Not All Publications Are Made Alike
By: Morris T
Tags: Readership, Writers On Medium, Writers On Writing, Publication, Medium Writers

MEDIUM SMARTS

Not All Publications Are Made Alike

Big may not be good. Small may not be bad.

It is what lies underneath that counts. Photo by Clément Falize on Unsplash

A big publication accepted your story.

Bring out the drinks and start the party! Time for a celebration. Clearly, with 100k followers, your article will be on its way to the top. Right?

No.

Often, nothing happens. You may get a read every now and then but rarely do you see a steady stream of reads. This is nothing to be surprised about. While your article is published to a huge audience, be mindful that the number of articles will be many too. After all, everyone wants to publish big.

Many articles divided by many followers equals a few views.

None of my stories published on a sizeable publication is on my list of top articles. Having said so, do not get me wrong. I am not saying that big publications are no good. It does provide the benefits of prestige and recognition that comes with being associated with a big name. This article is not about the size of a publication.

Prestige and recognition are important too. Photo by Jane Duursma on Unsplash

If your goal is to get the best exposure for your articles, go with a publication that works for you. Let me explain.

I run two publications.

RESONATES focuses on topics about causes, empowerment, self-love, and real-life stories.

AMPLIFIES focuses on topics such as actionable life hacks and guides. Nothing fluffy.

Bringing value to the writers’ work.

My approach towards publication is simple and focused. We are in this together and there is mutual respect. I expect a level of sincerity and provide that in return.

All submissions are acted upon in a timely manner. No one is left hanging.

I do a basic grammar check on the article to help writers who may miss out. Everyone makes mistakes! Me included.

I add a kicker for the stories to increase the professionalism of the articles.

I add at least one tag to entrench the topic of the story to help it reach the right audience.

I schedule every story fairly to feature on the front page. This provides more exposure to the writers.

I share the writers’ stories on social media networks to help them get more exposure.

I regularly write round-ups of the stories published to give the writers another round of exposure.

I never add nor change anything that is material to the writers’ stories as a form of respect.

My aim is to run my publications the way I would like if I am a writer. I had waited endlessly without a response, got content added into my story without being notified or published without ever seeing it anywhere on the publication page.

I will not do the same to others.

I recognize the fact that my publications are small and this motivates me to work my ass off for the writers who made this leap of faith.

We are all in this together. Photo by Hannah Busing on Unsplash

What must you do?

When you decide on a publication to submit to, make sure your intention aligns with it.

If you are going for prestige and recognition, go after the big names.

If your goal is to increase readership, go for a publication that works hard for you.

The publication should appreciate you and commit to giving your stories the best chance possible. This publication must build relationships with its followers as this leads to engaged readers for your work.

In return, you should give your best in the stories you submit to the publication. It is a relationship, not a transaction. When the publication grows, so will you and your stories on it.

If you know of any big publication that works hard for you, please kindly let me know. I want to submit to it too!

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