The Top 20 Publications Most Featured by Medium in April 2020 — An Analysis

I analyzed all 510 of the stories featured by Medium in April 2020. This report includes formatting and engagement data.

I love data and visualizing the information that can be parsed from it. As a writer on Medium, I wanted to know which publications have their stories featured on Medium’s homepage the most in any given month. This information can help us all determine which publications we should aim to contribute to in order to increase our chances of ending up on Medium’s homepage featured stories section.

As a software engineer, I work with data everyday. I’ve learned how to obtain the data I need by efficient means. With the why and the know how, I decided I’d sift through all of the stories featured by Medium during April 2020, and parse the data for information that can be useful to the writing community here on the platform.

I will do my best to summarize my findings in a series of articles. This is the first one of many to come, so follow the Writers Guild publication to stay alert.

In this article, we will explore the top 20 of the 46 publications from which Medium featured stories during April, 2020. Keep in mind that there are well over 11,0000 publications on Medium, so these are only the few Medium’s curators and editorial team have chosen to prioritize on the featured section of their homepage. I hope that the information shared here helps you in your writing journey. Enjoy!

#1. Elemental

There were seventy-eight stories from Elemental featured by Medium in April, 2020. These stories accounted for 15.29% of all stories featured during April. The stories of Elemental were curated across twenty-eight topics, including Coronavirus, Science, and Health. The most frequent topic was Health, which appeared in seventy-eight stories.

Formatting

The greatest number of words in a single story that Medium selected from Elemental to feature on their homepage was 3,876. The minimum number of words was 442, and the average was 1,448. Those words sum up to an average reading time of 6 minutes. The maximum suggested reading time across these stories was 18 minutes, and the minimum was 2 minutes.

Reader engagement

There was a total of 168,534 claps across all the featured stories from Elemental during April, 2020. The greatest number of claps for a single story was 14,124, the minimum was 102, and the average was 2,161. The applause came from 29,863 readers.

The stories featured from Elemental received an average of 18 responses. The maximum number of responses on a featured story was 158, and the minimum was one.

#2. GEN

There were sixty-seven stories from GEN featured by Medium in April, 2020. These stories accounted for 13.14% of all stories featured during April. The stories of GEN were curated across forty-four topics, including Economy, Coronavirus, and Society. The most frequent topic was Politics, which appeared in thirty-three stories.

Formatting

The greatest number of words in a single story that Medium selected from GEN to feature on their homepage was 3,334. The minimum number of words was 64, and the average was 1,384. Those words sum up to an average reading time of 5 minutes. The maximum suggested reading time across these stories was 13 minutes, and the minimum was 0 minutes.

Reader engagement

There was a total of 154,122 claps across all the featured stories from GEN during April, 2020. The greatest number of claps for a single story was 14,299, the minimum was 115, and the average was 2,300. The applause came from 20,566 readers.

The stories featured from GEN received an average of 27 responses. The maximum number of responses on a featured story was 239, and the minimum was zero.

#3. Forge

There were sixty stories from Forge featured by Medium in April, 2020. These stories accounted for 11.76% of all stories featured during April. The stories of Forge were curated across thirty-one topics, including Digital Life, Social Media, and Equality. The most frequent topic was Self, which appeared in forty-eight stories.

Formatting

The greatest number of words in a single story that Medium selected from Forge to feature on their homepage was 2,090. The minimum number of words was 536, and the average was 1,003. Those words sum up to an average reading time of 4 minutes. The maximum suggested reading time across these stories was 8 minutes, and the minimum was 2 minutes.

Reader engagement

There was a total of 143,491 claps across all the featured stories from Forge during April, 2020. The greatest number of claps for a single story was 16,848, the minimum was 100, and the average was 2,392. The applause came from 24,478 readers.

The stories featured from Forge received an average of 19 responses. The maximum number of responses on a featured story was 91, and the minimum was one.

#4. OneZero

There were sixty stories from OneZero featured by Medium in April, 2020. These stories accounted for 11.76% of all stories featured during April. The stories of OneZero were curated across forty-one topics, including Coronavirus, Society, and World. The most frequent topic was Technology, which appeared in fifty stories.

Formatting

The greatest number of words in a single story that Medium selected from OneZero to feature on their homepage was 4,700. The minimum number of words was 357, and the average was 1,462. Those words sum up to an average reading time of 6 minutes. The maximum suggested reading time across these stories was 19 minutes, and the minimum was 2 minutes.

Reader engagement

There was a total of 86,982 claps across all the featured stories from OneZero during April, 2020. The greatest number of claps for a single story was 23,408, the minimum was 217, and the average was 1,450. The applause came from 14,586 readers.

The stories featured from OneZero received an average of 15 responses. The maximum number of responses on a featured story was 199, and the minimum was one.

#5. Marker

There were thirty-eight stories from Marker featured by Medium in April, 2020. These stories accounted for 7.45% of all stories featured during April. The stories of Marker were curated across twenty-three topics, including Business, Productivity, and Work. The most frequent topic was Business, which appeared in thirty-four stories.

Formatting

The greatest number of words in a single story that Medium selected from Marker to feature on their homepage was 3,509. The minimum number of words was 754, and the average was 1,593. Those words sum up to an average reading time of 6 minutes. The maximum suggested reading time across these stories was 14 minutes, and the minimum was 3 minutes.

Reader engagement

There was a total of 77,318 claps across all the featured stories from Marker during April, 2020. The greatest number of claps for a single story was 8,772, the minimum was 206, and the average was 2,035. The applause came from 12,411 readers.

The stories featured from Marker received an average of 16 responses. The maximum number of responses on a featured story was 76, and the minimum was zero.

#6. LEVEL

There were thirty-two stories from LEVEL featured by Medium in April, 2020. These stories accounted for 6.27% of all stories featured during April. The stories of LEVEL were curated across thirty-seven topics, including Culture, Women, and Justice. The most frequent topic was Race, which appeared in sixteen stories.

Formatting

The greatest number of words in a single story that Medium selected from LEVEL to feature on their homepage was 5,238. The minimum number of words was 764, and the average was 1,606. Those words sum up to an average reading time of 6 minutes. The maximum suggested reading time across these stories was 21 minutes, and the minimum was 3 minutes.

Reader engagement

There was a total of 36,207 claps across all the featured stories from LEVEL during April, 2020. The greatest number of claps for a single story was 3,867, the minimum was 175, and the average was 1,131. The applause came from 4,132 readers.

The stories featured from LEVEL received an average of 13 responses. The maximum number of responses on a featured story was 54, and the minimum was two.

#7. ZORA

There were thirty-one stories from ZORA featured by Medium in April, 2020. These stories accounted for 6.08% of all stories featured during April. The stories of ZORA were curated across thirty-one topics, including Culture, Mental Health, and Self. The most frequent topic was Equality, which appeared in seventeen stories.

Formatting

The greatest number of words in a single story that Medium selected from ZORA to feature on their homepage was 2,616. The minimum number of words was 674, and the average was 1,315. Those words sum up to an average reading time of 5 minutes. The maximum suggested reading time across these stories was 10 minutes, and the minimum was 3 minutes.

Reader engagement

There was a total of 54,340 claps across all the featured stories from ZORA during April, 2020. The greatest number of claps for a single story was 12,630, the minimum was 108, and the average was 1,753. The applause came from 7,488 readers.

The stories featured from ZORA received an average of 19 responses. The maximum number of responses on a featured story was 113, and the minimum was one.

#8. Medium Coronavirus Blog

There were twenty-two stories from Medium Coronavirus Blog featured by Medium in April, 2020. These stories accounted for 4.31% of all stories featured during April. The stories of Medium Coronavirus Blog were curated across eight topics, including Coronavirus, Health, and Science. The most frequent topic was Coronavirus, which appeared in twenty-two stories.

Formatting

The greatest number of words in a single story that Medium selected from Medium Coronavirus Blog to feature on their homepage was 1,339. The minimum number of words was 303, and the average was 773. Those words sum up to an average reading time of 3 minutes. The maximum suggested reading time across these stories was 5 minutes, and the minimum was 1 minutes.

