Dear New Writers, Happy Weekend!

Due to the unavailability of our volunteer editors and administrators this weekend, our chief editor, Dr. Mehmet Yildiz, dedicated several hours to incorporate approximately 130 new writers into our publications. He has shared the list with us to notify you of your accepted application and to provide guidance on how to get started.

The task of onboarding writers and managing publication workloads is no small feat. Dr. Yildiz wrote a personal reflection on the challenges faced in the realm of Medium publications, emphasizing that our work is purely volunteer-based, with no income generated, supported by around 148 dedicated editors, administrators, curators, and moderators.

A Weekend of Challenges and Insights

Dr. Yildiz's recent article titled "A Rollercoaster of My Saturday: Challenges, Surprises, and Joyful Insights" delves into the balance of curated publications, family obligations, and the pursuit of life’s ups and downs.

We are delighted to have you as part of our community and look forward to reviewing, publishing, and promoting your stories. Our monthly newsletter recently highlighted our achievements in 2023 and our vision for 2024.

Updates from the ILLUMINATION Editorial Team

The latest issue of our monthly update provides essential information summarizing our accomplishments and future plans for writers, readers, editors, curators, and administrators.

Monthly Updates from ILLUMINATION Editorial Team: January 2024

This newsletter serves as a reminder of our ongoing efforts to support over 26,000 writers in our diverse, inclusive, and collaborative community.

A Special Welcome to New Writers

During the holiday season, our chief editor took on the responsibility of onboarding new writers. You can connect with those who joined during this time by checking the attached stories.

Important Notice: Please remember to submit only one story per day, ideally as a draft. This ensures we focus on quality, enhancing your chances of being featured by Medium.

Understanding Publication Policies

As we prioritize quality content, our editors may return stories that do not meet the new submission guidelines or have excessive language errors. If a story is not accepted, our editors will provide private feedback, which can be accessed by clicking on the star icon in the submission.

Please remember that a returned story does not reflect its worth. We value the contributions of all ethical writers and will guide you in making necessary adjustments or suggest alternative publications better suited for your work.

Submission Guidelines: We have updated our submission guidelines to reflect the new focus on quality. Please review the guidelines relevant to the publications you wish to contribute to.

Key Policies for Contributors

Every writer is encouraged to familiarize themselves with our essential policies before submitting their work:

• Zero tolerance for plagiarism
• No defamation or hate speech
• Respect for image copyrights
• Guidelines on affiliate links

Guidance for New Writers

If you’re new to Medium, here are some helpful steps to get started:

1. Submitting Stories: When drafting your story, click on the three dots in the upper right corner, select "Add to Publication," choose ILLUMINATION or another relevant publication, and submit.
2. Using Copyright-Free Images: Ensure to add captions to all images used in your stories to avoid copyright issues.
3. Joining Slack: We utilize Slack as a private communication tool, allowing writers to connect with editors and fellow contributors easily.
4. AI Content Policy: We do not accept AI-generated content except for the Lampshade of ILLUMINATION publication.

Exploring Collaboration and Promotion

Our publications thrive on collaboration. We introduce new writers to readers through curated collections, making it an excellent opportunity to connect with others. Additional editors curate collections to elevate our writers’ stories.

Recent Curated Collections

• Curation Service by ILLUMINATION — Volume 51
• Mike’s Favorite Stories on ILLUMINATION Publications — #35
• Elin’s Chosen ILLUMINATION Stories — #2

We encourage you to explore these curated collections for inspiration and to understand how we promote our writers.

Meet the New Writers

Join us in welcoming today's new writers. This is a perfect opportunity to discover their stories and follow them if their content resonates with you.

Submit Your Stories Thoughtfully

As a reminder, please submit stories thoughtfully, adhering to our guidelines, to increase your chances of being featured.

In Conclusion

We are excited to have you join our community, fostering meaningful and high-quality storytelling. Should you have any questions, feel free to reach out to Dr. Mehmet Yildiz in our Slack workspace.

Writing Challenges and Prompts

Engage in our writing challenges designed to inspire and motivate new writers.

Helpful Resources

We offer various resources to support your writing journey, including guidelines for improving content quality and increasing audience engagement.

Feel free to explore our additional stories and curated collections to further enhance your writing skills and visibility within the ILLUMINATION community.