Publishing Guidelines

All our publications operate on Medium, so contributors must adhere to its rules and policies. Please review the publication guidelines before submitting your stories. We support writers at all levels.

Submissions containing copyright-free images and proper citations tend to be published more quickly. Refer to our image handling policy for details on citing and sourcing copyright-free images, as we cannot accept copyrighted material in accordance with Medium's rules.

Plagiarized content will be rejected. Any writer attempting plagiarism will have their accounts and stories removed from our publications. Such actions can lead to penalties from Medium and legal consequences, making it the most serious violation a writer can commit, which we consistently emphasize to our contributors.

We offer writing challenges designed to help you get started and grow your readership. For example, check out our 100-day writing challenge. We also have a writing prompt aimed at increasing your followers and reading times. Additionally, for prolific writers, we introduce the 1,000 Short Posts in 100 Days challenge.

Gaining more readers directly correlates to your income on Medium, as earnings are based on reading times. Other metrics, like follower count, are less critical unless you aim to meet the basic requirement of 100 followers to join the Medium Partner Program. For tips on increasing your follower count, see our article: 6 Easy & Proven Tips to Increase Followers.

You can submit multiple short-form stories across our various publications. Check our guide on creating short-form stories, titled Short-Form Stories Not For Income But For Visibility.

Achieving top writer status can be advantageous for increasing your income on Medium. For guidance, refer to How To Become A Top Writer In Three Months, a practical guide for newcomers.

Viral stories can significantly boost your follower count, regular readership, and reading times, with reading time being the most crucial metric for income on Medium. To learn how to write viral articles, read The Beginner’s Guide to Write Viral Articles & Blogs, where you can discover effective techniques.

If you're interested in affiliate marketing, explore our article I’m a Writer/Editor: Why the Heck I Built An Affiliate Marketing Business After the Age of 60, which discusses the value of affiliate marketing for freelancers and content creators.

Information About ILLUMINATION’s Publications

For ILLUMINATION, ILLUMINATION-Curated, ILLUMINATION’S MIRROR, and Readers Hope, you can write on a variety of topics, with only a few restrictions (e.g., adult content, conspiracy theories, and defamatory material). Medium does not accept these types of content, but we do not censor stories as long as they comply with Medium's guidelines.

ILLUMINATION-Curated focuses on content from seasoned and accomplished writers. Senior editors select contributors based on specific criteria. Experienced writers may be allowed to submit directly to this publication upon request, provided they adhere to Medium's distribution guidelines.

To manage workload effectively, we've created a mirror publication called ILLUMINATION’S MIRROR. This serves as a backup for prolific writers who wish to submit multiple stories in one day. Your account will be added to this backup publication to facilitate this process. More information about the mirror can be found in Balancing Load of ILLUMINATION.

Technology Hits caters to readers interested in technology, entrepreneurship, and related subjects. For more details, please refer to these articles: - Value Propositions of Technology Hits - Introduction to Technology Hits - Inviting Storytellers From All Aspects of Technology

SYNERGY is designed for freelance writers to discuss writing, blogging, and editing topics, fostering connections among writers and editors. We invite freelance writers from various platforms, including Vocal Media and Substack. More insights can be found in Purpose of Synergy and Engaging Stories on SYNERGY.

ILLUMINATION Book Chapters is dedicated to experienced, published, and indie authors, assisting aspiring writers in getting published. More details are available in ILLUMINATION Book Chapters, which outlines the publication’s goals as articulated by Dr. Mehmet Yildiz.

Readers Hope is focused on beginners, allowing for raw content submission without edits, though we provide guidance through private notes and on Slack. For more about the publication's objectives, check What If We Can Transform Readers into Micro-Writers.

Our editors, who are accomplished writers, are eager to assist new writers. You can reach out to them on Slack, where you can find the Vision and Mission of Readers Hope.

Onboarding Pack for New Writers

We support writers of all levels—aspiring, experienced, accomplished, and influential. Each contributor is valuable to us, and we do not tolerate any condescending behavior towards emerging writers.

We encourage aspiring writers to find their voice in a supportive environment. As our chief editor emphasizes, no one is born a writer; we all begin somewhere and learn over time at different paces.

Our publications allow for the submission of drafts and self-published articles, but we recommend drafts for optimal exposure to our readership. If you have curated articles from closed publications, feel free to transfer them here; many writers from PSILY have done so and gained new readers.

