Monthly Insights from the ILLUMINATION Editorial Team (March 2024)
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Chapter 1: Celebrating Progress and Community Growth
Greetings to our dedicated writers and readers as we welcome the month of March. This edition of our newsletter is crafted from my secondary account, primarily utilized for publishing and curation tasks, particularly for Technology Hits. For those who may not be familiar with me, I am Dr. Mehmet Yildiz. The motivation behind this newsletter stems from the overwhelming workload our volunteer editors and administrators face in managing publishing, curation, and addressing various challenges. Adding further tasks would only complicate their already demanding roles.
In recent months, Aiden from ILLUMINATION Gaming has been instrumental in compiling updates, but he is now engrossed in curating content, managing boost nominations, publishing tasks, and overseeing our Slack workspace.
Interestingly, yesterday marked the 4th anniversary of ILLUMINATION! Mike Broadly, DHSc, authored an insightful piece reflecting on our journey. I founded ILLUMINATION on March 19, 2020, as a modest publication, and it has since evolved into a significant resource on Medium, boasting contributions from 27,949 writers.
Since February 19, we've welcomed 924 new writers, all of whom have been successfully onboarded into our Slack workspace, thanks to the efforts of our dedicated volunteer administrators, editors, and moderators. These processes are labor-intensive and require substantial time and commitment from our volunteers, who generously offer their time to foster this vibrant community.
We strive to assist every writer, particularly those new to the platform, in rapidly building their audiences through our expansive community. With collective support, we aim to captivate our loyal readers and contribute to Medium’s growth—an invaluable platform for everyone involved.
Beyond managing the responsibilities of 151 volunteer editors, I also juggle multiple roles as the owner and chief editor. Given that our publications do not generate income, I find myself engaged in supportive activities on a daily basis, which consume a considerable amount of my time. As I mentioned previously, I am inundated with thousands of unread emails and Slack messages. Given my current workload, responding promptly is often unrealistic. If you do not receive a reply within 24 to 48 hours, please reach out to my colleagues—Aiden, Mike Broadly, DHSc, Lawson Wallace, K. Joseph, The Sturg, and InYah—who have graciously volunteered to handle urgent inquiries in my absence.
Our loyal readership appreciates diverse voices, so we are quick to introduce new writers through welcome packs like this one. We have a spectrum of writers ranging from complete novices to seasoned experts: approximately 10% are beginners, 20% are advanced, and 70% fall in between. We provide support to absolute beginners through Readers Hope, while the more experienced writers benefit from ILLUMINATION-Curated and our specialized publications. Every level of writer adds value to our diverse reader base, and you can find detailed guidelines updated below.
We have revised our submission guidelines to align with Medium's updated distribution policies following August 2023. New writers can access these guidelines through the following links:
- ILLUMINATION-Curated: New Submission Guidelines 2023
- SYNERGY: Submission Guidelines 2023
- Technology Hits: Submission Guidelines 2023
- ILLUMINATION Book Chapters: Submission Guidelines 2023
- Readers Hope: New Submission Guidelines 2023
- Submission Guidelines: Illumination Integrated Publications
- ILLUMINATION Gaming: Submission Guidelines 2023
- ILLUMINATION Videos and Podcasts: Submission Guidelines 2023
- Publishing and Conduct Guidelines for the Lampshade of ILLUMINATION
- ILLUMINATION's Nutrition: Curated Stories — Volume 1. [new]
To ensure timely publication of your content, we kindly ask for your patience and request that you submit high-quality articles along with copyright-free images. The importance of quality cannot be overstated.
The first video titled "Live Editing Sessions - Capture One: 13th August 2024" highlights round-trip editing techniques, including Photoshop and panorama editing. This video serves as a valuable resource for writers and editors alike.
Boost Nominations
In response to numerous inquiries, I have addressed some critical questions in a new article that I believe will enhance your chances of receiving boost nominations in our publications.
Since October 2023, our special publication, ILLUMINATION-Curated, has been designated as a boost nominating platform. Additionally, Aiden's popular publication, ILLUMINATION Gaming, is now included in the boost program. Together with support from other editors, Aiden and I dedicate several hours daily to identify outstanding pieces for boost nomination.
Recently, editors interviewed me regarding our approach to boost nominations. We hope the insights shared in this interview will be beneficial to you.
The second video, "Capture One: 12th March 2024," covers essential topics such as white balance, Topaz sharpening, and the ethics of editing. This tutorial is an excellent resource for writers seeking to refine their editing skills.
Boost Education
Last year, I developed a comprehensive checklist aimed at increasing the likelihood of boosts, particularly for new writers. This resource is designed to assist all writers in improving the quality of their submissions.
