Welcome to ILLUMINATION Integrated Publications: A Guide for New Writers
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Dear New Contributors,
We are thrilled to welcome you aboard! Thank you for being part of ILLUMINATION Integrated Publications, which supports around 11,600 writers on Medium. For more information about our publications, please refer to our latest roadmap.
This message aims to inform new authors who have recently joined our publications: ILLUMINATION, ILLUMINATION-Curated, ILLUMINATION Book Chapters, Technology Hits, SYNERGY, ILLUMINATION’S MIRROR, and our newly launched Readers Hope, as announced by Dr. Mehmet Yildiz, our owner and chief editor.
All our publications operate on the Medium platform, and it’s essential for contributors to comply with its rules and policies. Occasionally, there may be issues on Medium; if your account is not added to the requested publications, please comment on this post or reach out to our editors on Slack to rectify the situation. You can leave your Medium ID on the channel #writerstobeadded for assistance.
You will soon receive an invitation to our Slack workspace via email. If you do not get the invitation from Dr. Yildiz, please comment on this post or reapply using the web form. Joining the Slack workspace is optional and free, but it offers an excellent opportunity for networking with fellow writers and volunteer editors. Currently, our Slack community has over 9,000 members.
Before submitting your work, please familiarize yourself with our publication guidelines. We welcome writers at all levels, and one key point is the submission of well-cited and copyright-free images, which can expedite the publication of your stories. Ensure you review our image handling policies.
We have a strict policy against plagiarism. Any attempts at plagiarism will result in immediate account and story removal, along with potential penalties from Medium and legal repercussions.
We offer various writing challenges to help you get started and attract more readers. One such initiative is a 100-day writing challenge, along with a prompt tool designed to increase your followers and engagement. Another challenge is the 1,000 Short Posts in 100 Days for prolific writers, aimed at expanding your readership and potential earnings on Medium.
You can submit short-form content to our different publications. Instructions for crafting short-form stories can be found in this post: Short-Form Stories Not For Income But For Visibility: Creative and Productive Use of Short-Form Posts on Medium.
If you aspire to become a top writer, you might find this guide beneficial: How To Become A Top Writer In Three Months: An Experience-Based Practical Guide for New Writers on Medium.
Viral content can significantly boost your follower count and reading time, which translates to income for writers. For insights on writing viral articles, check out: The Beginner’s Guide to Writing Viral Articles & Blogs: Learn 17 Proven Techniques and Unique Metrics.
If affiliate marketing interests you, consider reading: I’m a Writer/Editor: Why the Heck I Built An Affiliate Marketing Business After the Age of 60: The Importance and Value of Affiliate Marketing for Content Developers and Freelance Writers. It’s an excellent way to generate passive income.
For both ILLUMINATION and ILLUMINATION-Curated, you can explore a variety of topics. To manage our workload efficiently, we have established a backup publication called ILLUMINATION’S MIRROR, catering to prolific writers. You can submit multiple stories to this publication in a single day.
For guidance on submitting stories to publications, simply click the three dots (…) in edit mode. You will see the publications available in your profile. After selecting the appropriate publication, click submit, and our editors will review and publish if it meets Medium’s guidelines.
Now, let me introduce you to our other publications:
Technology Hits caters to readers interested in IT, entrepreneurship, tech news, and futuristic topics. For more information, refer to these articles: Value Propositions of Technology Hits: Why You Should Join This Tech Pub as a Writer and Enjoy as a Reader; Introduction to Technology Hits: Scope, Overview, and Participation Methods; Inviting Storytellers From All Aspects of Technology: Join a Unique Publication Aiming to Bring Writers Penning About Technology.
SYNERGY is designed for freelance writers to share their experiences and connect with fellow writers, editors, and bloggers. More details can be found in: Purpose of Synergy: How to Publish Your Stories in This Publication.
ILLUMINATION Book Chapters supports both published and indie authors, providing a platform for aspiring authors to get published. The objectives of this publication, as outlined by Dr. Yildiz, include:
- Allowing published authors to gain new readers through repurposed book chapters while earning income from their content on Medium.
- Helping published authors attract new followers and beta readers to provide feedback on upcoming manuscripts.
- Offering aspiring writers a chance to create manuscripts from their published stories, which can be submitted to ILLUMINATION Book Chapters for reviews and potential publication.
Further information about ILLUMINATION Book Chapters can be found in these articles: How Can Published Authors Create Visibility? A Sample and Guiding Introduction to Book Chapters and ILLUMINATION Book Chapters: Editorial Bulletin #9 New Resources.
Our latest publication, Readers Hope, focuses on transforming readers into writers. Dr. Yildiz recently shared an intriguing perspective on this concept: What If We Can Transform Readers into Micro-Writers: Compelling Ideas to Convert Readers to Writers with Small Steps, Guidance, and Encouragement in a Supportive Community. Our senior editor, Carol Price, elaborated on this approach in her article: Welcome New Writers to Readers Hope: A Place to Experiment and Try New Things.
If you seek assistance, editor Lawson Wallace has introduced himself and offered support for beginners in: Let Me Introduce Myself: I Write and I Am an Editor for ILLUMINATION.
Onboarding Pack for New Writers
Our publications embrace writers of all levels, from aspiring to accomplished. Every writer is valued in our community, which fosters a rich spirit of collaboration and support.