Our contributors come from diverse professional backgrounds and expertise, fostering a vibrant community spirit. We adhere to Medium's guidelines to maintain a positive atmosphere for writers and readers alike.

You are not restricted to our publications; you may contribute to others as well. You can remove your articles whenever you wish, and leaving our publications is entirely at your discretion. The only requirement is to follow Medium's rules. If you wish to create your own publications, we are happy to assist in promoting them.

Slack is essential for our communication and collaboration. If you haven't heard of it before, we encourage you to explore An Introduction to ILLUMINATION Slack Workspace.

Publishing on Medium is straightforward. To submit stories to our publications, click the three dots in edit mode, select the relevant publication, and submit your story for review.

Here is a list of new writers who joined ILLUMINATION Integrated Publications today.

Welcome new contributors to ILLUMINATION and ILLUMINATION’S MIRROR: Nidhi Kala, dhyanopaedia, Ghina Zaidi, Linda Osipow, Mary Snijders, Markluberberk, L.J. Minow, Adrian Kay, Breezy, D’Lilies, Kelly Aluna Martone, Corrie Who Writes, Nasim Ahmed, Chris Meyers, Russ Dudley, D.J. Penilla, Isabella, Dr. Ojuolape Kuti, Warren Patterson, Valerias Bangert, Ishfaq Ahmed, Michael Mahoney, Tim Dahi, Megen P. Dennis, Jeffy Jerusalem, JennyCWhilson, Cinis Viatorem, Sanchia Supramaniam, Adeokun Joseph, Cátia Matos, Beth Dumey, Yamini Hundare, pawpawly, Sampriti Roy, Sarah Evans, Julie Dunham, Elizabeth Emerald, sylvia wilde, Habit Fitness Club, Sam Olliver, Lisa Miller, Adrian Kay, Shannon Piérre, Ronan Loughney, Beth Dumey, Ryan Casseau, Peter Ling, Isha Khanna, Mehal Rashid, D.J. Penilla, Rodolfo Urbano, Mike Maher, Soha Sherwani, Jesse Bramani, Chandrika Pandey, Nigia Stephens, Erik Reich, DC, Melissa, Eleyne-Mari Sharp, Kerri Kamin, Kei Hysi, Deneb Aguirre, Sade Tolani, Zelene Tyler, Jules, Alex Frederickson, Keith Tacey, James Pilbrow, Sourav Rana, OneWay Teo, Jamease Kowalczyk, Alex Kanellopoulos, Davido Davido, Lola Rosario, Justice Ndlovu, Purbita Chakraborty, Julius Czar, ?LIFE LESSON, Jonathan Fors, By N.i.l.s, Jonathan Ajenipa, Solomon Zulu, Zy Del Valle, Ishika Mishra, Julius Evans, Tracy Stewart, Maya Lila, Kris Zell, Jeffreyy, Charlee Renee, BrittneyMoti, Iteee, Natalia Aldana, Muniba Sajid, Marian Nanney, Lavanya Naram, Sunny Beatteay, Melissa Lewis Mathis, Matthew Kuna, Coding Diaries, Simon Have Nielsen, Sohail, Aniket Saraf, Jon Goodey, Neha Sonney, Yassine, Dagmara Cintron, Robin Slick, Michael Nagy, Didimo Grimaldo, Robert.b.O’Reilly, Damien Dixon, Jonathan Tasman, Mark Hearon, Roxy Wright, Yash Prakash, The Simple Blog, Emily Richard, Craig Hellier, Kedy, Maria Akinyi, John Walter Raney 1st, Robert Mata, Cindy Shaw.

