Why Publications Matter on Medium

On this platform, you can tap into three primary traffic sources:

• Followers
• Topics
• Publications

Until your follower count reaches the thousands, they may not significantly impact your views. In fact, you might need over 10,000 followers to see a real difference.

Some topics boast tens of thousands of followers, promising potential views but also presenting stiff competition.

Consequently, publications emerge as one of the best tools for maximizing your reach:

• They showcase every article to a potentially vast audience.
• Many are selective, which can help you refine your writing.
• Rejections, even from non-selective publications, can provide valuable insights into areas for improvement.

The takeaway? Aim to publish every article under a publication.

Identifying the Best Publication

Specialized publications often have a greater potential for reach. For example, while Illumination is a sizable publication that covers a range of topics, The Writing Cooperative is more focused, which may yield a more engaged readership.

Both publish writing-related articles, but the latter is more likely to attract interested readers, resulting in more meaningful interactions.

Here’s how I identify the most suitable publication for my articles:

• I search for the article's main keyword on Medium, taking note of which publications feature the top articles.

I review publication names on relevant topic pages, concentrating on the best articles from the past year to avoid outdated or closed publications.

I continuously check the publication names on articles I read to identify any that I might not be aware of.

Relevance is my primary criterion for a good publication, followed by the number of followers. I steer clear of publications with fewer than 1,000 followers since they are typically too new to offer significant reach.

Though joining emerging publications can be beneficial, their success is uncertain, so I favor more established options.

While many publication home pages may not display follower counts, a handy trick is to append /latest to the publication URL to reveal the follower count in the sidebar.

I maintain a Notion database to track interesting publications, noting which ones I have joined, plan to try, or are waiting for acceptance.

Joining Publications

If you haven’t published under a publication yet, you need to be added as a writer first. There are two primary methods to do this:

• Responding to a submission post.
• Completing a form.

Finding submission guidelines is the first step. Sometimes, these guidelines can be tricky to locate, but searching for publicationname guidelines or publicationname write for us on Medium usually leads you to them.

Make sure to read them thoroughly. Good publications receive many submissions, and you wouldn’t want to waste their time with an incorrect submission. Plus, the review process can take several days, so you want to avoid delays due to formatting errors.

Most publications prefer unpublished drafts, so wait until you have a relevant article before applying.

Keeping a publication database is beneficial at this stage, allowing you to see a list of interesting publications you haven’t joined yet. Once a suitable article is ready, you can use this list to apply.

While the process can be tedious and may slow you down until you join all the interesting publications, it is worthwhile. Once accepted, your articles will be reviewed much more quickly.

If you face rejection, it’s common not to receive a reason. It could be due to the topic, quality, or simply because they are overwhelmed with submissions. If you receive feedback, enhance the article and resubmit; otherwise, explore other publications.

Participating in a feedback group can enhance your submissions. I gained valuable insights from the community in a Medium writing course.

Submitting Articles to Publications

Once you become a writer for a publication, the publication name appears in your editor menu.

When your article is ready, follow these steps:

1. Click the three dots in the upper right to access the menu.
2. Select "Add to publication."
3. Choose the publication and confirm.
4. Click the green "Submit" button.
5. Confirm your submission.
6. Wait for a response.

Many publications respond quickly, often within 24 hours, while others may take longer. After several submissions, you will start to understand the average review times for your preferred publications, which will inform your publishing strategy.

Lastly, enable private notes in your account settings, as editors often use this feature to communicate with you.

Handling Rejections

Even experienced writers can face rejection from Medium publications. When it happens, don’t be disheartened. It doesn’t imply you’re a poor writer; it could merely mean that specific article isn’t quite right.

Sometimes, the issue may not even be about quality. The article could be slightly off-topic, lack uniqueness, or the publication may have received numerous similar submissions.

Editors often don’t provide detailed feedback on rejections. However, consider it a valuable lesson in writing. Review your article, make improvements, and resubmit.

More often than not, you will receive the standard Medium rejection notification. It can be disappointing, so it’s wise to avoid checking emails right before bedtime to prevent sleepless nights of questioning.

Fortunately, there are many potential destinations for every article. The "perfect publication" is a myth.

For each major topic you cover, maintain a ranking of suitable publications. If your top choice rejects an article, simply move on to the next one in line.

For instance, I initially submit my self-improvement articles to Mind Cafe, which is quite selective in that genre. If rejected, I’ll try Better Humans, followed by Illumination. Occasionally, I explore new publications.

My Experience with Medium Publications

I have been exploring publications for about six months (as of October 2022). My focus is on self-improvement, content creation, and business. I believe my database already includes the top names, although I have yet to join them all.

I am fully convinced that publications are beneficial. This insight prompted me to write this guide. Articles posted solely on my profile have gone largely unnoticed.

Your Next Steps

Even if you’ve never written before, there’s likely a publication that suits your work. Start your search as I outlined earlier. Create a database and keep trying until you get accepted into an interesting publication. Then, build your presence from there.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask. Good luck!

For insights on effective strategies to grow on Medium, I compiled my experiences in a free email course called Medium Jumpstart. Subscribe here.

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