The Medium 30-Day Submissions Challenge — How to Take Part

The Challenge is open

I’m delighted there’s been a lot of interest in the Medium 30-Day Submissions Challenge.

Some writers have asked when the next Challenge is open, or how to take part. So I’ve written this guide to make things clear.

In short: It’s free to take part, and you can start at any time. More details below.

Results from Challenge participants:

• Catherine Mancini doubled her previous best income and increased her follower count by 4x. Details here.
• Alana Rister, Ph.D. doubled her follower count, and achieved 4x her previous best income. Details here.
• I increased my follower count by 260, and an income of $427.56 — my best ever month. Details here.

The rules for the Medium 30-day Submissions Challenge:

• You can start at any time. The Challenge lasts for a period of 30 days. On Day 1, you write a pledge post (see below for details). For the rest of the Challenge, you write whatever you want.
• Submit to any publication.
• Submit one new article each day.
• Submissions can be anything: Poetry, in-depth analysis, a self-help article, fiction, whatever. As long as the submission fits the guidelines of the publication.
• Every new submission must be to a different publication.
• Submit 30 articles in total, over a period of 30 days.
• Any publication is fair game.
• You can write the articles ahead of time, or during the Challenge, or a mix of both. It’s up to you.

How to take part — write a Pledge Post

• Write up a pledge post to explain you’ll be taking part in the Challenge. You can see examples of pledge posts here, here and here.
• In your pledge post, include a link to the original Challenge post, which you’ll find here.

• Submit your pledge post to the 30 Day Writing Challenges publication on Day 1 of the Challenge.
• Submit 30 articles through the 30-day period, one per day, according to the rules I outlined above.

That’s it!

Advice on how to prepare and succeed (optional but recommended)

• You can (and probably should) write articles ahead of time. This is a submissions challenge rather than a writing challenge.
• Create a content schedule for the month. Know what you’ll be submitting to which publication on which date.
• Plan out the publications you’re going to write for, and go through the process of being added as a writer for each of these publications. Again, you can do this ahead of the Challenge.
• Aim big! To maximize your chances of a big income boost, you’ll need to write for bigger publications, with over 100k followers. These include publications like The Ascent, Mind Cafe, Writing Co-operative, Better Humans, Better Marketing, and The Startup.
• Network with other writers who take part in the Challenge. Leave comments on their pledge posts. Follow them and clap their articles.
• Let your loved ones know what you’re doing. It’s going to be a busy month!
• Try out different topics, different genres, and different styles of writing. You’ll get the most from the Challenge if you stretch yourself.

Can you make your own Challenge rules?

Of course! If submitting 10 articles to 10 publications would be a stretch for you, then do that. The point is to create a goal that excites you and pushes you out of your comfort zone.

Info for finishers — how to claim your prize

For those who complete the Challenge, I’ve set up a small community of writers who will support each other, offer one another feedback, and give advice and tips about writing on Medium. I’ll send you the details when you complete the Challenge.

To show that you’ve completed the Challenge, write up a results post, and submit it to the 30-Day Writing Challenges publication. You can see examples of results posts here, here, and here.

Want more help?

The Medium 30-Day Submissions Challenge is designed for writers who know the basics about Medium publications. To be honest, when I started writing on Medium I had a lot to learn. I was grateful that Zulie Rane taught me almost everything I know about publications on Medium.

To learn the exact lessons Zulie taught me, then check out her course Medium Publications 101 (affiliate link). I spent hundreds of dollars coaching with Zulie, and it was worth every penny. You can get the same information at the fraction of the cost with Zulie’s course. I’ve taken it myself, and I highly recommend it. Tap this link to find out more.

Thank you for your interest, and if you decide to take part I look forward to reading your pledge post.