One Truth About High Performing Publications On Medium

Summary

Writing for large Medium publications can lead to more visibility but also comes with a higher risk of rejection, emphasizing the importance of personal growth in writing.

Abstract

The content discusses the reality of submitting articles to popular Medium publications, noting that while larger publications may offer greater exposure and success, they also receive an overwhelming number of submissions, leading to more frequent rejections. It highlights the necessity of understanding and adhering to each publication's submission guidelines. The author shares their personal experience of rejection despite meticulously following the guidelines and offers insights on how to handle such situations. The piece encourages writers to view rejection not as a failure but as an opportunity for personal development and to persist in their writing endeavors, recognizing that one publication's rejection could be another's acceptance.

Opinions

The author initially believed that larger publications guaranteed success but learned that they also have higher rejection rates.
Reading and following submission guidelines is crucial for writers aiming to contribute to publications.
Despite careful adherence to guidelines, the author experienced rejection, which was discouraging but also a learning experience.
The author suggests that rejection should not be seen as a reflection of one's writing quality but as a part of the writing process and personal growth.
Writers are encouraged to continue writing and improving, as originality and persistence can lead to success in different publications.

One Truth About High Performing Publications On Medium

And how it registered in my mind.

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I know what you’re thinking because I thought it too when I began writing on Medium. You’re thinking the bigger the publication, the better chances you have of your writing being successful. Successful as in a vast amount of views, the more time added up as viewers read, more exposure, and the more money in return. Although that may be true, there’s something that you need to be aware of. The bigger the publication, the higher your chances are for rejection.

It is pivotal that you read each publication’s submission guidelines if you plan on becoming a writer for them. If you skip this step, then you could be missing some honesty that you need to hear. This particular publication was transparent enough to let future writers know that their publication has grown tremendously and that they were receiving over one hundred submissions daily. With that being said, they were now turning down more submissions than accepting. This meant that your submission could be a hit or miss.

My First Rejection

I read through the submission guidelines. Yes, I actually read the whole thing. The popularity of the publication meant that there were a numerous amount of other writers. I followed their formatting standards. I watched my time and the number of words. I featured images that were attractive and eye-catching. I wrote about a certain topic that fit within their category. I was committed to having my work be accepted since I never experienced rejection before.

After waiting a full week to see if my story was accepted or not, I finally received an email from the editor of the publication. There it was, the rejection letter. The editor repeated that they have to be selective due to many submissions. I just didn’t make the cut. On the other hand, he encouraged me to keep writing and submitting my drafts. Maybe I could win the “writing raffle” one day. However, the truth was that I was now discouraged. I mean can you blame me? This was my very first rejection and it probably won’t be my last.

Accepting The Rejection

For many, rejection isn’t that big of a deal but for others like myself, it is. We tend to be extremely hard on ourselves in our natural state of mind. So, rejection from elsewhere seals the deal. However, I was analyzing this the wrong way. I needed to take the loss of my story not being submitted and keep writing and improving! It’s not that my story wasn’t adequate. It’s not that this is a competition between writers, even though it may appear to be. This is merely about your personal growth as a writer. It also meant that one publication’s rejection is another publication’s acceptance.

Keep writing. Keep growing. Remember, these are your stories. You will gain rewards through your originality alone.