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Publishing Your Work Outside of Medium 101

Here’s How It’s Done

I often recommend that Medium writers submit their work to paying markets outside of Medium before publishing their work on the platform.

Several writers have asked me for a little more guidance about how to go about doing this. I received this query today:

I have written numerous educational and parental articles on Medium but I am getting disappointed and discouraged by how much money I am actually making. I usually submit my articles to Age of Awareness and sometimes to Noteworthy. I don’t see traffic nor money. Where and HOW can I publish my drafted articles so they can be more visible?

Rather than replying just to this writer, I figured I’d share the basics in a brief post.

Publishing outside of Medium — and getting paid for your work — isn’t rocket science. But you have to be willing to put in the time and effort.

First, do some research.

You need to develop a short list of paying markets that publish the kind of thing you write. Who Pays Writers, an anonymous, crowdsourced list of which pubs pay and how much, is a great place to start:

There are countless other lists of paying markets available online, compiled by writers and by organizations who support writers. Google them and start looking for the markets that apply to you.

Don’t forget to Network! There are Facebook groups — and other online groups — for every possible kind of writer. Join them and participate. Writers use these groups to share the latest information about markets. (This often includes inside information, like what kind of story a certain magazine is currently looking for, or the email address of a particular editor.)

Once you have a short list of publications who pay for the kind of story you write, don’t just start lobbing your work at them. Read them first! Get a sense of what they like to publish. The length. The tone. The language. Their go-to topics. By the time you submit your work to a paying market, it ought to fit right into their format and tone and attitude.

And speaking of reading, you should make a practice of reading outside of Medium in the areas that you write about. If you write parenting essays, but never read parenting publications outside of Medium, you can’t possibly get a feel for what the editors who run those pubs are looking for.

When you’re ready to submit your work? Read and follow the submission guidelines. To the letter. Do not expect editors to make an exception for you because your work is so wonderful that it transcends their requirements. If they have a submission portal, use it! If they prefer an email submission, email them! If they don’t read attachments, don’t send them attachments! If they only want to consider one submission at a time, don’t send them seven!

(You’d think this would be obvious, but I’ve edited a dozen anthologies with very clear submission guidelines — which certain writers either didn’t read or decided to ignore, wasting both my time and theirs.)

Consider working with a writing coach. I’m a writer, but I’m also a writing coach. One of the ways I help the writers I work with is to help them find paying markets for their work, guide them toward the paying markets I’m familiar with, and give them tips and pointers about how to break in.

Still? There’s only so much I can do. There’s no real substitute for exploring the paying publications yourself — reading them carefully and getting to know what they’re looking for.

Finally? Before you submit work to a publication, make sure it is as good as it can possibly be. Never send out a first draft. Or even a 20th draft that still needs work. Hire a good editor. If you can’t afford one, run work by your writing group and listen to their feedback. If you aren’t in a writing group, find a friend or family member you can trust to read what you’ve written and provide you with constructive feedback.

And whatever you do, don’t forget Chicken Soup For The Soul! Chicken Soup is an excellent break-in market. They’re always looking for essays on a wide variety of topics — and they pay $200 plus 10 copies.

If you’ve never submitted your work outside Medium? It’s time to start. It will take time and effort, and you may get a bunch of rejections before you finally break in — but getting a check for your efforts when you finally do make it — and knowing that your work has reached a wider audience — will be a thrill.

Writing Coach and editor-for-hire Roz Warren, who writes for everyone from the Funny Times to the New York Times, can help you improve and publish your work. Drop her a line at [email protected]. (That’s Ros with an “s,” not a “z.”)