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Engaging Updates and Insights from ILLUMINATION Publications

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Chapter 1: Monthly Highlights

In April 2024, the ILLUMINATION editorial team shares key updates and future plans aimed at our community of writers, readers, and editors. For those outside our membership, a summary is available on our Substack or through a shared link on Medium. Our publications strive to be diverse and inclusive, and new applications for membership can be submitted via the writer registration portal. Remember to include your Medium ID or a link to your work, as detailed in our onboarding pack.

April 2024 ILLUMINATION Monthly Newsletter

Dear writers and readers,

Happy April! I'm reaching out from my secondary account, primarily used for publishing and curating content, particularly for Technology Hits. For those unfamiliar with me, my main account is Dr. Mehmet Yildiz, the owner and chief editor of ILLUMINATION Integrated Publications on Medium.

I decided to take on the responsibility of this newsletter to ease the workload on our volunteer editors and administrators, who are already stretched thin with their publishing and curation tasks. In recent months, Aiden (from Illumination Gaming) assisted us in compiling updates, but he is currently occupied with curatorial duties, nominations, publishing, media coordination, and managing our Slack workspace.

Last month marked the 4th anniversary of ILLUMINATION, celebrated with a wonderful piece by Mike Broadly, DHSc. I founded ILLUMINATION on March 19, 2020, as a modest publication, which has since grown into a significant resource on Medium, supported by 28,841 writers.

Since March 19, we have welcomed 892 new writers into our community, successfully onboarding them and granting access to our Slack workspace, thanks to the efforts of our volunteer administrators, editors, and moderators. This onboarding process is labor-intensive, requiring considerable time and dedication from our volunteers, who generously contribute their time to maintain this vibrant reading and writing community.

We aim to assist every genuine and ethical writer, particularly those just starting, in rapidly building their audience through our extensive community. With the backing of numerous writers, our goal is to delight our loyal readers and foster the growth of Medium, a fantastic platform for all of us.

Chapter 2: Volunteer Efforts and Community Growth

As the owner and chief editor, my responsibilities extend beyond simply managing our 151 volunteer editors. Since our publications do not generate income, I also engage in daily support activities that consume a considerable amount of my time. For instance, I currently have thousands of unread emails and Slack messages awaiting my attention. Given my workload, responding promptly to these inquiries is often impossible.

If you don’t hear back from me within 24 to 48 hours, please feel free to reach out to my volunteer backups: Aiden, Mike Broadly, DHSc, Lawson Wallace, K. Joseph, The Sturg, and InYah. They have kindly volunteered to address urgent inquiries in my absence. Please understand that if you don’t receive a response, it may simply be due to my inability to check your message. I value every writer and strive to respond, but the volume of inquiries can be overwhelming, and sometimes I only see messages weeks later.

Delighting Readers

Our dedicated readers enjoy discovering new voices, so we promptly introduce new writers through welcome packs like this. Our community includes writers at various levels: approximately 10% are beginners, 20% are advanced, and 70% fall in between. We support complete novices through Readers Hope, more seasoned writers through ILLUMINATION-Curated, and the broader community through ILLUMINATION and our specialized publications. This structure ensures that every writer is valuable to our diverse audience.

To attract more readers to Medium, I initiated a new project aimed at providing high-quality, engaging, and educational stories to non-members. Recently, I shared a collection of my boosted stories using friend links. This has helped connect with several new readers, who expressed interest in joining Medium. Growing our readership is essential for maintaining a sustainable platform and a joyful community.

Submission Guidelines for New Writers

We have revised our submission guidelines to align with Medium’s updated distribution policies effective August 2023. New writers can access them through the following links:

  • ILLUMINATION-Curated: New Submission Guidelines 2023
  • SYNERGY: Submission Guidelines 2023
  • Technology Hits: Submission Guidelines 2023
  • ILLUMINATION Book Chapters: Submission Guidelines 2023
  • Readers Hope: New Submission Guidelines 2023
  • Submission Guidelines: Illumination Integrated Publications
  • ILLUMINATION Gaming: Submission Guidelines 2023
  • ILLUMINATION Videos and Podcasts: Submission Guidelines 2023

To ensure timely publication, we ask that writers submit high-quality content and use copyright-free images. Quality is paramount, and we cannot overstate its importance.

