On Medium
The Beginner’s Guide to Medium Publications
Joining publications just got easier.
I didn’t know about publications until about a month on Medium. Even when I found out, I thought I needed several followers to write for one.
Rookie mistake number one.
Most publications accept all types of writers; from absolute beginners to seasoned writers, from writers with zero followers to those with thousands of followers. It doesn’t matter.
What’s important is that you follow the publication’s guidelines and submit well-written stories. That’s it.
But wait, I’m getting ahead of myself.
What’s a publication even?
Think of them as digital magazines or newspapers that publish articles around certain themes or topics.
There are thousands of publications on Medium. Some publish articles on one or two niches. An example is Start it Up, which focuses on entrepreneurship and business. Others, like Illumination, publish a wide range of topics.
Why write for publications?
Anyone who writes for many publications will tell you what a pain some of them can be. Editors sometimes change your style and voice, your stories take weeks to get published, and of course, there’s that flat-out rejection.
Why even bother, right?
First of all, in my experience, the pros far outweigh the cons. So calm down.
These are some of the benefits I enjoy, and hopefully, you will too:
Benefit #1: You hone your craft.
Editors go through your story to ensure it’s good enough to publish. So, if your story is badly written, the chances of getting rejected are very high.
Reading stories in some publications shows you what high standards they have. There’s a lot of competition to produce high-quality writing, and sometimes, you may even feel like you aren’t good enough to publish there.
Of course, many publications are newbie-friendly and don’t expect you to be a writing god to submit to them. However, they still expect you to pay attention to detail, write your best work, and edit mercilessly.
With that in mind, you’re pushed to keep practicing so you can publish your very best. This helps you become a better writer in the long run.
Benefit #2: You get more eyes on your story.
Writing for publications exposes you to a wider audience. When all you do is self-publish, only your followers are more likely to see your stories in their feeds. If you’re just starting out on Medium, that’s obviously not a lot of followers.
Publications make all the difference because you get to tap into their follower base. If a publication has five thousand readers, then that means your story is suddenly in front of five thousand people. That’s a powerful cheat code. And the great news is that it’s not even cheating.
I never wrote for a publication during my first three months on Medium. I still regret that sometimes. But that’s fine. I’ve learned from my mistake.
It took me close to three months to grow my followers from 0 to 124. But, in February 2023, I requested to write for four publications and I got accepted as a writer on all of them.
Fast forward to March, my audience has grown from 124 to 279 followers. That’s more than a 50% increase in less than a month. It’s incredible.
If you’re on Medium to grow your audience, then joining publications are a must. Yes, you can grow if you only self-publish. But you’ll grow even faster if you write for publications. Choose your adventure.
Benefit #3: You gain more confidence in yourself as a writer.
When you’re a new writer, it’s normal to feel like your writing isn’t good enough. Hell, sometimes even seasoned writers feel that way too, so you’re not alone.
But for newbies, the feeling is much worse. This is especially the case when you read other people’s flawless writing. It makes you feel like you’ll never get to their level.
Writing for a publication is a great way of overcoming self-doubt.
When your stories are accepted, you get a confidence boost. Why? Because now you have external validation. Now you know that your writing is good enough to be accepted elsewhere. This pushes you to keep writing more.
Long before I started writing on Medium, I wrote novels and short stories. I sent two of my short stories to two literary magazines, both of which were rejected. It hurt like a bitch and my fear of rejection increased.
I became reluctant about submitting my stories to other literary magazines for a long time. After all, I didn’t think my stories were good enough. They would be rejected again, so why bother?
Now that I think about it, my mindset at the time was ridiculous. Many writers get rejected more than fifty times, so what right did I have complaining about being rejected twice? Obviously, I didn’t have that kind of mental maturity at the time. All I knew was that I was too afraid of rejection to try again.
Things changed when I came to Medium. Well, not immediately, of course. I still feared rejection. I resisted writing for publications because I didn’t think I would be accepted.
After a while, I faced my fears and joined a publication. The following day, I submitted my first story, and several days later, it was accepted.
That immediately gave me a mindset shift. Wow, I thought, my writing was actually good enough to be accepted somewhere. Who knew.
Since then, I learned to be more confident in myself. I’ve gone on to join even larger publications because now I’m no longer afraid of getting rejected.
I still have a lot to learn yes, but I also know that I’m a better writer today than I was a few years back.
Small versus large publications.
Small publications have relatively fewer readers, usually a few hundred or at most, a couple of thousand followers.
Large publications, on the other hand, have several thousands of readers.
It’s logical to think that large publications will give you wider exposure. To a great extent, that’s true. However, that’s not always the case. The downside to large publications is that they have to publish scores of stories in a day since they have so many writers. This may lead to your story getting buried by the algorithm and not gaining the traction you expect it to.
Sometimes small publications do a better job of distributing your work to more readers. It’s a paradox, but it happens.
Besides, in my experience, larger publications take a longer time to give you feedback on your submission.
Does this mean you should stay away from large publications?
Absolutely not. In fact, the size of the publication doesn’t matter to me.
