ILLUMINATION’s Mirror: Submission Guidelines 2023
A platform for level 2 writers to shine and go to levels 3 and 4
Dear Writers, Authors, and Bloggers,
We established ILLUMINATION in March 2020, and it grew too fast. As a diverse and inclusive publication, during that time, we also accepted multiple stories from writers daily, which has become overwhelming due to the growing number of contributors.
To address this, our chief editor devised a solution by establishing ILLUMINATION’s Mirror publication to share the publishing workload by referring multiple stories of our prolific writers daily to Mirror. This approach worked effectively for some time.
However, we encountered a similar challenge after 2022 as the Mirror publication also gained more writers. With the increased number of writers of Mirror and the excess stories of ILLUMINATION going to it, the publication couldn’t handle the load.
Given our limitations, such as a maximum of 30 editors per publication mandated by Medium and the increasing stress on our volunteer editors, we decided to restrict accepting only one story per writer per day for all our publications, including ILLUMINATION’s Mirror.
Interestingly, in August 2023, Medium recognized that multiple stories from the same authors were not aligned with the strategic focus of Medium. They changed the MPP program and payment, focusing on more quality than quantity.
Upon analyzing the statistics, we observed that writers who posted too many stories resulted in lower views, reading times, and income.
Further analysis revealed that high-quality stories, supported and boosted by Medium, attracted significantly more visibility and engagement. So, the pattern became crystal clear.
Therefore, we started restricting the number of stories on ILLUMINATION and transferring lower-quality stories to Mirror, Readers Hope, and our other smaller publications.
As we don’t enjoy rejecting stories, we gave alternative solutions to writers to grow and improve their craft gradually with support from our editors and the community.
Since implementing this policy, our workload has become more manageable. This change benefits our team, writers, and the Medium platform.
Readers now seek well-crafted and meaningful stories, prioritizing quality over quantity. We wholeheartedly support Medium’s strategic shift and have aligned our guidelines accordingly.
Unlike ILLUMINATION and ILLUMINATION-Curated, we have maintained relatively lower quality standards for ILLUMINATION’s Mirror, allowing new writers the opportunity to grow and build their audiences with our support.
If editors ask you to transfer your stories from ILLUMINATION to Mirror or Readers Hope or our specialized pubs, it means that your stories do not meet ILLUMINATION’s new submission guidelines. So you need to follow their suggestion.
Difference Between Readers Hope and Mirror
Some writers ask the difference between Readers Hope and Mirror. Even though they are similar publications. Readers Hope is for absolute beginners. So we transfer more experienced writers of Readers Hope to Mirror.
So, to make a quantitative comparison of our generic pubs, you may consider Readers Hope as Level 1, ILLUMINATION’s Mirror Level 2, ILLUMINATION Main Level 3, and ILLUMINATION-Curated Level 4.
Most of our 23K writers (around 80%) fall between Level 2 and Level 3 therefore, these two publications grow rapidly and have more publishing workload than others.
Our other publications, such as SYNERGY, Technology Hits, ILLUMINATION Book Chapters, ILLUMINATION Gaming, ILLUMINATION Videos/Podcasts, and ILLUMINATION’s Blogs, are unique pubs. They are not generic, accepting all topics. The Lampshade of ILLUMINATION is generic but it is only for stories written by AI tools.
We are open to various content and styles but do not accept sloppy or meaningless submissions. Even though these pieces may not be polished, they should still provide value to the reader and reflect the writer’s genuine effort. We are committed to meeting the expectations of our readers.
With this background in mind, we offer valuable guidelines to our writers, helping them improve their craft progressively. Our hope is that writers starting with Mirror can eventually transition to ILLUMINATION and ILLUMINATION-Curated publications, serving more advanced and experienced writers.
As our editors come across high-quality content within this publication, they will recommend writers to our other publications, enhancing the visibility of their work.
Generic Guidelines for New Writers of ILLUMINATION’s Mirror
Once you have writer access, you can submit your drafts. To obtain writer access, you can send a request via our writer registration portal. Please point out the name of the publication in the application form.
