How to Pitch The Lighthouse

And what to avoid.

I started this Medium publication, The Lighthouse, on July 15. I remember this because July 15 is my mother’s birthday, and also because I found a ‘To Do’ list from that day:

July 15 was a day where a lot of laundry happened, and I made a salad.

The ‘Evan’ in question is a Medium person I, very naively, reached out to saying — ‘Hey! (or howdy?? God), I’m new to Medium. Please help me build a nice publication that people will want to read.’

He didn’t write me back, obviously, and in the months that followed, I figured it out on my own; figured out that Medium was a place for us to come together as readers and writers and create something for us, by us.

It’s been about half a year since launch, and today I’m proud to say The Lighthouse has over 13K subscribers and a roster of incredible writers. We’re in a position where we can be a little more selective now, a little more particular about what we publish.

So what do we publish?

Thoughtful personal narrative that sparks conversation; stuff that’s honest, sometimes provocative, occasionally funny. Stuff from the margins. I personally love pieces that take on a serious issue, but do so with a light hand, a sense of humor. I‘m also interested in featuring writers of color, women, LGBT writers, and people who might not have published before. Fresh voices. Fresh perspectives. People telling stories that matter to them, and, in the process, making those stories matter to others.

Here’s what I’m not looking for:

  1. Short stories.
  2. Poetry.
  3. Interviews.
  4. Pieces that promote your company, the company you work for, or, to a certain extent, you (your ‘brand,’ your Instagram account, your webpage).
  5. Work that must be edited heavily due to errors in spelling, grammar, etc.

I sometimes promote The Lighthouse through my personal Twitter account. But since I don’t have that many followers, I mostly rely on a newsletter sent out several times each month, called the Thursday Letter. I select about five pieces for each Letter.

I accept completed pieces, no rough drafts please. The best way to submit is right here, through Medium itself. Write me privately, or post a piece as a response!

What else? I don’t know yet. The publication is evolving as it grows. What I do know is that I’ve already made many friends on Medium, *e-met* many writers of promise. The hours put in to the publication are worth it. So very, very worth it.

Thanks for being here.

  • Edit (March 29, 2015): The Lighthouse is currently on hiatus!