Reader engagement

There was a total of 31,272 claps across all the featured stories from Medium Coronavirus Blog during April, 2020. The greatest number of claps for a single story was 5,716, the minimum was 145, and the average was 1,421. The applause came from 5,536 readers.

The stories featured from Medium Coronavirus Blog received an average of 15 responses. The maximum number of responses on a featured story was 51, and the minimum was one.

#9. Human Parts

There were twelve stories from Human Parts featured by Medium in April, 2020. These stories accounted for 2.35% of all stories featured during April. The stories of Human Parts were curated across twenty-two topics, including Books, Creativity, and Writing. The most frequent topic was Self, which appeared in nine stories.

Formatting

The greatest number of words in a single story that Medium selected from Human Parts to feature on their homepage was 4,090. The minimum number of words was 713, and the average was 1,871. Those words sum up to an average reading time of 7 minutes. The maximum suggested reading time across these stories was 16 minutes, and the minimum was 3 minutes.

Reader engagement

There was a total of 49,682 claps across all the featured stories from Human Parts during April, 2020. The greatest number of claps for a single story was 19,004, the minimum was 478, and the average was 4,140. The applause came from 8,341 readers.

The stories featured from Human Parts received an average of 35 responses. The maximum number of responses on a featured story was 176, and the minimum was four.

#10. The Bold Italic

There were ten stories from The Bold Italic featured by Medium in April, 2020. These stories accounted for 1.96% of all stories featured during April. The stories of The Bold Italic were curated across twenty-two topics, including Humor, Social Media, and Coronavirus. The most frequent topic was Coronavirus, which appeared in eight stories.

Formatting

The greatest number of words in a single story that Medium selected from The Bold Italic to feature on their homepage was 3,867. The minimum number of words was 526, and the average was 1,523. Those words sum up to an average reading time of 6 minutes. The maximum suggested reading time across these stories was 15 minutes, and the minimum was 2 minutes.

Reader engagement

There was a total of 11,862 claps across all the featured stories from The Bold Italic during April, 2020. The greatest number of claps for a single story was 2,486, the minimum was 192, and the average was 1,186. The applause came from 1,644 readers.

The stories featured from The Bold Italic received an average of 14 responses. The maximum number of responses on a featured story was 53, and the minimum was one.

#11. Wake-Up Call

There were nine stories from Wake-Up Call featured by Medium in April, 2020. These stories accounted for 1.76% of all stories featured during April. The stories of Wake-Up Call were curated across three topics, including Culture, Coronavirus, and Education. The most frequent topic was Culture, which appeared in seven stories.

Formatting

The greatest number of words in a single story that Medium selected from Wake-Up Call to feature on their homepage was 1,431. The minimum number of words was 548, and the average was 892. Those words sum up to an average reading time of 4 minutes. The maximum suggested reading time across these stories was 6 minutes, and the minimum was 2 minutes.

Reader engagement

There was a total of 55,286 claps across all the featured stories from Wake-Up Call during April, 2020. The greatest number of claps for a single story was 44,012, the minimum was 135, and the average was 6,143. The applause came from 8,854 readers.

The stories featured from Wake-Up Call received an average of 46 responses. The maximum number of responses on a featured story was 295, and the minimum was two.

#12. The Startup

There were eight stories from The Startup featured by Medium in April, 2020. These stories accounted for 1.57% of all stories featured during April. The stories of The Startup were curated across thirteen topics, including Media, Business, and Technology. The most frequent topic was Business, which appeared in three stories.

Formatting

The greatest number of words in a single story that Medium selected from The Startup to feature on their homepage was 6,340. The minimum number of words was 831, and the average was 2,187. Those words sum up to an average reading time of 9 minutes. The maximum suggested reading time across these stories was 24 minutes, and the minimum was 4 minutes.

Reader engagement

There was a total of 7,844 claps across all the featured stories from The Startup during April, 2020. The greatest number of claps for a single story was 2,799, the minimum was 210, and the average was 981. The applause came from 1,528 readers.

The stories featured from The Startup received an average of 9 responses. The maximum number of responses on a featured story was 35, and the minimum was one.