You can submit your previously published stories if they are relevant to our purpose. Even though we prefer drafts, we accept both drafts and self-published content. Transferring from other publications is welcome.
We have a thriving community. You can collaborate with thousands of fellow Medium writers, contributing to our publications through our free and moderated Slack workspace. Explore special sections and community clubs designed to support your writing endeavors.
MIRROR benefits from its affiliation with ILLUMINATION, boasting a substantial following of 72K+ readers. Your impactful stories will enjoy amplified reach.
We allow re-purposing from your blogs, but our publications have strict rules about plagiarism. We have a zero-tolerance policy. We do not accept plagiarized content. Your stories must belong to you.
When our editors identify plagiarism through their investigation, they reject your story and remove it from our publications.
To speed up the publishing process and meet Medium rules, you must include links to previously published content on other platforms.
We don’t accept duplicated content. It is against Medium rules. You are welcome to re-purpose materials from other platforms if you provide a link to the original.
In cases where your content is time-sensitive and requires expedited attention, we are open to considering exceptions. You may also contact Dr Mehmet Yildiz and other editors on Slack Workspace.
Photos are essential to Medium stories, especially in publications. Therefore, please ensure your stories have at least one photo.
All photos must be copyright-free and clearly captioned, pointing out the image sources. If the photo belongs to you, please highlight “photo by author.”
It is difficult for us to verify the copyright of photos from different sources. Therefore, we accept photos only from free stock sites such as unsplash.com, pixabay.com, and pexels.com.
You can also remove your stories from MIRROR when you need and want to. There is no penalty for withdrawing your articles from publishing them in other publications. Our goal is the success of every writer on this platform. Publications are only tools.
Since the primary goal of the publication is collaboration, you may introduce yourself. We recommend you submit a bio by introducing your writing practice.
You can make it an excellent presentation of your background, goals, aspirations, and anything else you want to share. There is no size limit for writer bios. We use them to promote our writers to our readers.
We know writers may have affiliate links for books and writing services. You are welcome to share affiliate links, but you must disclose them.
Ensure your stories are engaging. Many readers don’t like boring text-book-style descriptive narration. MIRROR is not a scholarly publication. You may discuss scholarly topics if they suit your content, but they must be engaging and benefit our readers.
We do not censor content as long as stories comply with Medium’s guidelines. We don’t strive for perfection, but our readers expect reasonably well-crafted and meaningful content.
Here’s a summary of critical points for expected submissions
Value to the reader: Your story should be informative and engaging. It should provide the reader with new or valuable information. We don’t accept copy and paste from the web.
Clarity and readability: Your writing should be easy to understand and follow. Our readers expect simple language and explanations of technical terms or jargon.
Self-edited content: Take the time to self-edit your work carefully before submitting it. This will help you catch language errors. Your submission should be free of grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors. Our volunteer editors are not proofreaders and don’t have time for this task.
Valuable reading experience: Your stories should be a pleasure to read. They should be well-organized and easy to follow.
Rigorous content: Your writing should be well-researched and supported by evidence. If you only write about your opinion, you must make it clear and refrain from making claims, especially for health and financial matters.
Honesty in writing: Readers expect truthful and accurate content. Your story shouldn’t mislead or deceive the reader. Honesty and integrity are our key values in all ILLUMINATION Integrated Publications.
Proper formatting: Your submission should be formatted correctly and be appealing to the eye. This includes using the correct font, size, and proper headings. However, we don’t reject stories due to formatting errors and guide writers to improve gradually.
Relevant and appropriate images: Photos in your submission should be relevant to the topic and appropriate for the audience. Please check our photo handling policy.
The publishing team aims for quality content and presentation but doesn’t insist on perfection. We are practical and believe every writer can improve with feedback from readers, editors, and peers. Our goal is to provide our subscribers with a pleasant and satisfying reading experience.