As a contributor, you are not limited to our publications; feel free to publish wherever you wish. You can remove your articles or leave our publications at any time without permission. Our recommendations are invitations, with the only obligation being adherence to Medium's rules. If you wish to create your own publications, we are here to assist you in promoting them.
Dr. Mehmet Yildiz will invite you to the Slack workspace, which serves as a hub for collaboration among writers. More information can be found in An Introduction to ILLUMINATION Slack Workspace: No More Solo Riding: Join the Slack Group, Collaborate with Your Fellow Writers, and Enjoy the Vitality of Our Joyful Community.
Welcome New Contributors to ILLUMINATION Integrated Publications
We are excited to welcome the following new contributors to ILLUMINATION and ILLUMINATION’S MIRROR: Cal Axe, Donaldson Velny, Abika, Sebastian Calderon, Dr. Andrea Polzer, Lucy Johnson, David Hockley, Ibrahim Kovan, Sue Moseley, Jessica Bianchi, Anurag Jain, and many more.
New contributors to SYNERGY include: Cal Axe, Abika, Sebastian Calderon, Dr. Andrea Polzer, David Hockley, Ibrahim Kovan, and others.
Welcome to the ILLUMINATION-Curated team: Claire Michaeljohn, Harlow Journey, David Bates, and more.
Contributors to ILLUMINATION Book Chapters: Joanna Montgomery, Antonio R. Viegas, Arlo Hennings, and others.
New contributors to Technology Hits: David Hockley, Ibrahim Kovan, Anurag Jain, and more.
I am the editor of Technology Hits, so please reach out if you need assistance.
Welcome to Readers Hope, our new publication for raw content writers and avid readers: Abdullahshah, Dr. Andrea Polzer, Jessica Bianchi, Graeme Sharpe, and more.
Our readers expect engaging, informative, and high-quality content. Our volunteer editors strive to meet these expectations. If you are new to Medium, please utilize our checklist before submitting your articles.
You can find ILLUMINATION-related articles and resources on our blog. We’ve transitioned some content from our main publication to provide more space for our contributors’ stories, while retaining a few key pieces on the front page.
Submit your best work to fulfill the needs of your regular readers. We recommend crafting stories that you would enjoy reading yourself; this is a fundamental rule for writers.
All copyright-free images must be cited with source links, as outlined in our Publication Policy. For guidance, refer to New Policy About Story Photos on ILLUMINATION-Curated.
Medium maintains a strict policy against plagiarism and duplicate content, which is considered an offense on the platform. Plagiarism is illegal. For guidance on using canonical links, read: Actually, Medium Favors You: Why You Need Canonical Links for Your Articles Published on Medium.
You may submit up to three short-form stories per publication if you choose. More details are in: Give Your Long Stories a Second Life: An Additional Opportunity and Privilege for Our Contributing Writers to Use Short-Form Stories.
Check your private messages sent by our volunteer editors. If your private messaging is disabled, you won't receive notifications, which may delay your story's publication. Editors may request adjustments to your submissions, so please address them promptly.
Reviewing our quality checklist can be beneficial before submission. New writers often find this resource helpful: Checklist for Quality Submissions: Improve the Quality and Readability of Your Stories.
The following articles can help jumpstart your writing journey: - Publication Conduct Guidelines: Rules of Engagement and Cross-Pollination at Three Levels - Five Questions To Increase Curation Chance and Reading Fans: Critical Questions Serving as a Self-Editing Checklist for Writers - How to Survive and Thrive on Medium: Essential Guide to New Writers
Medium permits affiliate links in your stories, but they must be clearly declared. For guidance, refer to: Use Of Affiliate Links On Medium: Guidance to Writers Who Need to Use Affiliate Links in Stories. Dr. Mehmet Yildiz has published a book on affiliate marketing in ILLUMINATION Book Chapters, available for free to Medium members. Here is the link to the first chapter: The Power of Digital Affiliate Marketing - Chapter 1: How Authors Can Write More And Earn Passive Income.
Writer Biographies
We highly encourage all new writers to submit a bio, as our readers enjoy learning about your background.
You can find recently featured stories and articles on our blog, including updates from ILLUMINATION Integrated Publications.
Thank you for joining us, and we look forward to your valuable contributions!
Invitation to Prospective Contributors
To become part of our dynamic publications, please send a request via this link. We are eager to assist you in achieving success on Medium. Please include the publication name along with your Medium account ID in your request.
Social Media for Contributing Writers
We offer several platforms and tools to amplify your stories. Details for each can be found in this article. Here are some guides to help you get started with our social media tools: - Amplify Your Medium Stories with Facebook Pages and Groups - How to Get Started with Quora and Amplify Your Medium Stories - How to Get Started with Pinterest and Amplify Your Medium Stories - Amplify Your Medium Stories with YouTube - Amplify Your Medium Stories with LinkedIn Groups
You can join the ILLUMINATION LinkedIn group and post links to your articles. For published authors, Goodreads is an excellent platform for visibility, boasting 20 million members.
Our editors create daily digests. Here’s a sample of our latest one, which can help you explore stories from other contributors in our publication.
Featured stories on ILLUMINATION can be found in our collection. Here’s the article: Why ILLUMINATION Integrated Publications Features Stories: Editors’ Choices Are in Place. We Offer a Unique Curation and Visibility Service for Storytellers on Medium.
We will soon compile all featured stories into a collection.