May Updates from the Partner Program
Calls for submissions, our new design publication, and May payments
On Medium, we’re growing the opportunities for writers and editors to share great stories with eager audiences.
Most recently, we’ve launched the design publication Modus; we partnered with Better Programming, a handy resource for programmers everywhere; and we have started sharing weekly writing prompts for our personal essays publication Human Parts. We’re also on the cusp of launching a new general interest publication and are seeking submissions in advance of launch.
Read on to hear more about submitting your stories to these publications.
Calls for submissions from our publications and partners
Modus
Modus is a new publication by Medium that helps designers level up their skills and learn more about areas that interest them. We want to help designers be better — at their craft, in their jobs, and as people who solve problems to serve others. Here are some of our favorite stories so far:
- In his Dear Designer column, designer Mike Monteiro gives those of you at the entry level a word of advice on how to not suck at your first design job.
- Designing for the best-case scenario is not good enough. In “Resilience is the Design Imperative of the 21st Century,” design director Jesse Weaver argues that “[t]he inability of sites like YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook to tackle fake news and curb rampant harassment is a direct result of happy-path thinking.”
- And while big ideas will take you far in the design world, the nitty-gritty is important, too. Samuel Hulick offers up some essential UX tips in “How to Bulletproof Your User Onboarding.”
If you have stories that would fit, please get in touch! We’d love to include your piece in Modus. Learn more about submitting to Modus here. You can also email us at modus@medium.com.
A forthcoming general interest publication
We are actively accepting published submissions for two new writing prompts that will be curated within a forthcoming publication covering politics, culture, and power:
- (Un)Popular Opinion Lessons from the hot-takes that haven’t aged well. The internet is full of Bad Opinions™ — but that doesn’t mean there isn’t room for growth. Tell us about what caused your belief systems to shift, when your political stances evolved, or why you were once called out. Or better yet, challenge outdated assumptions, or point out when we as a society should maybe be a little less judgy.
- Is This Really Necessary? Someone had to ask.It’s time we take a hard look at the institutions that shape our everyday lives and ask: Does it have to be this way? We’re looking for ideas for fixing rigged systems, prescriptions for overcoming burnout, or power shifts that at first glance may seem counter-intuitive.
Submit your published stories by posting with the tag “Unpopular Opinion” or “Really Necessary,” depending on the prompt. Stories accepted for each prompt will receive several rounds of edits, a Minimum Guarantee payment through the Partner Program, and be featured on our new publication page.
Have other ideas for this general interest publication? Send your pitches to gen@medium.com. Please write up 2–3 paragraphs describing the story, and add a few lines explaining why you are the best person to write this piece.
Better Programming
Medium has partnered with the publication Better Programming, which focuses on helping programmers improve their work. This includes code tutorials, technical deep dives, and general advice related to the job. If you’ve written tutorials or have other stories that would fit, you can learn more about submitting to Better Programming here.
Human Parts
Human Parts is Medium’s publication of essays and perspectives about what it means to be. We’re always looking for compelling personal stories from writers of all backgrounds. Learn more about submitting to Human Parts here.
We’re also happy to send you suggestions for subject matter. To receive a weekly newsletter with writing prompts, click the “follow” button at the top of the Human Parts homepage. We publish a selection of responses to the prompts in the newsletter each week.
May payments
On May 31, we processed May payments to your bank account. As usual, these payments were based on the depth of engagement from our members (distributing each member’s $5/month based on their engagement last month).
Based on member engagement from May:
- 55% of writers or publications who wrote at least one story for members earned money.
- 7.6% of active writers earned over $100.
- $9,743.90 was the most earned by a writer, and $2,915.44 was the most earned for a single story.
Words to write by
In “How to Make a Living as a Writer — Everything I Know,” Kern Carter outlines the steps you’ll need to take to make writing your full-time gig. The overarching requirement? Patience:
