July Update From the Partner Program

Tips from Medium Curation, the Medium Writers Team, upcoming publications, and calls for submissions

Illustration: mecaleha/Getty Images

Over the last month, we’ve looked into why stories are not curated in order to highlight the most common, easy-to-fix issues. You can read about what we found and our tips to help improve the quality of your writing. Make sure to check for these common problems before publishing.

You can grow your readership on Medium by having your stories curated into topics, which powers distribution through recommendations. We’ve noticed some questions coming up often about distribution, growing readership, and curation. There’s lots we can share here, and as a start, we updated the frequently asked questions around distribution.

Introducing Medium Writers Team

We’ve started a new “Writers” section in 3 Min Read to share more tips, advice, spotlights, and information for writers. These stories will be shared by a new account, Medium Writers Team. Our very first post is on common problems in curation. For the latest inspiration and tips about writing on Medium, follow Medium Writers Team.

Call for submissions

Several Medium publications are on the lookout for great stories. Read below to see what they’re looking for and submit your stories.

A forthcoming business publication

We are accepting published submissions for two new writing prompts for a forthcoming publication covering business, entrepreneurship, and the economy:

• My Worst Day at Work: Mother said there would be days like these — and we want to hear about them. Tell us about the day you had to close the doors of your company, your best employee left, your biggest client walked, or some other business catastrophe befell you or your team. We’re interested primarily in your recollection of events, your emotions, and what happened next. This piece isn’t about how you used failure as a springboard to success — it’s about what it feels like to be laid low.
• Unlikely Success: Don’t forget, plenty of VCs passed on Uber, Airbnb, and other unicorn startups. What’s your story about a product or service, maybe born by accident, that is thriving and valuable? We want to hear about the unloved and laughed-at ideas that became core to your company’s successes — or maybe even spun off into a company of their own. Tell us why they came to be, how they survived despite haters, and why they overcame the odds.

Submit your published stories by posting with the tags “Worst Day” or “Unlikely Success.” Stories accepted for each prompt will receive edits and a minimum guaranteed payment through the Partner Program, and will be featured in our new publication.

Have other ideas for this publication? Send your pitches to business@medium.com. Please write two to three paragraphs describing the story, and add a few lines explaining why you are the best person to write this piece.

Modus: for writers covering design
Modus, Medium’s dedicated design publication, hopes to be a go-to source of trustworthy, thought-provoking writing that designers can rely on to help them thrive and improve their work. If you’d like to contribute, have a look at our post about writing for Modus, and drop us a line at modus@medium.com.

Here are a few of our favorite stories so far:

• Advertising behemoth Ogilvy has a $12 million contract with CBP, which operates the immigrant detention camps at the border. The design industry has to take a stand against working for inhumane organizations like this, writes John Warren Hanawalt.
• Jason Forrest provides a fascinating look at how the Soviets used data to inspire, terrify, and persuade.
• Taylor Cone shares thoughts on how design thinking will continue to evolve in keeping with changes in major forces like user needs, the economy, and the environment.

Apparently: for writers exploring the future of parenthood
Medium is partnering with Motherly to launch Apparently, a new publication that aims to bring niche conversations around parenting into the mainstream and force our society, culture, and government to consider parenthood when making decisions about the future. We’re looking for writers curious about what it means to be a parent today, to give a voice to those who haven’t had a voice before, and to create a safe space for tough conversations on issues that matter most to parents.

If you’re interested in sharing your stories, you can learn more about submitting to Apparently here.

The Bold Italic: for stories about life in San Francisco and the larger Bay Area
The Bold Italic is looking for compelling stories about life in SF and the Bay Area. TBI is always interested in hearing from freelance reporters who want to contribute reported or personal articles to the magazine. But you don’t need to be a professional writer to submit a story for us — if you’ve got something compelling to say about life in this region and can write about it well, we want to hear from you too.

Recently, that’s meant showcasing tales from a local nanny, how one resident invited everyone in her apartment building over to her place, why it’s still difficult to pee in public as a transgender woman, and what it’s like to be black in SF. Niche or broad, sad or happy, funny or serious: As long as you have something meaningful to say that hasn’t been said elsewhere, get in touch — we’re always seeking new and diverse voices.

To submit your idea, please email info@thebolditalic.com. Before you do, make sure to read this overview outlining the types of stories we’re looking for and our pitch process.

July payments

On July 31, we processed payments for the month of July. 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 July:

• 57% of writers or publications who wrote at least one story for members earned money.
• 7.9% of active writers earned over $100.
• $22,639.47 was the most earned by a writer, and $6,720.35 was the most earned for a single story.

Words to write by

One way to become a better writer is to write, and write often. For some authors this includes the practice of keeping a journal. In “A Beginner’s Guide to Keeping a Journal,” Anna Goldfarb describes a variety of methods and tips for keeping a journal. There are three guidelines she shares that are useful for getting started or for reinvigorating your practice if you already keep a journal.

“The great thing about keeping a journal is that it’s a flexible habit. As your needs change, your process can easily change, too. And if you see journaling as a way to fill multiple needs at once, it’s fine to channel each of those needs into its own space.”