The Dirty Truth Behind My Medium Debut
By: Mary Chang Story Writer
Tags: Writing, Parenting, Writers On Medium, Humor, Virginity

The Dirty Truth Behind My Medium Debut

Photo by Sammie Vasquez on Unsplash

My 10-year old son and I burst into a twenty-second “pee my pants” laughter when I revealed to him that after 365 days of blogging on WordPress, I established a whopping number of 69 followers.

That’s how I made my infamous debut on the Medium platform via The Brave Writer with “The Beauty, Truth & Ugly Behind My First Year of Blogging: Braving the Weird WordPress World.”

Today I’m revealing the dirty truth that “Medium virgins” may be curious to know but afraid to ask — about my first time published on the platform via The Brave Writer.

Did it hurt?

The most painful, scary part of the process was “submitting” to the Publication. But middle-aged virgins are rare, and there was an opening for virgin writers.

What did it feel like?

It was a gratifying sense of accomplishment once I finished writing the story. I breathed a sigh of relief when I submitted, then held my breath, suffered waves of dizziness, anxiety, and self-doubt while I awaited a reply.

Will I do it again?

Yes. The writing process gives me unbridled satisfaction. Submitting is finalizing the process, and publication is the cherry on top.

Did I hit my goal of 69+ followers?

Yes! As of December 3 (31 days after my article was published on The Brave Writer) and posted on Facebook, Instagram, and my blog), I have 119 followers!

My son rolled his eyes, gave me the “big deal” shrug. Remember, son — it took me 365 days to get 69 followers on my WordPress blog. Kids are hard to please. Stop comparing me to that Minecraft YouTuber, dude.

How many claps did I get on The Brave Writer?

675 claps as of December 3, and thankfully, zero STD’s.

How many comments did I get on The Brave Writer?

Eight! From Olya Aman, Stephen Dalton, Ryan DeJonghe, Anick Dubé, Gail Johnson, Lori Lamothe, Mayank Pamnani, and Shaya Sy-Rantfors.

Thank you for supporting my debut article and breaking ground with me. Eight cartwheels to show my gratitude will be much easier than doing 69.

Only three of the comments came from personal friends I begged to read my article. But I visualized that three of my favorite Medium writers reached out to me personally: Shannon Ashley, Tim Denning, Shaunta Grimes, and these writers who inspired me to get writing on this platform with their articles, Doc Jay, MD, Benny Lim, and Brian Rowe and countless others…

“In your dreams, Mom.”

“Hey, son, that’s where it all starts. Chase your dreams, kid. One day you’ll become famous — like your mom.”

(Son’s laughter.)

Will I continue to expose myself on the WordPress platform?

Yes. I continue to hold space for my first love.

Will I continue to expose myself on the Medium platform?

Yes. Exposure to a new audience is a great experience.

Will I continue to write on The Brave Writer?

Yes, as long as they accept me.

How long did it take to receive a reply from TBW?

After reading the submission guidelines and rules, I submitted my final draft (along with a link to my cartwheels video) to The Brave Writer on October 29. I was accepted as a writer on October 30 and received helpful critique and edit suggestions on my draft link from their talented editor, Alexander Boswell. Thank you for being firm yet gentle with your guidance, Alexander Boswell. After making final edits, it was published live on November 2.

How much money did I earn from my first article on TWB?

As of December 3 (31 days after my article was published), I didn’t earn enough to buy an electric scooter, or a puppy, or a frog for my son. But I did earn enough to buy a few packs of Pokemon cards from Dollarama!

Would you recommend writing for The Brave Writer?

Absolutely. It was a positive, pleasurable, rewarding experience.

Did you think your article would get published on The Brave Writer?

Between waves of dizziness and self-doubt, I had that “sixth sense” that The Editor would “call” and select my article for publication.

Anything else you’d like to share about breaking virginity with The Brave Writer?

Doing something for the first time is scary. Whether it’s submitting to a new strange publication or writing something different for a magazine I’m familiar with where I’ve developed a relationship, or if I take a dive and enter an international writing contest with a sea of both green and well-experienced writers.

It’s about being brave and that’s why I chose to make a debut on Medium with The Brave Writer, simply because I love their philosophy, my article seemed like a good fit, and the name of their publication resonated with me. I knew this was the place my story needed to be told to break the barrier.

But whichever Publication writers choose to publish their first articles

Or future ones, via the Medium platform, it takes courage, vulnerability, and a good sense of self-deprecating humor to submit.

It’s an ongoing battle filled with anxiety and self-doubt whenever I put my writing out there or tuck it away into my shoebox.

Did I mention that I have two shoeboxes? One for published pieces and the other for rejections?

Guess which one is bigger?

“That’s so obvious, Mom. Do you really need to ask that question? You’re not that funny. So, when can we can get a puppy? Or a frog? Or maybe a kitten? (big smile, eyebrows raise — twice) When you’re famous?”

More laughter.

Finishing

If I don’t put myself out there, I’ll miss out on multiple opportunities. The fear of rejection will be constant, but persevering, exposing myself to new people, and being open to different experiences — will result in satisfaction and joy during the process, whatever the outcome may be.

I think of The Editor, and that voice in my head says, “Maybe he’ll say no, but he might say yes!”

It’s not about the big climax or publication (it’s impossible every time). It’s respecting, appreciating, and experiencing pleasure and flow during the process, and with good practice and the occasional props, it gets better most of the time.

And when it doesn’t, that’s when editors (and battery-operated toys) come in handy.

About the Author:

Mary Chang is an award-winning short story fiction writer, published memoir article writer, and blogger striving to become a better human, parent & writer. Her stories are inspired by exercise, humor & people. Fueled by cartwheels, laughter, and a 10-year old kid who is way funnier than she is. Read her blog with the rest of her 69 followers at www.marychangstorywriter.com.