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Another quick note: You may notice I occasionally use “we.” This is merely a stylistic choice; it still refers to me.

Life Lessons

We love deeply personal narratives that convey significant lessons. Our tagline is “Oddly specific. Universally applicable.” Keep this in mind as you write.

Politics and Current Events

Regarding political topics, I am open to publishing both articles I resonate with and those I do not. In fact, I appreciate reading perspectives that differ from mine, as it contributes to my growth.

However, please ensure you include in-text citations for your sources if you make claims or reference statistics. Furthermore, submissions that are discriminatory, sensationalistic, or offensive for the sake of shock will not be considered.

Humor

I enjoy a well-crafted humorous piece. If your writing is genuinely funny, I will gladly read it, laugh, and express my desire to publish it. If it falls flat, I will likely decline your submission but will strive to do so kindly, as I aim to avoid hurting anyone's feelings.

Fiction

While I don’t often accept fiction, I am open to compelling stories that I believe would find a home at TBP. If you're considering submitting a short story, I would be happy to review it, though longer pieces may be better suited elsewhere unless they are exceptionally ambitious, humorous, tragic, or well-written.

Responses to Writing Prompts

While my posting of writing prompts may be sporadic, feel free to submit responses to any past prompts. If you have suggestions for new prompts, I’d love to brainstorm ideas, as I plan to introduce more prompts in the future.

Miscellaneous

We also welcome articles covering: - Relationships - Family - Self-exploration - Psychology - National and global issues - Cultural and social trends - Entertainment

For these categories, your piece may have a better chance if it intersects with one of our primary themes mentioned above. (For instance, personal stories are easy to align with life lessons.)

Poetry

While I appreciate poetry, TBP is not the right platform for unsolicited submissions of this genre. To clarify, here’s a haiku I wrote on the subject:

The Bigger Picture takes submissions of all kinds — except poetry.

Lists

I’m also not fond of listicles lacking depth. If they aren’t particularly humorous or insightful, consider whether they might be better presented in another format.

Self-Help

Some articles may touch on self-help themes, but I aim to avoid those that come across as preachy. If your experiences qualify you as an expert on how to live, share that story from a personal viewpoint, as what worked for you may not apply to everyone.

Tech and Finance

Although there may be overlaps with culture or current events, I refrain from publishing overly technical articles. Such pieces are better suited for tech- or business-oriented publications. I also prefer to avoid scholarly writing that resembles a term paper, as it may not be accessible for TBP's audience.

Blog Posts

I receive numerous submissions that resemble blog entries. My emphasis on "deeply personal" stories is often misinterpreted as an invitation to share mundane updates like “What I did this Wednesday” or “Experiences during quarantine.” This is not the case; if your submission fits a personal blog better, it likely doesn’t belong at TBP.

In Your Piece

• Headline: Always provide a title for your piece.
• Subhead: Optional but can guide readers on what to expect.
• Header Image with Credit: Each story must have a header image, with appropriate credit to the creator (even if it’s you).
• Proper Punctuation, Spelling, and Grammar: I will make minor edits, but submissions filled with errors will not be accepted. I aim to maintain high standards given the volume of quality submissions.
• Cohesive Story or Article: This is the most crucial element—your piece must make sense.
• Author Bio: Feel free to add a few lines about yourself at the end. If you have something noteworthy to link to, include that as well.
• Tags: You may also suggest relevant meta tags, but I may adjust them before publishing.

Required items are marked with an asterisk.

In Your Email

I know we haven’t discussed the submission process yet, but spoiler alert: it involves sending an email.

• Subject Line: Please include your submission title (or a shortened version) in the subject line; it helps significantly.
• Brief Personal Introduction: If it’s your first submission, this isn’t mandatory, but I enjoy learning about you before reading your work. If you have an interesting background—say, you worked on a favorite childhood TV show—it may win me over before I read your article.
• Compliments: Not required, but as I (Ryan) will be the sole reader of your submission, a kind word never hurts.
• Brief Story Introduction: This doesn’t have to be a summary; it can provide context for your writing.
• Draft Link: I prefer links to unpublished Medium drafts over attachments or body text. If you don’t have a Medium account yet, you can create one for free and send me your draft.

Required items are marked with an asterisk.

Tips for Formatting

• Avoid excessive or random formatting, such as overuse of bold or italics, as it can hinder readability.
• It saves me time if you use title case for your headline and sentence case for subheads.
• If you need to break up dense content without adding another image, consider using a pull quote:

See? Sometimes, a pull quote is more effective than an unnecessary image.

Submitting to TBP

1. Ensure you’ve adhered to all the guidelines above. Seriously.
2. Send an email to biggerpicturemedium [at] gmail.com.
3. Include at least the required information, especially your draft link.
4. Be patient.
5. If your submission isn’t accepted, please remember it’s not personal. Avoid sending a harsh reply; I’ve received such emails before, and they can ruin my day.

Publishing with TBP

If I accept your submission, congratulations! Just a few steps remain:

1. I will add you as a TBP writer using your Medium handle.
2. You’ll need to submit your story directly via Medium. To do this, go to edit your story, click the “…” in the top right corner, select “Add to publication,” and choose The Bigger Picture.
3. Sit tight; I’ll take it from there.
4. Once your piece is published, feel free to share it on social media. It may even be featured on our Facebook or Twitter pages.
5. For future submissions, you can submit directly through Medium since you’re now a TBP writer (essentially starting at step 2).

Note: Just because I published one of your pieces doesn’t guarantee that I will accept all future submissions.

Do I Get Paid if TBP Publishes My Work?

No, and I’m unsure where that idea originated. I manage this publication without payment, so I don’t even pay myself. However, you may qualify to earn through the Medium Partner Program.

How Long Does It Typically Take to Respond?

I usually respond within 2–3 days. During weekends or trips, it may take longer. If you don’t hear back at all (which is rare), your email might have been misclassified as spam.

Can I Submit Something Already Published on My Blog?

You can, but I prefer that your story exists in only one location online.

Can I Remove My Story from TBP After It’s Published?

The story remains yours, and you can do as you wish. If you submitted to another publication and decided to publish with me first, I may feel sad if you later transfer it to the other publication.

Why Didn’t You Accept My Submission?

It’s nothing personal. Possible reasons for a rejection include: - I’m overwhelmed with submissions and think you should explore other options. - Your piece may not fit TBP's themes, genre, or style. - I struggled to understand or find your work accessible. - It didn’t meet our quality standards for writing, grammar, or spelling. - It didn’t adhere to our formatting guidelines. - It discussed a current event that is no longer relevant. - You may have received a lifetime ban without being notified, and your latest submission reminded me of it. - You submitted poetry.

Have a question that isn’t addressed here? Feel free to email me, and I’ll gladly respond (and might add it to this list).