Writers, You’re Getting It Wrong! Read Me!

Summary

The Real publication on Medium is seeking personal, experiential stories rather than articles on topics like entrepreneurship, business, or how-to guides.

Abstract

The editor of the Real publication on Medium acknowledges a lack of clarity in previous guidelines, leading to a high rejection rate of 99% for submitted articles. These submissions often missed the mark by focusing on common topics like writing, business, and technology, instead of the personal narratives Real seeks. The publication emphasizes its dedication to sharing real-life experiences, including life lessons, personal anecdotes, travel experiences, memoirs, and other stories that reflect human experiences. The editor provides a clear list of story types that are accepted, such as relationship anecdotes and spiritual awakenings, and a list of topics that are not accepted, such as business and tech articles. Writers are encouraged to share the stories behind their ideas and advice, using a creative approach to present their experiences.

Opinions

The editor takes responsibility for the confusion regarding submission guidelines.
There is a preference for experiential stories that convey a personal narrative over informational articles.
The high volume of rejections is regrettable but necessary to maintain the publication's focus on personal stories.
Writers are encouraged to be creative in how they frame their experiences, even when presenting advice or lessons learned.
Listicles are acceptable if they are part of a larger narrative that includes a personal story.
The editor emphasizes the importance of adhering to the guidelines for a higher chance of publication.

What we’re looking for

I may be the one to blame for this one.

It’d seem so far that something crucial is missing from the article, Will you write for us? I don’t think I was specific, or clear enough on what exactly Real is about or what exactly we won't publish.

It’s either I wasn’t clear enough, or readers don’t thoroughly read guidelines.

That’s why I’ve taken the time to write this.

We’ve had an influx of writers, which is good. The problem though is I’ve had to reject 99% of the articles sent for publication.

And that’s because the articles submitted were about writing, business, techs and how-to.

At Real, we only publish experiential stories. When I say stories, I don’t mean articles, I mean literal stories — something that happened. “This happened to me” kinda stories. Hence the title of the publication, Real — Real People, Real Stories.

It’s hard having to reject so many articles.

Again… we only publish articles that tell a story of your life, what happened to you, what you've been through, a relationship that didn’t go well, and what you learned from it.

Tips!

Real publication’s focus is on stories and anecdotes that capture the human experience. Do you have an idea or word of advice? Tell us the story behind the idea, then give us the lessons and the advice.

You can send us a listicle if the piece contains a story. For example, Five Ways To Get Over An Ex, you can tell a short story of how it happened to you. The listicles become the lessons you learned and the advice you wish to pass on.

The key is to be creative about how you present your experiences.

Writers, You’re Getting It Wrong! Read Me!

What we’re looking for

Will You Write For us?

A publication for real people and real stories.

Stories we accept!

Stories we do not accept.

Tips!

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