I just write my story and send it to the appropriate publication. Whether the algorithm fucks with it or not is not my problem. The moment I hit publish, I forget about it and write another one.
Besides, my two most-read stories are self-published. So while I joined publications to get more readers, I’m not too obsessed with that. I just publish wherever I want.
How to join publications on Medium
This is probably why you’re here, right? Don’t worry. I’ve got you.
First of all, every publication on Medium is different with its own rules to adhere to. These are the submission guidelines.
One thing is non-negotiable if you want to join a publication:
Read their submission guidelines.
I repeat, read their submission guidelines.
The probability of getting your stories accepted or rejected entirely depends on whether you read them or not. Most of the submission guidelines are behind paywalls so I had to become a Medium member to read them.
Of course, you don’t need to become a Medium member to join publications, however, since you need to know the submission guidelines, then logic dictates that you become a member.
Some publications, like Mind Cafe, require that you join the Medium Partner Program. I’m not eligible to join the MPP, so it’s impossible to write for those publications. However, if you’re part of the MPP, I encourage you to write for them.
If, like me, it’s impossible to join the MPP, don’t worry about that. While some publications recommend you be part of the MPP, it’s not a requirement. Also, most publications don’t care if you’re with the Medium Partner Program or not.
Another thing to note is that some publications will ask you to submit a sample draft of your writing to determine if you’re a good fit. So, before you join, have a draft ready. And ensure that it falls under the type of stories they publish.
If you’re not sure what to expect, read several stories in that publication to get a feel of what they’re looking for.
As I said, all publications are different. What is expected of you in one publication may not be required in another. This is why reading the submission guidelines is very important.
Listen, I don’t want to sound like a broken record but read the submission guidelines.
I repeat… okay, that’s enough. They get it, jeez, mother.
What’s in the submission guidelines?
It’s just like the name says — the guidelines of submission. They are the rules the publications expect from you.
The guidelines are different from publication to publication.
But from what I’ve observed, this is what’s common to most of them:
1. Medium’s Guidelines
Every single publication follows the rules of Medium. After all, they can’t be on the platform if they don’t adhere to these rules.
Following Medium’s rules doesn’t apply to only publications but to you as well. If you haven’t already read Medium’s Guidelines, please do so. Knowing these rules keeps you from doing things that could get you banned. So read it.
2. The topics accepted by the publication
You can’t just publish any kind of article to any publication. They have topics they publish. Some publish multiple topics across a wide niche while others publish very niche-specific topics. When you read their submission guidelines, you’ll know these topics.
If you don’t read, you’ll send stories that don’t fit with the publication, and they’ll reject them.
I mean seriously, why will you send an article about health and fitness to a publication dedicated to the love of desserts?
3. Formatting Guidelines
Many publications outline what they expect to see in your story in terms of formatting. Your heading, subheading, kicker, images, and arrangement of your paragraphs are all important.
They expect that your heading is written in a title case. On top of your heading is the kicker. It’s like a broad category your story falls under.
You must write a subheading to give more context to what your story is about.
Your images must have an accurate caption, and also make sure that you have the right to use them. Or your ass is getting sued.
And of course, your paragraphs must be well arranged for easy reading.
You might not find this written in the submission guidelines of every publication, however, this is one of those things you must still follow even if you’re self-publishing. Why? Because it’s a damn good practice.
4. Editing
Some publications stress the need to submit a well-edited story. Again, this is something you have to do even if you’re self-publishing.
I use Grammarly to edit my stories. It’s a lifesaver.
5. Number of stories to submit
Are you wondering how many stories you can publish in a day?
Well, most submission guidelines have the answer for that.
For some, you can submit as many stories as you want in a day. Others have a limit, maybe three stories at most. For others, it’s just one a day; don’t submit more than one.
It will be rejected.
6. “Write for us”
This is usually what you’ll see if the publication is looking for writers. It may be part of the submission guidelines or may have its own separate page.
Some require you fill out a form. Others require you send them an email. It’s pretty simple, so don’t worry.
They’ll tell you what they expect to see in your email. But, if they don’t, do this:
- Briefly introduce yourself to them as a writer on Medium.
- Tell them you’re emailing them because you want to be a writer for their publication.
- Finally, and this is absolutely important, include your Medium ID in the email. Your medium ID is your username. It looks something like this: @naatorsh. That’s my Medium ID. Without your Medium ID, they can’t add you as a writer.
Seven publications that welcome new writers
So why only seven? Why not seventeen, or even seventy?
For starters, I don’t want to bombard you with too much information. Seven is just right, and it covers a wide range of topics you can write about.
Secondly, these are the seven publications I joined as a beginner. I don’t want to abandon you in unknown territories so I’m recommending the ones I personally know.
For each publication, I give you the topics they publish, their submission guidelines, and how to apply as a writer.
I also embed a link to a story I published there. Feel free to read them to know what they expect.
Cool? Okay, let’s get on with it.
1. New Writer’s Welcome, 18.7K followers
The name says it all. All new writers are welcome. But so are experienced writers too. It’s for everyone.