Welcome new contributors to SYNERGY: Linda Osipow, Mary Snijders, L.J. Minow, You, Me and Happiness, Adrian Kay, Breezy, Kelly Aluna Martone, Corrie Who Writes, Nasim Ahmed, Chris Meyers, Dr. Ojuolape Kuti, Warren Patterson, Valerias Bangert, Ishfaq Ahmed, Michael Mahoney, Tim Dahi, Megen P. Dennis, Cinis Viatorem, Cátia Matos, Beth Dumey, Yamini Hundare, Sarah Evans, Julie Dunham, Elizabeth Emerald, sylvia wilde, Habit Fitness Club, Sam Olliver, Lisa Miller, Adrian Kay, Ronan Loughney, Beth Dumey, Ryan Casseau, Peter Ling, Mehal Rashid, Rodolfo Urbano, Mike Maher, Eniela P. Vela, Jesse Bramani, Nigia Stephens, Erik Reich, DC, Eleyne-Mari Sharp, Deneb Aguirre, Sade Tolani, Zelene Tyler, Jules, Alex Frederickson, Keith Tacey, James Pilbrow, OneWay Teo, Jamease Kowalczyk, Alex Kanellopoulos, Davido Davido, Lola Rosario, Purbita Chakraborty, Julius Czar, ?LIFE LESSON, Jonathan Fors, By N.i.l.s, Jonathan Ajenipa, Tracy Stewart, Maya Lila, Kris Zell, Charlee Renee, Iteee, Natalia Aldana, Muniba Sajid, Sunny Beatteay, Melissa Lewis Mathis, Matthew Kuna, Coding Diaries, Simon Have Nielsen, Sohail, Aniket Saraf, Jon Goodey, Yassine, Dagmara Cintron, Robin Slick, Michael Nagy, Robert.b.O’Reilly, Damien Dixon, Jonathan Tasman, Roxy Wright, Craig Hellier, Kedy, Maria Akinyi, John Walter Raney 1st, Cindy Shaw.

Welcome new contributors to Readers Hope: Linda Osipow, Mary Snijders, L.J. Minow, You, Me and Happiness, Adrian Kay, Breezy, Kelly Aluna Martone, Corrie Who Writes, Nasim Ahmed, Chris Meyers, Dr. Ojuolape Kuti, Warren Patterson, Valerias Bangert, Ishfaq Ahmed, Michael Mahoney, Tim Dahi, Megen P. Dennis, Cinis Viatorem, Cátia Matos, Beth Dumey, Yamini Hundare, Sarah Evans, Julie Dunham, Elizabeth Emerald, sylvia wilde, Habit Fitness Club, Sam Olliver, Lisa Miller, Adrian Kay, Ronan Loughney, Beth Dumey, Ryan Casseau, Peter Ling, Mehal Rashid, Rodolfo Urbano, Mike Maher, Jesse Bramani, Nigia Stephens, Kevin Miller, Erik Reich, DC, Eleyne-Mari Sharp, Deneb Aguirre, Sade Tolani, Zelene Tyler, Jules, Alex Frederickson, Keith Tacey, James Pilbrow, OneWay Teo, Jamease Kowalczyk, Alex Kanellopoulos, Davido Davido, Lola Rosario, Purbita Chakraborty, Julius Czar, ?LIFE LESSON, Jonathan Fors, By N.i.l.s, Jonathan Ajenipa, Tracy Stewart, Maya Lila, Kris Zell, Charlee Renee, Iteee, Natalia Aldana, Muniba Sajid, Sunny Beatteay, Melissa Lewis Mathis, Matthew Kuna, Coding Diaries, Simon Have Nielsen, Sohail, Aniket Saraf, Jon Goodey, Yassine, Dagmara Cintron, Robin Slick, Michael Nagy, Robert.b.O’Reilly, Damien Dixon, Jonathan Tasman, Roxy Wright, Craig Hellier, Kedy, Maria Akinyi, John Walter Raney 1st, Cindy Shaw.

Welcome new contributors to ILLUMINATION-Curated: You, Me and Happiness, Warren Patterson, Lisa Miller, Peter Ling, Julius Evans, Iteee, Dhanush Kaluvala.

Welcome new contributors to ILLUMINATION Book Chapters: Kevin Miller.

Welcome new contributors to Technology Hits: You, Me and Happiness, Lisa Miller, Kris Zell, Matthew Kuna.

For technology writers, please connect with the editor of Technology Hits to review and promote your stories.

Final Important Reminders

Our readers seek informative, engaging, and well-crafted stories. Our editors work diligently to meet these expectations. Before submitting your articles, please ensure you follow this checklist to provide the best possible content.

You can find ILLUMINATION-related articles and writer resources on the ILLUMINATION Blog, where we have relocated many stories to prioritize our contributors’ narratives. A few key articles will remain accessible on the front page.

Remember to cite your copyright-free images with source links—a non-negotiable policy for all writers. Photos must be captioned with appropriate sources, and only copyright-free content is acceptable. For guidance, refer to New policy about story photos on ILLUMINATION-Curated.

Medium enforces strict policies against plagiarism and duplicate content. Duplication is considered an offense, while plagiarism is illegal. For more information, see Copyright Matters: Zero tolerance to plagiarism on ILLUMINATION.