I also published an important article addressing frequently asked questions about maximizing income through writing on Medium and other platforms, drawing on my extensive experience in content development and marketing to guide aspiring writers.
Aiden initiated an educational series that analyzes boosted stories by successful writers with high acceptance rates.
Lessons Learned from Boosted Stories — Episode #1
Lessons Learned from Boosted Stories — Episode #2
Lessons Learned from Boosted Stories — Episode #3
Lessons Learned from Boosted Stories — Episode #4
New Communication & Collaboration Platform
Our primary communication and collaboration tool is the Slack Workspace. You can learn more about it in this introductory article: An Introduction to ILLUMINATION Slack Workspace. It is free and moderated for our writers.
As some writers face limitations in joining Slack, our editor and media coordinator, Aiden, has graciously set up a new Discord service as an alternative to our primary Slack workspace. All registered writers are welcome to join this new platform. Aiden has also created a YouTube video to guide you through the process.
Update on ILLUMINATION Stats
This month, we’ve observed improvements across various statistics. Here are our 90-day metrics, including reading times, visitor counts, and views to provide insight into our growth:
- Reading Times: Increased from 7.3 to 7.4 million minutes from last month.
- Views: Rose from 6.1 to 6.2 million.
- Average Unique Daily Visitors: Increased slightly from 53.5K to 53.6K.
- Followers: We’ve gained 1,107 new followers since last month.
- Writer Registrations: 924 new writers have registered on our platform.
- Slack Members: An additional 670 members joined our Slack workspace, bringing our total to over 21,000 members. Around 6K of them cannot use Slack, hence Aiden's Discord initiative.
- Volunteer Editors: We now have 151 volunteer publishing and consulting editors after adding two new members.
Plans for Handling Massive Workload and Invitation to Support our Substack Subscription Library
As our team grapples with the overwhelming demands of editing, publishing, curation, and administrative tasks within Slack, it has become clear that our volunteer staff cannot manage the current workload. To address this, I am exploring funding opportunities to hire at least one full-time administrator to alleviate some of this burden.
In an effort to engage our community and share responsibilities, I invite our Substack subscribers, including both writers and readers who utilize our free services, to consider supporting our library on Substack. We plan to offer a free curation service using Substack to benefit our writers and delight our readers—especially those who are Friends of Medium and pay for their subscriptions.
I encourage anyone who can afford it to pledge support for our ILLUMINATION Library on Substack, which will help sustain our free services and foster a thriving community. More details about this initiative will be shared in a future update. We have already received some pledges this past month, and I would like to express our gratitude to these kind supporters.
Our Focus on Quality
In January, I outlined our publication strategy for 2024, which you can read about in detail as I share useful information about our plans moving forward. I have also divulged my personal strategy as a writer, publisher, curator, and editor for 2024 and 2025.
As we expand, maintaining quality and fostering meaningful engagement remain paramount for enhancing the visibility of our stories. Here are some essential points to keep in mind:
- We prioritize well-crafted articles that are free from language errors or image issues. Submissions with errors may experience longer publication times.
- To ensure fairness, we only accept one story per writer within a 24-hour period. However, additional submissions can be made to our smaller publications designed for specific audiences.
- If a submission does not align with ILLUMINATION's scope, editors might suggest relocating it to a more appropriate publication to guarantee the best content for our readers.
- Writers who fail to adhere to our publication rules may experience delays in their stories’ publication while necessary adjustments are made via private messages. Due to time zone differences, this could take several days. To expedite the process, consider utilizing our Slack workspace.
- We do not reject submissions; we only return them for revisions or transfer them to a more suitable publication. Some writers have recently contacted me about their stories being removed from ILLUMINATION, which I have identified as a bug. We do not remove published works unless there’s a serious issue, such as harmful content, and even then, we leave a private message. Please do not panic if this occurs; reach out to me, and I will guide you through the republishing process.
Bots, Scams, and Spam Accounts on Medium
There has been a notable increase in harmful accounts infiltrating the platform. I shared my insights in an article titled "Scam and Spam Accounts on Medium Are As Bad As Hate Speech and Defamation for Writers." While we acknowledge Medium's efforts to combat this issue, we have seen many writers cloned.
In late September, many writers expressed concerns regarding a significant drop in earnings despite steady statistics. Initially speculated to be a system error or a depletion of Medium’s funds, the exact cause was eventually clarified. We learned that some writers had received compensation, which was a relief. Mike Broadly documented the situation regarding income loss, providing valuable insights.
We understand the concerns raised by many writers about this decline. However, we want to emphasize that while monetary aspects are significant, Medium offers a range of benefits beyond income.