#13. Arc Digital

There were four stories from Arc Digital featured by Medium in April, 2020. These stories accounted for 0.78% of all stories featured during April. The stories of Arc Digital were curated across twelve topics, including Culture, Books, and Art. The most frequent topic was Politics, which appeared in three stories.

Formatting

The greatest number of words in a single story that Medium selected from Arc Digital to feature on their homepage was 2,718. The minimum number of words was 979, and the average was 1,745. Those words sum up to an average reading time of 7 minutes. The maximum suggested reading time across these stories was 11 minutes, and the minimum was 4 minutes.

Reader engagement

There was a total of 9,394 claps across all the featured stories from Arc Digital during April, 2020. The greatest number of claps for a single story was 3,396, the minimum was 574, and the average was 2,349. The applause came from 1,265 readers.

The stories featured from Arc Digital received an average of 42 responses. The maximum number of responses on a featured story was 98, and the minimum was five.

#14. An Injustice!

There were three stories from An Injustice! featured by Medium in April, 2020. These stories accounted for 0.59% of all stories featured during April. The stories of An Injustice! were curated across five topics, including Coronavirus, Justice, and Relationships. The most frequent topic was Coronavirus, which appeared in one stories.

Formatting

The greatest number of words in a single story that Medium selected from An Injustice! to feature on their homepage was 1,689. The minimum number of words was 874, and the average was 1,166. Those words sum up to an average reading time of 5 minutes. The maximum suggested reading time across these stories was 7 minutes, and the minimum was 3 minutes.

Reader engagement

There was a total of 1,140 claps across all the featured stories from An Injustice! during April, 2020. The greatest number of claps for a single story was 715, the minimum was 200, and the average was 380. The applause came from 67 readers.

The stories featured from An Injustice! received an average of 1 responses. The maximum number of responses on a featured story was 4, and the minimum was zero.

#15. Heated

There were three stories from Heated featured by Medium in April, 2020. These stories accounted for 0.59% of all stories featured during April. The stories of Heated were curated across six topics, including Culture, Food, and Politics. The most frequent topic was Food, which appeared in three stories.

Formatting

The greatest number of words in a single story that Medium selected from Heated to feature on their homepage was 4,533. The minimum number of words was 1,106, and the average was 2,250. Those words sum up to an average reading time of 9 minutes. The maximum suggested reading time across these stories was 18 minutes, and the minimum was 4 minutes.

Reader engagement

There was a total of 3,320 claps across all the featured stories from Heated during April, 2020. The greatest number of claps for a single story was 1,752, the minimum was 768, and the average was 1,107. The applause came from 384 readers.

The stories featured from Heated received an average of 9 responses. The maximum number of responses on a featured story was 14, and the minimum was four.

#16. Towards Data Science

There were two stories from Towards Data Science featured by Medium in April, 2020. These stories accounted for 0.39% of all stories featured during April. The stories of Towards Data Science were curated across three topics, including Machine Learning, Data Science, and Coronavirus. The most frequent topic was Data Science, which appeared in two stories.

Formatting

The greatest number of words in a single story that Medium selected from Towards Data Science to feature on their homepage was 1,975. The minimum number of words was 1,224, and the average was 1,600. Those words sum up to an average reading time of 7 minutes. The maximum suggested reading time across these stories was 9 minutes, and the minimum was 5 minutes.

Reader engagement

There was a total of 6,819 claps across all the featured stories from Towards Data Science during April, 2020. The greatest number of claps for a single story was 5,009, the minimum was 1,810, and the average was 3,410. The applause came from 1,742 readers.

The stories featured from Towards Data Science received an average of 46 responses. The maximum number of responses on a featured story was 69, and the minimum was twenty-three.

#17. Better Marketing

There were two stories from Better Marketing featured by Medium in April, 2020. These stories accounted for 0.39% of all stories featured during April. The stories of Better Marketing were curated across five topics, including Marketing, Design, and Business. The most frequent topic was Marketing, which appeared in two stories.

Formatting

The greatest number of words in a single story that Medium selected from Better Marketing to feature on their homepage was 2,299. The minimum number of words was 1,570, and the average was 1,935. Those words sum up to an average reading time of 8 minutes. The maximum suggested reading time across these stories was 10 minutes, and the minimum was 7 minutes.