If you plan to repurpose stories from other platforms, ensure you use canonical links. For further information, refer to Actually, Medium Favors You: Why do you need canonical links for your articles published on Medium?

You may submit up to three short-form stories per publication. More details can be found in Give Your Long Stories a Second Life.

Please check for private messages from our volunteer editors. If your private messaging is disabled, you may miss important notifications, which could delay your publication process. You can view private notes on your story by checking for the asterisk (*) sign. Our editors may request adjustments to your work, so please address these promptly.

Essential Guides for Beginners

Checklist for Quality Submissions: Improve the quality and readability of your stories.

Publication Conduct Guidelines: Rules for engagement and collaboration at three levels.

Five Questions To Increase Curation Chance and Reading Fans: Critical self-editing questions for writers.

How to Survive and Thrive on Medium: A fundamental guide for new writers, focusing on essential points.

How to Handle Affiliate Links on Medium

Medium permits affiliate links in your articles, provided they are clearly declared. For guidance, see Use Of Affiliate Links On Medium. Dr. Mehmet Yildiz has published a book about affiliate marketing on ILLUMINATION Book Chapters, which is free for Medium members. If you're interested in digital affiliate marketing, check out The Power of Digital Affiliate Marketing - Chapter 1: How Authors Can Write More And Earn Passive Income.

How to Use Social Media

We have established various platforms and social media tools to amplify your stories. For detailed instructions, please refer to the following articles: - 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 Facebook Pages and Groups - Amplify Your Medium Stories with YouTube - Amplify Your Medium Stories with LinkedIn Groups

Feel free to join the ILLUMINATION LinkedIn group through this link. You can share your article links there. For published authors, Goodreads is an excellent platform for visibility due to its vast membership.

Our publication editors create daily digests to promote your stories, which can help you explore the work of other writers within our community. You can find all featured stories in this master collection:

Why ILLUMINATION Integrated Publications Features Stories: Editors’ choices offer unique curation and visibility services for storytellers on Medium.

You may find ILLUMINATION-Curated volumes within this story: Stories on ILLUMINATION-Curated — All Volumes: Easy access to curated and outstanding stories.

Our editors will tweet your stories post-review. You can follow the ILLUMINATION Twitter Account at https://twitter.com/illum_official, and Dr. Mehmet Yildiz on Twitter and LinkedIn, who actively shares your stories across multiple platforms, gaining significant visibility.

Recent Story Collections Using Tags & Topics

Health & Fitness Collection

Mental Health Collection on ILLUMINATION

The Power of Freelancing for Writers

Business Collection: A Mini MBA Bundle

Education and Learning From Many Aspects

How Storytellers Articulate Cryptocurrencies and Blockchain

Featured Stories About “Writing” From The Top Writers of SYNERGY

Top Stories About Artificial Intelligence on ILLUMINATION

Top AI Stories on Technology Hits

NFT Story Collection on ILLUMINATION Integrated Publications

Repurposing your Medium stories on other platforms like Vocal can be beneficial. You might consider joining Vocal Media challenges for more exposure.

Guiding Stories to Help New Writers

How To Create A 30,000 Words E-book In A Month: Practical steps for producing a manuscript with 1,000 words a day.

How To Triple Your Writing Income Methodically: Content development and marketing strategies for freelance writers, indie authors, and bloggers in challenging economic times.

How to earn good money on Medium: Addressing a common question among new writers with realistic findings.

How to Create Viral Stories on Medium: Patterns and lessons learned from successful writers on ILLUMINATION.

Can you make $10,000 on Medium in a month? Yes, but it requires a clear strategy, persistence, and effort.

How To Make Six-Figure Income On Medium: A brief overview based on realistic perspectives and insights.

ILLUMINATION Process & Procedures: Answers to frequently asked questions for writers and editors.

A Practical Guide for Writers: A collection of useful stories for improving writing performance on Medium.

Learn About ILLUMINATION-Curated: Essential articles about the ILLUMINATION-Curated publication.

Discover ILLUMINATION Writers: Biographies of contributing writers.

Interviews with Writers: Featuring inspiring stories from ILLUMINATION contributors.

Invitation to ILLUMINATION YouTube Channel: Writers need visibility.

Meet Top Writers on ILLUMINATION: Featuring writers with top status.

Meet Editors of ILLUMINATION: The visionary leaders behind our publication's success.

How to Link Your Twitter Handle to Your Medium Account: A simple guide with reasons for linking your accounts.

