Writer’s Blokke Closed Its Doors For New Writers
with FAQ —a list of pubs that shut down, the future of publications, good and bad submissions.
Writer’s Blokke is one of the Top 10 publications I used to recommend new writers on this platform.
This publication was one of the first I submitted my pieces to when I started writing on Medium back in December 2020.
Now, 15 months later, it’s close to hitting 14k followers.
Since it helped me grow, I used to recommend it to new writers who want to gain 100 followers and kickstart their writing career.
Yesterday, I heard the bad news for new writers
That’s the reason why I also suggested joining this popular publication to my current boot campers and showed them how to submit.
Unfortunately, yesterday, one of my students June Kirri brought to my attention that owner Benny Lim stated:
I regret to inform that starting tomorrow, 1st March 2022, the publication will NOT be adding anymore new writers.
Why?
In Benny’s article he said:
- the pub has already 3,000 writers
- it is starting to get hard keeping up with the submissions on this publication
- the editors are all doing this in their own free time
- none of us are being paid extra money
All of us have a full-time job to go to, families to look after and spend time with, and it really just leaves us with whatever free time we have to edit on here.
Mental health toll on editors
I have received many complaints by writers who says that waiting a few days for their submissions to be reviewed is too long.
As a co-editor for THE SHORTFORM, I know about the toll it can take on your mental health when writers complain you haven’t added them yet, haven’t published their stories yet, etc.
This is our team:
- Tom Fenske has one child and a full-time job.
- Burk has 5 children and is starting his own online business.
- I’m a working mom, have a toddler at home, and run my Medium Kickstarter Boot Camp.
- Luckily, for a few weeks, we have Christina (also a mom) as well as Nancy Blackman (busy with her writing projects) onboard as new editors.
4 top publications that closed 2021
- P.S. I Love You closed its doors because Medium pulled the plug on fundings. The editors chose it wasn’t worth their time to continue.
- Last summer, Tom Kuegler announced he’ll shut down ‘The Post Grad Survival Guide’ for all submissions.
- Steve Campbell surprisingly announced he’ll close ‘The Ascent’. He had a great time. He just wanted to move on after 5 and a half long hard years of running his exhausting ‘side project’.
- My favorite travel pub ‘The Traveler’s Blog’ shut down last autumn.
Will Writer’s Blokke shut down permanently?
Diana C., for instance, shut her pub Know Thyself, Heal Thyself not only for submissions but fully in December 2021until further notice.
Luckily, she reopened her pub again in 2022. It’s also a wonderful pub for new writers who want to write about love, relationship, psychology, spirituality.
Here’s what Benny said in regard to the future of Writer’s Blokke:
I have said that I will keep this publication going as long as I can but if it comes at the price of my or my editors’ mental health, then I may have to rethink it.
I may either pass on the baton of ownership to someone else or I may have to shut the publication down completely.
What can we learn from it?
When you have come so far and read the article you may say:
Oh, no. I’m sorry. This pub was great and I don’t want more pubs to close.
or
Oh, no, why didn’t I send my submission earlier?
or
Oh no, I don’t want this pub to close its doors or be led by another person?
🚦 Here are my submission tips for ANY publication:
Do you want to become a writer for a new pub?
✅Trust the process! We’ll add you or give you feedback.
- 💥Don’t send annoying emails or leave mad comments such as
I’ve asked you to add me 2 days ago. You don’t want me! Couldn’t you at least send me a rejection letter?
I won’t follow XY anymore, because you haven’t added me yet.
Apparently, you have better things to do than adding me. Unfollow.
(Yes, I receive these kinds of emails or comments on a weekly basis! And yes, sometimes I thought about throwing in the towel. )
Do you want to submit a piece to a publication?
✅Read the Submission Guidelines before you hit submit.
💥I get emails such as:
What about my second post, why wasn’t it published yet?
My post is more than 150 words I hope that’s okay? (NO; WE ARE A SHORT FORM PUB!)
💥As Robert Ralph, owner of New Writers Welcome realized:
(…) it appears that people would like to write but neglect reading.
The Future of Publications
I just want everyone to enjoy the ride, regardless of how long more it will be. Benny Lim
To enjoy the ride please keep my tips in mind. This way more pubs will stay open.
Yes, Medium wants to support individual, self-published writers more. That’s great.
Still,…
- 💗when you publish your piece with a publication it’s more likely that you’ll get more eyeballs on your content.
- 💗Moreover, these publications are brands on Medium.
- 💗They are a stamp of credibility.
- 💗You should do your happy dance when a pub accepts you as a writer and when your piece gets published.
Final Takeaways: We’re stronger together.
Mediums house rule number one is kindness, guys.
Trust the process. It’s all about the experience — on both sides.
We are all humans and we as editors aren’t employed by Medium or get any money for it.
The harsh truth is, we pay with our own time — on both sides.
So let’s make the submission process easier and hope that Benny will open his doors to new writers again sometime in the future.
I’m so grateful for you and really appreciate your support.
Why not join Medium? You’ll get unlimited access to all my articles and thousands of other writers. If you sign up using my link, I’ll earn a tiny commission.
