
Always use a subtitle below your title. Your subtitle (highlight your subtitle and click on the small T) should extend the idea of your main title and add that bit more promise.
Your subtitle (and title!) is a tool of enticement to seduce potential readers! Again, choose your words wisely.
Kicker
To kick or not to kick? There’s an option above the title to use a kicker. This is an often underused and misunderstood feature. However, once I started using it, I became pretty hooked, which, in a nutshell, is its function.
The kicker is best used as a hook or classification tool. A kicker can optimise search results to lead traffic to your story, which is what we all want. For instance, if the title of your article is ‘Top Tips for Decorating your Dining Room’, your kicker could be ‘Home DIY and Decorating’. If you’re writing a load of articles on home and decorating, your kicker can link those articles under one group, maximising your reach.
Backspace a line up from your title to produce the option for a kicker. Again, highlight and click on the small T when you’re done.
Layout — Fiction Submissions
MuserScribe accepts short fiction, flash fiction, poetry, or book chapters (up to a seven-minute read as verified by Medium’s time clock).
Layout preferences include keeping paragraphs reasonably short although it’s accepted some narrative derivations are de rigueur. I would remind writers of standard publishing conventions such as ‘new speaker, new line’ for dialogue.
Stories must ‘tell a story’ with a beginning, middle, and end.
Layout — Non Fiction Submissions
If producing a non-fiction story, keep paragraphs reasonably short, four or five sentences maximum. This breaks up the page aesthetically and gives your reader space to breathe.
You can use headers, bullets, and numbering to focus your reader on specific points.
You can use page separators (three dots — centered) to break up different topics on the page.
Links
Medium provides a useful hyperlink feature so (if needed) you can provide your reader with extra or backup reading related to your story or a specific topic.
After your research, simply copy the relative link. Go back to your story and highlight the relative area of your text. The Medium toolbar will appear. Click on the link-chain icon and a blank box comes up. Paste the link and click enter. That’s it! You’re done!
Images
Choosing images to illustrate your story is one of the fun parts of writing for Medium! Each story must have an image. Images from Unsplash or Pexels are free so use them! Your image goes under the title and subtitle. You can use more than one image although not to the point where your article is all image and no substance!
Professional, eye-catching, or thought-provoking images are preferred.
When you choose an image a pop-up box comes up for Alt Text. This feature is in place to enable readers with visual impairments to understand what the image is about. A few descriptive words are all that’s needed.
Always cite images. Unsplash is partnered with Medium so a citation and link automatically appear. If you’re using your own image, always cite as ‘Courtesy of the Author’ and your name. Here’s a link to help you optimise your images.
MuserScribe adheres to Medium’s policies and will not accept or publish non-cited images.
And …
Please use Grammarly, or similar free software to proofread your work.
As an editor, minor edits (usually for typos or spelling mishaps) may be made or private notes left on your articles. This is just part of an editor’s role in maintaining publication quality.
Please submit all work in draft form.
Take a few minutes, also, to review Medium’s guidelines and rules before submitting.
★ A big thank you from your Lead Editor.
Submitting to MuserScribe
For more information and story topics please see:
Writing for MuserScribe
- Please follow MuserScribe — we want you to be part of our community!
- Clap for this post (hey, algorithms!) to help us connect with a wider, writerly audience!
- Respond to this article with ‘I would love to talk about my muse and write for MuserScribe!’. Don’t forget to add your @ username!
Neither MuserScribe nor The Scriber’s Nook publishes works that contain racism, sexism, or gender bias. Neither MuserScribe nor The Scriber’s Nook publishes erotica, or pornographic material in any form.
Baby Steps …
MuserScribe is in its infancy as a publication and development is an ongoing project. Thank you for your patience and interest!
© 2022 Susi Moore. All Rights Reserved.
Calling all fiction writers! Aspiring or established! Want to showcase your writing and imagination? Write for The Scriber’s Nook! We love fiction, poetry, flights of fancy, and more.
Susi Moore runs MuserScribe (a new publication to Medium) where writers submit their stories and talk about the inspiration behind them … 💜💜💜