WRITERS INVITED TO PROMOTE THEIR PUBLICATIONS: A collaborative initiative to boost visibility for writers.

PUBLICATIONS OWNED BY ILLUMINATION WRITERS: Introducing various specialized publications created by our contributors.

Testimonials for ILLUMINATION: Thoughts and sentiments from ILLUMINATION writers.

Storybooks and Indexing Publications: Evidence of their effectiveness.

35K Real Readers More Important Than 100K Fake Followers: Meaningful metrics for measuring publication success.

An Unexpected Move From Medium: A strategic approach to retaining talent.

How To Become A Top Writer In Three Months: A practical guide for new writers on Medium.

Slack Workspace An Introduction to ILLUMINATION Slack Workspace: Join our group for collaboration and community.

We have several virtual clubs, including the ILLUMINATION Fiction Club, Poetry Club, Technology Hits — The TSEE Club, and the new ILLUMINATION Book Club. Details can be found in the Slack group.

Additional Resources for New Writers

As previously mentioned, we keep publication-related stories on the ILLUMINATION Blog, which contains all pertinent information for ILLUMINATION Integrated Publications.

Dr. Mehmet Yildiz maintains many of his non-publication stories on his personal blog, Euphoria, where he supports his subscribers and can assist in creating and promoting personal publications.

Meet Our Editors

Editors of ILLUMINATION: The visionary leaders behind our publication's success.

ILLUMINATION-Curated, ILLUMINATION, Dr. Mehmet Yildiz, Tree Langdon, Brian E. Wish, PhD, Dr. Ron Pol, Dr. Michael Heng, Paul Myers MBA, Karen Madej, Joe Luca, Dipti Pande, Kevin Buddaeus, Kate Maxwell, Arthur G. Hernandez, Bill Abbate, Michael Patanella, Aurora Eliam, CMP, René Junge, Geetika Sethi, Ahmed Jamal, Britni Pepper, Selma, Earnest Painter, Dew Langrial, B. A. Cumberlidge, Lanu Pitan, Agnes Laurens, EP McKnight, MEd, CR Mandler MAT, Sumera Rizwan, Liam Ireland, Tony Young, Jr., Neha Sandhir S, Desiree Driesenaar, Stuart Englander, Ntathu Allen, Thewriteyard, Haimish Mead, Maria Rattray, Cristo Lopez, PhD, Dr. Preeti Singh, Holly Kellums, Kristina Segarra, Yohanan Gregorius, Audrey Malone, janny’s heart, Sabana Grande, Jennifer Friebely, Zen Chan, Aamir Kamal, John Cunningham, [arlie] PEYTON, Georgia Dimitrious, Kim Petersen, Josh Balerite Acol, Noorain Hassan, BMS, Mallika Vasak, Ikram Al Mouaswas, George Blue Kelly, Scott Hughey (TheWriteScott), Claire Kelly, Pranjal Saxena, Aldric Chen, Bryan Dijkhuizen, JS Adam, Regi Brittain, Lawson Wallace, Mofrad Muntasir, Technology Hits, Carrie A. Kelly.

Recent Onboarding Packs

You can meet writers who joined our publications through these onboarding packs. We have numerous packs, but we are adding only the most recent ones to help you connect with fellow contributors.

Onboarding New Writers: Welcome new contributors of ILLUMINATION, Curated, MIRROR, Book chapters, SYNERGY, Technology Hits, Readers Hope.

Welcome New Writers

Introducing New Writers

These are just a few onboarding packs; many more are available. You can search for ILLUMINATION and Technology Hits accounts for previous versions.

Featured Stories by Editors on ILLUMINATION

You can find recently featured stories in this collection.

Why ILLUMINATION Integrated Publications Features Stories: Editors’ choices offer unique curation and visibility services for storytellers on Medium.

Collection of Featured Stories: Easy access to daily selected stories from engaging writers of ILLUMINATION.

We will compile all featured stories into a single collection soon.

Writer Biographies

We strongly encourage all new writers to submit a biography. Our readers appreciate learning about your background and experiences.

Curated Writer Bios: Learn about contributing writers of ILLUMINATION through their own words.

Recent Newsletters

Updates on Achievements of New Writers for 100-Day Writing Challenge: Dear Writers and Readers.

Update from ILLUMINATION Integrated Publications: September 2021 bulletin for contributing writers and readers.

Update from ILLUMINATION Integrated Publications: August 2021 bulletin for contributing writers.