How to Pitch to Publications on Medium
It’s pretty simple actually…
As writers on Medium, I feel there is a common goal to get published in some of the top publications on offer. Not only is this great exposure as a writer, but it’s also a pat on the back for some well written work. When thinking of pitching to a publication, first have a think of what type of stories you write and what genre they would fit into. There’s no point submitting a tech story to a health and well-being publication… so do some research first to save yourself some time.
Now while I say submitting to publications is pretty simple, it doesn’t mean there isn’t a little bit of work involved, but hey, nothing great comes easy! Many publications have rules and guidelines on what to submit and how to submit, make sure you read these guidelines first. Many publications will ask for the submission to be made on an unpublished draft. 9/10 they may also send back suggested edits to be made on this submission to suit their publication style, most of the time this is minor things like tweaking wording, making title changes or changing images. It’s worth following these edits to ensure your story is selected (unless of course you disagree completely with some of the edits).
Below are a number of publications which take submissions from freelance writers. These are also publications with a large following and would generate incredible exposure as a writer if they accept your work. Simply write a great story, follow their guidelines and cross your fingers! Good luck!
1. Elemental — 219k followers
“Elemental is a new Medium publication for science-backed health and wellness coverage. Every day, you will find new ambitious and trustworthy reporting on the many ways to live a healthy life.”
Pitch your story to: elemental@medium.com
2. OneZero — 237k followers
“OneZero is a Medium publication about the impact of technology on people and the future. Our editorial team is also behind Debugger, a publication about gadgets, and Future Human, a science publication about the survival of our species. As a journalistic publication owned by Medium, OneZero maintains editorial independence over the stories it publishes on the Medium platform. Medium’s business interests and investors have no bearing on our work. We avoid conflicts of interest and, where unavoidable, disclose them. OneZero employees do not have any financial stake in the companies they cover and may not act on nonpublic information for personal gain or the gain of friends and family. Though we make every effort to be accurate in our reporting, when we are wrong, we acknowledge and correct our mistakes. We do not accept gifts, and we pay for or return products that we review. All articles published on OneZero, including those by staff, expert contributors, and freelance reporters, are subject to editing and fact-checking for accuracy by OneZero’s editorial staff.”
Pitch your story to Michael Zelenko, Executive Editor: mz@medium.com
3. Human Parts — 270k followers
“Human Parts is Medium’s home for personal stories and perspectives. From the mundane to the extraordinary to the downright weird, we’re here to explore what it means to be human.”
While Human Parts is not actively allowing submissions, they are particularly interested in stories about the following topics and scour Medium to find these stories to add to their publication:
- Creativity: Making things, breaking things, and finding your voice.
- Family: Perspectives on parenting, childhood, and everything in between.
- Identity: On the art of self-definition.
- Love + Sex: Stories about who we connect with, and why.
- Mental Health: Dealing with the mess inside our minds.
- Spirituality: Brief encounters with the divine.
(Human Parts, May 2019)
4. Marker — 90k followers
“Marker is a Medium publication about the intersection of business, economics, and culture.”
You can submit stories to: marker@medium.com
5. Forge — 111k followers
“Forge is here to examine and illuminate our constant struggle to get more done, invest in creativity and focus, and be happy doing it. We bring journalistic rigour and credible, peer-reviewed science to bear. We don’t use vague inspiration-speak or glibly suggest quick fixes to major personal problems.”
You can submit stories here: forge@medium.com
These are just some of the highly successful publications on Medium and there are so many more which explore different topics or ideas and might just fit your niche. Just make sure to read the T&Cs when submitting to a publication and know your rights. Good luck with your submissions and I hope you now have a little bit more of the information you might need to get those wonderful stories published!