Except for the Lampshade of ILLUMINATION, our publications don’t accept AI-generated content. You may learn about our AI writing policy.
Please use our standard checklist before submitting your stories.
Before submitting your stories to ILLUMINATION’s Mirror, we recommend using the following checklist initially to ensure your work aligns with our publication standards, delights our readers, and brings your stories more visibility and income.
After gaining experience, you may not need this checklist after a while.
1 — Identifying the Audience
Did I write this story with a specific reader in mind?
Is the story intended for a specific or broad audience?
Is the writing level suitable for the target audience?
2 — Value for the Reader
What value or insights does this story offer?
Are there key takeaway points provided?
Are these takeaways relevant and meaningful to the audience?
Does the story leave a lasting impact?
3 — Readability
Is the story structured logically for easy comprehension?
Have I used clear and straightforward language?
4 — Editorial Standards
If I were an editor, would I accept this story for publication?
Have I used tools like Hemingway Editor to assess the quality of the writing?
5 — Coherence
Does the introductory paragraph connect effectively with the conclusion?
Can I improve the introduction’s appeal?
How can I make both the introduction and conclusion more memorable?
6 — Engagement
Is the content engaging, or does it come across as dull?
Have I used lively and appropriate vocabulary?
Are analogies and metaphors employed to enhance the reader’s experience?
Does the writing maintain a conversational tone to keep the audience interested?
7 — Conveying Messages
Are the main points clearly presented?
Would a reader understand the intended messages within the story?
8 — Accuracy and Credibility
Have I fact-checked information from reliable sources?
Are there adequate citations for borrowed content?
9 — Honesty and Readership Alignment
Is the story presented honestly and authentically?
Is the content aligned with its intended purpose, whether informative or fictional?
10 — Reader Experience
Does the overall mood of the story match its content?
Is there a risk of readers reacting negatively to any aspects of the story?
11 — Formatting and Removing Unnecessary Elements
Are paragraphs kept at a manageable length for readability?
Are sentences complete and well-structured?
Have unnecessary elements been removed from the story?
Are obsolete words or phrases eliminated?
12 — Title and Subtitles
Are titles and subtitles formatted correctly and clearly?
Is the use of capital letters in titles appropriate?
Are headings and subheadings concise, not exceeding 200 characters each?
13 — Images and Captions
Do the images align with the theme of the content?
Are copyright-free images used?
Are images correctly captioned with source links?
14 — Addressing Ambiguity
Is the story comprehensible for the target audience’s level of understanding?
Have vague words and phrases been eliminated?
15 — Tags for Visibility
Have relevant tags been applied to reflect the story’s messages?
Is at least one publication tag [preferably] used to enhance visibility for readers?
16 — Error Checks for Language
Has a final spell-check and grammar check been conducted?
Is the story free from spelling errors and grammatical mistakes?
If unconventional words were deliberately used, have they been appropriately explained to readers?
17 — Quality Assurance
Has the story been reviewed backward to catch any remaining typos?
Are all typos corrected?
Has a friend or colleague reviewed the story for further feedback?
18 — Accuracy in Numbers and Lists
Are the numbers and bullet points in lists accurate?
Are bullet points consistent and aligned?
19 — Verification of Web Links
Do the web links lead to the correct web addresses when clicked?
20 — Disclosure of Affiliate Links
Are affiliate links clearly disclosed at the beginning and end of the story?
Are these affiliate links relevant to the story’s theme?
Could the presence of affiliate links potentially upset or mislead readers?
21 — Adherence to Platform Rules
Does the story comply with the rules of the platform or publication?
Has specific attention been given to avoid any form of hate speech or potential offense to readers?
22 — Seeking External Input for Controversial Topics
Have trusted editors or peers reviewed the story for potential issues or blind spots?
Have recommendations from editors been considered and applied?
23 — References and Citations
Are appropriate references provided for cited content at the end of the story?
The checklist details are explained in this resource, documented by our chief editor Dr Mehmet Yildiz. This extended version also guides increasing the chance of boosting and writing viral stories, which can help you build your audience faster and bring more income to your content.