Reader engagement

There was a total of 11,133 claps across all the featured stories from Better Marketing during April, 2020. The greatest number of claps for a single story was 10,933, the minimum was 200, and the average was 5,567. The applause came from 1,715 readers.

The stories featured from Better Marketing received an average of 66 responses. The maximum number of responses on a featured story was 130, and the minimum was two.

#18. Personal Growth

There were two stories from Personal Growth featured by Medium in April, 2020. These stories accounted for 0.39% of all stories featured during April. The stories of Personal Growth were curated across three topics, including Psychology, Self, and Mental Health. The most frequent topic was Self, which appeared in two stories.

Formatting

The greatest number of words in a single story that Medium selected from Personal Growth to feature on their homepage was 1,650. The minimum number of words was 1,425, and the average was 1,538. Those words sum up to an average reading time of 6 minutes. The maximum suggested reading time across these stories was 6 minutes, and the minimum was 6 minutes.

Reader engagement

There was a total of 67,474 claps across all the featured stories from Personal Growth during April, 2020. The greatest number of claps for a single story was 65,104, the minimum was 2,370, and the average was 33,737. The applause came from 18,482 readers.

The stories featured from Personal Growth received an average of 166 responses. The maximum number of responses on a featured story was 315, and the minimum was sixteen.

#19. The Ascent

There were two stories from The Ascent featured by Medium in April, 2020. These stories accounted for 0.39% of all stories featured during April. The stories of The Ascent were curated across four topics, including Productivity, Self, and Education. The most frequent topic was Productivity, which appeared in one stories.

Shout out to Steve Campbell

Formatting

The greatest number of words in a single story that Medium selected from The Ascent to feature on their homepage was 1,418. The minimum number of words was 810, and the average was 1,114. Those words sum up to an average reading time of 4 minutes. The maximum suggested reading time across these stories was 6 minutes, and the minimum was 3 minutes.

Reader engagement

There was a total of 745 claps across all the featured stories from The Ascent during April, 2020. The greatest number of claps for a single story was 413, the minimum was 332, and the average was 373. The applause came from 43 readers.

The stories featured from The Ascent received an average of 4 responses. The maximum number of responses on a featured story was 4, and the minimum was three.

#20. Gay Mag

There were two stories from Gay Mag featured by Medium in April, 2020. These stories accounted for 0.39% of all stories featured during April. The stories of Gay Mag were curated across six topics, including Writing, Race, and Women. The most frequent topic was Writing, which appeared in one stories.

Formatting

The greatest number of words in a single story that Medium selected from Gay Mag to feature on their homepage was 3,568. The minimum number of words was 2,196, and the average was 2,882. Those words sum up to an average reading time of 12 minutes. The maximum suggested reading time across these stories was 15 minutes, and the minimum was 9 minutes.

Reader engagement

There was a total of 5,792 claps across all the featured stories from Gay Mag during April, 2020. The greatest number of claps for a single story was 3,950, the minimum was 1,842, and the average was 2,896. The applause came from 826 readers.

The stories featured from Gay Mag received an average of 19 responses. The maximum number of responses on a featured story was 20, and the minimum was seventeen.

There was a total of 5,792 claps across all the featured stories from Gay Mag during April, 2020. The greatest number of claps for a single story was 3,950, the minimum was 1,842, and the average was 2,896. The applause came from 826 readers.

The stories featured from Gay Mag received an average of 19 responses. The maximum number of responses on a featured story was 20, and the minimum was seventeen.

Formatting

The greatest number of words in a single story that Medium selected from Gay Mag to feature on their homepage was 3,568. The minimum number of words was 2,196, and the average was 2,882. Those words sum up to an reading time average reading time of 12 minutes. The maximum suggested reading time across these stories was 15 minutes, and the minimum was 9 minutes.

Reader engagement

There was a total of 5,792 claps across all the featured stories from Gay Mag during April, 2020. The greatest number of claps for a single story was 3,950, the minimum was 1,842, and the average was 2,896. The applause came from 826 readers.

The stories featured from Gay Mag received an average of 19 responses. The maximum number of responses on a featured story was 20, and the minimum was seventeen.

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