ILLUMINATION Gaming Is Part of the Boost Program Now

Practical guidance to gamers to increase the chance of boosting on Medium as your new boost nominator

Dear Gaming Enthusiasts, exciting news! Effective December 1st, 2023, my little yet renowned pub, ILLUMINATION Gaming, has received the prestigious boost nomination acceptance from Medium.com. This recognition marks a significant milestone, propelling our publication to new heights.

I’m immensely grateful for this recognition and the doors it opens for us. To celebrate this achievement and guide you through contributing to ILLUMINATION Gaming, I’ve prepared insights on leveraging the boost nomination process for your benefit.

Gaming isn’t just a hobby for me — it’s a passion that sometimes makes me forget to eat. In 2022, I channeled this intense enthusiasm into a Medium publication, creating a space where gaming writers could truly shine.

The ILLUMINATION community warmly embraced this endeavor, and I’m immensely grateful for their support. However, in August 2023, Medium shifted gears, prioritizing quality over quantity. This change prompted us to revamp our submission guidelines to ensure our stories get the spotlight they rightly deserve.

As the proud owner and chief editor of ILLUMINATION Gaming, I rolled up my sleeves and got to work on refining our guidelines. Fear not, our guidelines don’t resemble the rules of a hardcore dungeon. Gamers come in all playstyles, and that diversity is completely fine.

However, maintaining a certain level of quality is crucial because, let’s face it, who doesn’t appreciate a well-crafted, nicely formatted story to complement their gaming adventures?

Here is the link to submission guidelines for your review before submitting your stories to ILLUMINATION-Gaming.

I’m a committed gaming writer and created a fresh publication named ILLUMINATION Gaming. But I didn’t settle there. I envisioned this publication being part of a larger, more expansive entity. That’s when I united with Illumination Integrated Publications.

They boast over 25,000 writers and a readership that reaches an impressive 74,000. It’s akin to joining a legendary raid party with all the essential buffs in place.

Now, let’s talk about the fun part. We’ve got ourselves a Slack workspace. tailor-made for gamers. Best part? It’s free for all members and overseen by our trusty publication moderators. I also created a Discord platform for writers to collaborate and have fun. You can learn about it from the attached story, which also includes a YouTube video as an introduction.

Slack and Discord will be our hub where gamers can gather, strategize, and swap tales of epic victories and crushing defeats. My vision is to create an environment where collaboration is key, just like a well-coordinated raid.

But I’m not embarking on this quest solo. No way! I’ve gathered a team of devoted editors who’ve stepped up to join me on this adventure. They’re here to assist in publishing and promoting your legendary gaming tales. After all, teamwork makes the dream work, doesn’t it?

What is the boost program and how can it help writers?

The BOOST program started last year around November but gained popularity in August 2023, when Medium made significant changes to prioritize quality over quantity. After one year, it is still in the beta stage.

This was a major shift from writers focusing on quantity to reaching a broader audience. Medium rewards high-quality content to achieve writers’ goals and please readers. Boost program is one of the recognition attributes of well-crafted, memorable, and impactful stories.

Medium has a documented process for boosting. Unlike previously algorithmic selection, Medium now allows the community, selected boost nominators, mainly publication owners, to nominate stories to a portal with justification. But curators of Medium also boost stories.

In essence, human curators review stories, and if they concur with the quality, impact, and alignment with Medium’s standards, they boost the story by programming it in the distribution system. This strategic move leverages the platform’s automation power to amplify the story’s reach.

As our chief editor, Dr Mehmet Yildiz has already provided guidance via an interview with ILLUMINATION editors, I will not repeat them here. You may read the details in the attached story.

Dr Yildiz also provided a comprehensive checklist for writers. This story is a treasure trove, so remember to save it and digest it.

So in a nutshell, when you finish writing your drafts, you ask these five questions:

1 — Is my story impactful and constructive?

2 — Is my story original?

3 — Do I write from relevant experience?

4 — Is my story well-crafted?

5 — Does my story feel memorable?

What Is Fair Game in ILLUMINATION Gaming

Now, let’s talk about the exciting stuff — what kind of gaming stories can you unleash upon our battleground of pixels and joysticks?

Well, the options are as vast as a sprawling open-world RPG. Here are some ideas to fuel your creative gaming quests on ILLUMINATION Gaming:

Game Buzz: Dive into the world of current and upcoming games. Tell us about the latest releases, exciting announcements from developers, and the hottest trends.

Personal Gaming Odyssey: Share your own epic tales of gaming conquests, defeats, and unforgettable moments.

Platform Power: Explore gaming platforms like Twitch and YouTube, or discuss the ins and outs of app stores and launchers like Steam and Epic Games and how they shape the gaming landscape.

Level Up Your Channel: Drop some knowledge on how to grow a gaming channel, enhance your streaming setup, and master the art of content creation in the gaming universe.

Quality of Life Hacks: Share tips and tricks for improving the gaming experience. This could include anything from in-game enhancements to tech recommendations for gamers.

NFTs and Gaming: Dive into the exciting world of NFTs in gaming, whether it’s virtual reality, augmented reality, or blockchain-based collectibles.

Future Tech in Gaming: Explore upcoming tech that’s set to revolutionize how we play, from new consoles to innovative controller types and input methods.

Community Building: Introduce apps and programs that help gamers connect and build communities outside of the game, like Discord.

Science Meets Gaming: Delve into the scientific aspects of gaming, including discussions on health and well-being related to it.

Behind the Scenes: Take us backstage with articles about the architecture, design, development, and implementation of online games. This includes diving into gaming codes and scripts crafted by developers.

Gamers Unplugged: Showcase gamers through interviews, gaming videos, or podcasts attached to short-form stories. It’s like putting a spotlight on the heroes of the gaming world.