The topics they accept include:
- Self-development (life lessons)
- Medium help
- Personal Stories
- Social Media
- Poetry
- Health & Fitness
- Mental Health
Read their submission guidelines.
Write for New Writers Welcome.
2. Illumination, 66.8K followers
This publication accepts a wide range of topics including business, science & tech, gaming, fiction, poetry, and so much more.
Other than the fact that they encourage new writers, what I love about Illumination is that once you’re accepted as a writer, you can automatically submit to three other publications — Illumination’s Mirror, Synergy, and Reader’s Hope. These are sister publications of Illumination created by the brilliant Dr Mehmet Yildiz.
Dr. Yildiz is very passionate about helping as many writers as possible succeed on Medium, and it shows in how supportive all his publications are.
Read the submission guidelines & write for Illumination.
3. Goose & Co, 262 followers
I should have probably started with this one. After all, this is the first publication I joined. It’ll always have a special place in my heart.
These are their topics: social media, feminism, mental health, lifestyle, and self-improvement.
Read their submission guidelines.
4. Age of Empathy, 3.2K followers
If you write personal essays, then this one is for you.
AOE publishes high-quality personal essays, humor essays, and writer interviews. If you’re not sure what a personal essay is, read this.
Read their submission guidelines.
5. Bouncin’ n Behavin’ Blogs, 2.7K followers
BBB publishes “humor-infused blogs and articles that make you think.”
Their topics include:
- comedy
- politics
- relationships
- mental health
- family matters
- pets
- social media
- writing
- entertainment
Read their submission guidelines and write for Bouncin’ n Behavin’ Blogs.
6. The Writing Cooperative, 243K followers
This is “Medium’s largest collection of advice, support, and encouragement for writers.” They “provide writers of all genres with ways to build their craft and connect with others.”
Do not be intimidated by the large following. I mean yeah, The Writing Cooperative publishes high-quality writing, but that doesn’t mean you can’t write for them as a beginner.
You totally can. In fact, writing for them will push you to improve your craft. So, if you have experiences that can help your fellow writers, then go ahead and write for them.
Read the submission guidelines and write for The Writing Cooperative.
7. The Short Form, 5.3K followers
The name says it all. They publish short-form articles, a maximum of 150 words. Any more than that and it might be rejected.
If you’re more comfortable writing short pieces, then this is ideal for you.
What can you write about? You only have 150 words. You might as well get creative.
Of course, you can always explore other publications.
Just remember to be courteous to the editors at all times. Even if you vehemently disagree with their suggestions, don’t be rude. That’s a quick way to get banned by the publication.
So you got accepted as a writer, now what?
Now write, duh. You joined as a writer, right? So write.
Craft your content to the best of your ability, edit the crap out of it, and then submit it to the publication.
“Okay, hold on,” you say. “How do you even submit to a publication?”
I promise it’s not complicated at all.
Steps to submitting a story to a publication
- Click on the three dots beside the publish button. It will open a drop-down menu.
2. Select ‘add to publication’
3. Choose the publication you want to publish to
4. Click ‘select and continue’
5. Click ‘publish’
6. Add your tags (choose all five)
7. Click ‘publish now’
Congratulations. You’ve just published your story to a publication.
All you have to do is wait to hear back from an editor. They’ll come back later (anywhere from a few hours to at least two weeks) to tell you whether your story has been accepted or rejected.
In the meantime, while you wait, keep writing. My personal rule is to forget you ever submitted a story and focus on your writing.
Please note that you can submit to a publication only if you’ve been accepted as a writer.
And what if they reject your story?
I’ve already been rejected twice. So yeah, it happens. Even the best writers on Medium will tell you the same. As long as you’re a writer, you’ll be rejected sometimes.
But don’t dwell too much on it. Being rejected can mean many things. It doesn’t necessarily mean that your story sucks, although that’s also a possibility.
If your story doesn’t suck, why else will it be rejected?
1. Your story isn’t a good fit for the publication. Maybe you didn’t follow the rules. See why I said you should read the submission guidelines? Shall I repeat myself?
2. You need to make some minor or major edits. The editors will alert you. Make sure you have your private note on to receive those messages.
3. Honestly, sometimes you don’t even know why it’s rejected. They’ll just tell you it’s rejected or they’ll tell you nothing at all.
Whatever the reason, don’t give up writing. Hell, don’t even give up on your rejected story. Send it somewhere else. Just because it’s not a good fit for one publication doesn’t mean it applies to every publication. My first rejected story was accepted by another publication.
Of course, you can always self-publish if you want. Ultimately, it’s your choice.
Final thoughts
Joining publications on Medium makes a world of difference. Don’t be afraid to do it.
Don’t sell yourself short. Have faith in your writing and give yourself permission to suck. It’s the only way to get better. With patience and perseverance, you’ll surely see your audience grow.
This article is dedicated to Meg MacMahon. Thanks for inspiring me. I hope this answered most of your questions.
If you have any questions, you can always leave them behind in the comments. I’ll do my best to answer them all.
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