Some Ideas to improve the quality of stories before submitting them
Improving the quality of your stories is a continuous journey, and several practical approaches exist to consider. Here are some valuable tips.
1 — Familiarize Yourself with Medium’s Distribution Guidelines
2 — Engage in Peer Reviews
3 — Use Language and Editing Tools
4 — Submit as a Draft
5 — Study Curated, Boosted, and Viral High-Quality Stories and Learn from Experienced Writers
Analyzing curated, high-quality, boosted, and viral stories can provide you with valuable lessons in style, presentation, and content.
We’ve curated numerous volumes containing hundreds of top-tier stories across various topics. You can use keyword searches to find stories from these collections.
Some popular collection names to search are Outstanding Stories and Illumination Reading Club by ILLUMINATION-Curators, Hand-Picked Articles by ILLUMINATION Amplifiers, and Curated Collections by ILLUMINATION.
These resources often contain practical and engaging stories from fellow writers’ experiences on ILLUMINATION Integrated Publications.
Learning from the experiences of other writers is invaluable. We’ve compiled various resources to help you improve your storytelling. You may check some guiding resources by our chief editor Dr Mehmet Yildiz, in the attached list.
Critical Documents for All Our Writers
Every writer contributing to our publications must review these guiding policies before submitting their stories. We are tolerant, but these are non-negotiable rules.
Meet the Editors of ILLUMINATION’s Mirror
These editors are all writers like you. You can connect with them on our Slack workspace.
Dr Mehmet Yildiz, Dr. Preeti Singh, John Cunningham, Josh Balerite Acol, Brooklyn Muse (editor), Suzanne E., Amarie Malone 💖, Kristina Segarra, Poornima Verghese-Ram, Abraham Bamidele, Benito Bartolo, The Sturg, Lawson Wallace, Patrick OConnell, Surekha Chandrasekhar, Joanie Adams, Elin Melaas, Indra Raj Pathak, Kurt Dillon, Nuno Campos, Nurma Komala-Hadi, Philip Writes, tarun bhatt, You, Me and Happiness, Sobaan Saeed, Vidya Sury, Collecting Smiles, Sumera Rizwan, Fahaz Hameed, Myriam Ben Salem🦋, Aiden (Illumination Gaming), Mike Broadly - Healthier Lifestyle, ILLUMINATION, and ILLUMINATION-Curators.
Some of these editors have profiles, so you can learn more about their backgrounds from the attached collection.
Other Submission Guidelines
ILLUMINATION-Curated: New Submission Guidelines 2023 by ILLUMINATION-Curators
Submission Guidelines: Illumination Integrated Publications from August 1st, 2023 by Suzanne E.
Readers Hope: New Submission Guidelines 2023 by Dr Mehmet Yildiz
Technology Hits: Submission Guidelines 2023 by ILLUMINATION Amplifiers
ILLUMINATION Book Chapters: Submission Guidelines 2023 by ILLUMINATION
Publishing and Conduct Guidelines for the Lampshade of ILLUMINATION
Invitation to New Writers
ILLUMINATION Integrated Publications are inclusive and diverse, supporting 23,000+ contributors. Different levels of writers, from absolute beginners to the most accomplished ones, delight our readers with their educative and engaging content.
To join our vibrant publications, please send a request via this link. We will help you gain visibility and succeed as a writer on Medium. Please mention the publication name with your Medium account ID in the request.
ILLUMINATION Integrated Publications include:
ILLUMINATION ILLUMINATION-Curated ILLUMINATION’ S MIRROR ILLUMINATION Book Chapters Technology Hits SYNERGY Readers Hope Illumination on YouTube Illumination Gaming Lampshade of Illumination Layered Vision — 3D Printing ILLUMINATION’s Blog EUPHORIA by Dr Mehmet Yildiz
Please review our onboarding pack before sending any story to ILLUMINATION Integrated Publications. We only accept content meeting Medium policies and our guidelines.