Epic Gaming Visuals: Spice up your stories with gaming photos from events and the gaming industry. And if you’re hosting or know of any gaming events, consider this your personal invitation to share the excitement.

At ILLUMINATION Gaming, whether you’re an experienced gamer or just starting, your stories are valued. It’s more than just writing; it’s about sharing, learning, and enjoying the gaming world together. Join us and let’s make gaming writing even better!

If you’re itching to start this gaming adventure with us, you can request to join ILLUMINATION Gaming via this link where we keep a registry of our writers.

Guidelines for ILLUMINATION Gaming

Original Content and Draft Only: Your stories must be unique, avoiding plagiarism or duplicating elsewhere. Originality is key. We also accept drafts for nomination, but for your generic stories, you are welcome to send self-published ones. We will not nominate them.

Engaging Narratives: Keep readers hooked with immersive, exciting storytelling.

Provide Sources: If your story is from another platform, include a link to the original source.

Honesty and Accuracy: Truthful content is crucial; avoid misleading information.

Include Images: Each story needs at least one copyright-free image with a clear caption and source. Ensure images relate to your story’s topic and audience.

Free Stock Sites: Use only free stock image sites like unsplash.com, pixabay.com, or pexels.com.

Edit Your Work: Self-edit to ensure your story is well-written and free of errors.

Formatting Matters: Proper formatting makes stories more readable and enjoyable.

Affiliate Link Disclosure: If you share affiliate links, be transparent and disclose them.

Share Your Profile: Submit a bio to introduce yourself and your gaming journey. I keep profiles in a collection so let me know when you write your bio.

Human-Crafted Tales: Only submit human-generated content; AI-generated content isn’t allowed but can be sent to ILLUMINATION’s Lampshade. Except for the Lampshade of ILLUMINATION, our publications don’t accept AI-generated content. You may learn about our AI writing policy.

These guidelines ensure a smooth quest for all adventurers in the realm of ILLUMINATION Gaming!

Here’s a checklist to make your gaming stories gleam like a freshly polished sword.

Tips for Writing Compelling Stories

Know Your Reader: Imagine your ideal audience and shape your story to suit their interests.

Offer Valuable Insights: Provide takeaways that your audience will find meaningful.

Write Clearly: Make your writing easy to understand and engaging to read.

Edit and Proofread: Review your story like an editor and use tools like Grammarly for accuracy.

Effective Structure: Ensure your story flows from the introduction to the conclusion smoothly.

Engage Readers: Use vibrant language, comparisons, and examples to keep readers interested.

Clarity in Message: Present your main ideas clearly, making sure they’re easy to comprehend.

Authenticity Matters: Be truthful and authentic in your storytelling to match your content’s purpose.

Focus on Formatting: Pay attention to formatting, including titles, subtitles, and images.

Check for Errors: Review for mistakes, validate links, and seek feedback for complex topics.

These tips will help you craft compelling and engaging stories that resonate with your audience!

Remember, our goal is to create a realm of captivating stories and unforgettable adventures for our readers.

While we treasure quality, we understand that every adventurer’s journey begins with a first step, and we’re here to support your growth.

So, sharpen your keyboard, brew a potion of creativity, and embark on your next quest in ILLUMINATION Gaming. Together, we’ll craft legendary tales worthy of a top spot on the leaderboard.

Let’s Meet Editors of ILLUMINATION Gaming

Aiden (Illumination Gaming), Dr Mehmet Yildiz, Dr. Preeti Singh, Antonio Segovia, MD., Mike Broadly, DHSc, The Sturg, Kurt Dillon, Mert, Nurma Komala-Hadi, Philip Writes, Vidya Sury, Collecting Smiles, Nuno Campos, Mashrur Arafin Ayon, Almar Tagara, K. Joseph, Ali Alzahrani, Editor, Shahzaib Malik, bluesapphire, ChloeChing627, Abraham Bamidele, ILLUMINATION, ILLUMINATION Amplifiers, and ILLUMINATION-Curators.

I am looking for a few volunteer editors who enjoy and understand gaming. Please contact me on Slack or Discord to discuss the criteria and requirements for an editorial role for our publications. The fundamentals are covered in the attached story by Dr Mehmet Yildiz in 2021 when ILLUMINATON and Synergy started growing rapidly. We now have 145 volunteer editors in our team.

I also want to introduce a few regular contributors to ILLUMINATION Gaming. Please consider following them and exploring their content. They write amazing stories.

Rodney McGill, Zuzanna Żak, The Sturg, Brandon J Trimble, JY Tan, Jamie Crook, Dezmodian Emruby, Deon Christie, Paul Farrelly, Dwight Wilson Jr., McCaylee Putney, Andreea Cristea, Sage Pen, Ivan Franchin, Jarod Vyent, Ben Roland, and Dr Mehmet Yildiz. I will feature stories of these writers in an upcoming collection for December.

A Little About Me

I write articles in my field covering gaming, film-making, social media, and design. I am also a YouTuber. Thank you for subscribing to my account to get notifications when I post on Medium. I also created a new website to share my content for free and promote stories of writers contributing to my publications on Medium. I have a Substack newsletter. Let’s connect on Twitter and LinkedIn.

I own two publications on Medium. One for video gamers and another for YouTubers and Podcasters. I also support Illumination Integrated Publications as a volunteer editor and participate in collaborative activities in the Slack Workspace. Writer applications for my publications can be sent via this weblink. Please add your Medium ID.

You may also consider being a Vocal+ member to monetize your content. I write for both platforms and repurpose my content to reach a larger audience. Here is more information about Vocal Media. I also enjoy email marketing using Cliqly.

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