Chapter 3: New Publication Launch

As I have received numerous inquiries from writers wishing to join my personal publication, EUPHORIA, where I focus on health and science topics, our editor Mike Broadly, DHSc, has decided to launch a new publication dedicated to these areas as part of ILLUMINATION. Mike has created the submission guidelines, and we already have two boosted stories in this new publication. We look forward to nominating and curating outstanding stories from this exciting new venture.

Invitation to Writers: A New Publication “Health & Science”

We invite writers interested in health and science to join this new publication and review the submission guidelines for swift publication of their stories.

Boost Nominations from ILLUMINATION Publications

After addressing many common questions, I compiled answers in a new story that could help writers enhance their chances of being featured in our publications.

The Boost on Medium: Addressing Common Queries for Beginners

Since October 2023, our special publication, ILLUMINATION-Curated, has been nominated for boosts. Additionally, Aiden’s popular publication, ILLUMINATION Gaming, is now part of this initiative. Aiden and I, alongside other editors, dedicate several hours daily to find exceptional pieces for boost nominations.

Chapter 4: Updates on ILLUMINATION Statistics

All statistics have improved this month, reflecting our progress over the last 90 days. Below are the highlights:

  • Reading times increased from 7.4 million to 7.8 million minutes.
  • Views rose from 6.1 million to 6.2 million.
  • The average number of unique daily visitors grew from 53.5K to 53.8K.
  • ILLUMINATION gained 1,386 new followers.
  • Since last month, 892 new writers have registered in our portal.
  • Our Slack workspace welcomed an additional 646 members, bringing our total to over 21,000.

Chapter 5: Future Plans and Community Support

As the demands on our team continue to rise, I am exploring options for funding to hire at least one full-time administrator to help manage the workload. I also want to involve our community in supporting our Substack subscription library, particularly from those who benefit from our free services.

I invite those who can contribute to pledge to our ILLUMINATION Library or Writing Academy on Substack to help maintain our free services and support our community's sustainability. More information about this initiative will follow in upcoming communications.

Our Focus on Quality

In January, I outlined our publications' strategy for 2024. Quality and meaningful engagement are paramount for visibility. We focus on:

  • Well-written articles free of language or image issues.
  • Allowing only one story submission per writer within 24 hours.
  • Redirecting stories that don’t align with ILLUMINATION's focus to more suitable publications.

We do not reject stories but may return them for adjustments or suggest relocation to appropriate publications. Rest assured, we do not remove published stories unless absolutely necessary.

Writers, please remain vigilant about the presence of harmful accounts on Medium. It is essential to protect our community against fraud and spam, and I encourage everyone to report suspicious activities.

For new writers, I highly recommend creating a bio to introduce yourself to the community, as this can significantly enhance your visibility. Aiden has compiled these bios into a manageable collection for readers to explore.

Practical Guidance for New Writers

  1. Submitting Your Stories: Follow the submission guidelines for each publication to ensure smooth processing.
  2. Using Copyright-Free Images: Always add captions and use images that comply with copyright rules.
  3. AI-Generated Content: We do not accept AI-written stories, except in a dedicated publication. Please familiarize yourself with our policies regarding this matter.

Essential Resources for New Writers

We have gathered essential guides for new writers in a post titled "Starter Kit for Writers of ILLUMINATION Integrated Publications." This collection serves as a comprehensive resource for understanding our platform.

We also feature writer introductions and interviews, enhancing visibility for your profiles and content. If you're interested in being featured, please reach out to Aiden on our Slack workspace.

In conclusion, as we continue to grow, we welcome new writers to our community and express our gratitude to our volunteers for their invaluable contributions. Let’s work together to cultivate a thriving and supportive environment for all writers on Medium.

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