Here Is Why I Think Choosing the Right Publication Is Important
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Publications are the soul of Medium. They provide great support to beginner writers — Yana Bostongirl
There are plenty of them, probably thousands, ninety-nine percent of which, I am not even aware of, or ever heard of. But they exist.
They are important.
I believe that the relationship between writers and publications is symbiotic. They lift each other up. That is why each one should pick the other wisely.
Writing is only half work done.
The remaining half includes editing, adding images, and finding the right publication to publish it.
Surprisingly, if you are writing in return for something, the latter half is of greater importance than writing itself.
Another great benefit of using Medium is that it does not bind you. You can write on random topics, themes, or ideas. If you feel that your story does not fit a particular, broadly established niche or if you like to write about anything that you feel like, you may consider submitting your story to these two pubs —
Coffee Times: My favorite, popularly growing, highly supportive, and propelling. Owned by Winston and driven by his far-sighted vision, being a member of this supportive community will redefine the writing and Medium experience for you, positively.
The pub hosts several columns including Life, Travel, Books, Entertainment, Inspiration, and Profiles, but that is an added advantage and you are free to write on any topic, really.
New Writers Welcome: Owned and run by Robert Ralph, this is another great publication for new writers who are still finding their way through their writings.
If you are someone like me, who is still discovering what they wish to write, then this publication offers a safe space for you to experiment. An added advantage is that you will come across other new writers and share similar experiences as a newbie and learn!
Publications to explore when you are experimenting with your styles of writing —
As a beginner, we are not only unsure about “what” we want to write, but also about “how” we should write it.
When you start, you may not know what is your writing style. I still don’t. We can only know if we write enough, try different styles, analyze the audience response and realize what naturally flows out of our minds, rather than making writing a stressful experience.
Lifeline: If you enjoy writing poetry or even if you are not sure you can write one but wish to give it a try, this publication, owned and run by Sahil Patel will hold your hand and offer you an encouraging space to try.
The biggest plus point of associating with Lifeline, specifically for poetry is the continuous engagement from Sahil. He makes it a point to remain in constant touch with members of his community on Lifeline and shares great ideas, prompts for your exercise.
Shorties But Goodies: Short form writing is in vogue and if you think you are not meant for long, attention-draining essays, you might want to check out this pub, owned and run by Liberty Forrest, Author.
The only things you need to take care of include —
- Your content should be positive, inspiring, and reinforcing. No negativity.
- Your content should not exceed 150 words, including the headline.
I personally find it challenging to write short-form content as I am, by the default of my personality, driven to explain in great depths, but it is one of the styles of writing that I aspire to conquer.
The Memoirist: If you like to write personal essays or narratives or fictional memoirs, all in long-form content, this may be a perfect place for you.
I am personally exploring this style at present and I believe it has a huge scope.
Safe spaces for your emotions and vulnerabilities include —
I have always found it comforting and therapeutic to write about my emotions, mental health, and my journey of healing.
Spending the last five months writing about these topics has helped me realize that this particular subject of writing is one of my core niches.
Accordingly, if you also write about emotions, empathy, highly sensitive persons, deeply personal and vulnerable experiences, trauma, tragedy, or damage, this publication may provide a good fit —
CRY Magazine: Creativity + Vulnerability. Owned and run by the very amazing Kern Carter, CRY offers you a comforting space to pour out your emotions and share your journey of growth.
CRY is one of the first publications I joined and contributed as a writer and continues to remain one of my favorites too.
Miscellaneous suggestions —
- If you have not already, join the About Me Stories and share your story. The importance of having an About Me story was underlined beautifully by Lisa Gerard Braun during her interview with Coffee Times last week. She says —
There is a great value in understanding who someone is, their culture, and influences in life. The biography helps a reader ‘hear’ a writer’s voice. Quy Ma deserves huge kudos for the “About Me” publication and I appreciate being part of it. I highly recommend that every writer contribute a blurb about themselves if they haven’t done so. It’s never too late to introduce yourself!
- It is always nice to express gratitude once in a while. Thank You Notes, A Place of Appreciation, owned by Trista Signe Ainsworth is a wonderful platform to stop by and consume/give away some positivity by expressing and practicing “thankfulness”.
Here is what Trista says about it —
I wanted to create a place of gratitude and positivity online. Thank You Notes is the place to thank life, the universe, and those who have helped you in your life.
- If you like to share about your writing journey, your experiences as a new writer, or simply the writing strategies that worked or didn’t work for you, Writer’s Blokke, run by Benny Lim is a good place for your sharing.
I hope this was helpful.
While it is always nice to join/explore new publications and start contributing to as many as possible, I also believe that this should happen slowly.
I would suggest that do not list yourself as a writer to 20 publications today and then realize that you are not able to contribute to more than 2 of them.
A good way to reap the maximum benefits of a pub is to develop a sense of belongingness and community with the pub. This can only happen if you read, engage and contribute frequently in a chosen set of pubs as opposed to everywhere.
This article was written in response to Yana Bostongirl’s weekly prompt “What pubs would you recommend and why?” shared in her article — 6 Up and Coming Pubs That I Highly Recommend and Why
You can support me in my writing journey by buying me a coffee on Ko-Fi here.