In light of these changes, our editorial team has published a story to guide writers through these transitions. We encourage you to read this story, where we transparently share our editorial stance.
Update on Recent Account Suspensions
Recently, Medium initiated a fraud detection analysis that uncovered several fraudulent activities. While this effort is appreciated for the platform's safety, it inadvertently led to the suspension of some accounts. I drafted a guide addressing this situation from multiple angles.
Fortunately, one of our editors, Lanu Pitan, had her account restored on ILLUMINATION's anniversary, which brought joy to both our team and her readers. You can read my testimonial about Lanu in the accompanying story.
Writer Bios in a Collection — Introducing Yourself
If you are a new writer, introducing yourself to the community can yield numerous benefits, as I have previously outlined. I have shared six compelling reasons why every writer should create a bio on Medium.
From the outset, I have encouraged our writers to include personal bios in their stories. These bios have been curated and shared with our subscribers, allowing readers to gain deeper insights into the writers they follow. However, as the number of bios has increased, it has become challenging to manage them all.
To address this, Aiden has reorganized these bios into a more concise and manageable format. We understand that our readers are eager to learn about the writers they follow, so you can explore these updated bios in our new collection.
Meet ILLUMINATION Writers from Their Personally Penned Biographies
If you are interested in monetizing your writing and enhancing your email marketing skills, Aiden has introduced a step-by-step opportunity detailed in an article. He has also created a YouTube video providing clear instructions.
Practical Guidance for Absolute Beginners
How to Submit Your Stories to Publications
Now that you have joined Medium and crafted your first story, please follow these simple steps. After a few attempts, this process will become second nature. Many new writers have faced delays due to unfamiliarity with this feature.
When drafting your story, click the three dots at the top right of your screen, select "Add to Publication," choose ILLUMINATION or a relevant publication, and submit your story. Once in the publication queue, editors will review it and publish it if it meets our criteria. If not, they will leave a private message for revisions, resubmission, or relocation to a more suitable publication.
Use Copyright-Free Images and Remember to Caption Them
A critical issue is that some new writers forget to add captions to images and use copyrighted content. Violating copyright rules can lead to severe penalties. Several writers have faced hefty fines, and our editors strive to prevent this from happening to you. Therefore, we urge you to adhere to their requests, as they prioritize your best interests. Not every image on stories behind a paywall is permissible.
Before submitting your stories, please review our Photo Handling Policy, as it is one of the most time-consuming issues for our editors and often causes delays. Writers who fail to comply with our photo handling policy risk removal from publications.
We Don't Accept AI-Generated Content Except for One Dedicated Publication
Our publications do not accept content produced by AI tools, but we have a solution to satisfy both writers and readers. Writers utilizing generative AI tools like Jasper or ChatGPT can submit their stories to our new publication, the Lampshade of ILLUMINATION. Details are provided in our AI-Generated Content Policy.
Essential Resources for New Writers
We have compiled essential guides for new writers in a post titled Starter Kit for Writers of ILLUMINATION Integrated Publications. This collection serves as a one-stop shop for new writers seeking to learn more about writing on Medium. Please review these guiding policies before submitting stories. We maintain a zero-tolerance policy for plagiarism on ILLUMINATION, and we do not publish defamatory, discriminatory, or hate speech content.
Helpful Resources for Beginners
You can find more valuable stories from my content management collection aimed at assisting new writers joining Medium. I have compiled them in a list for easy access.
Writer Introductions, Featuring, and Interviews
We introduce writers by creating profiles or interviewing them to enhance their visibility. Since 2019, I have conducted numerous interviews with writers. Here are some of the latest:
- Interview with David Mokotoff, MD
- Interview with Gill McCulloch
- An Interview with Dr. Lutz Kraushaar
- Interview with Adelia Ritchie, PhD
- An Interview with Tim Denning
- A Candid Peek into the Personal and Professional Life of Lorwen Harris Nagle, PhD
- An Interview with Matt Williams-Spooner, Ph.D.
We also feature stories from writers whose work you may want to explore.
Let's Welcome New Writers Joining Us Recently
We extend our heartfelt thanks to all the new writers who have recently joined our publications. Our administrators have diligently reviewed your applications and welcomed you into our community. As part of Friends of Medium, our editorial accounts strive to follow and engage with all of you, though we cannot follow more than 150 accounts daily. We appreciate your patience as we gradually connect with everyone.
In closing, I would like to remind everyone that supporting fellow writers is crucial for mutual growth. Acts of kindness and understanding can significantly impact our community. Collaboration and meaningful engagement are essential for success on writing platforms.
Thank you for taking the time to read this newsletter. I wish you all a healthy and fulfilling life.