On October 5, The Medium published its fifth issue of Volume 47. As a section editor, this not only signified a small milestone but personal growth for me as well. The fifth issue of the previous year, Volume 46, was my first time writing for The Medium. My situation has changed dramatically in the span of a dozen months, going from an incredibly nervous and unsure writer to becoming a section editor. My journey to get to this position, and more importantly, to this place of being comfortable sharing my writing, hasn’t always been easy or natural. If I am completely honest, I’ve struggled a lot with self-doubt, imposter syndrome, and performance anxiety, all of which made it challenging to write and flourish as a writer.
I don’t share this to be self-aggrandizing. Instead, I want to say to all my current writers, future writers, on-the-fence writers, and those who believe they can’t write that I was exactly as nervous, scared, anxious, confused, and curious as you. My breath would catch every time I got an email from my editor with feedback on my piece. I would check and recheck and triple check my article before sending it, and I always worried about the quality of my writing and if it was “good enough.” Who am I kidding? I still do these things. Yet, as an editor, I don’t want this to be your experience.
If anything, this editorial is meant to serve you in two ways. Firstly, I want every student interested in writing for The Medium to know that I am determined to make this Comment section a welcoming place, where all students can voice their opinions on the world they experience. Whether in public, online, or among friends, creating a space for factual, insightful, and meaningful discussion is a valuable and unique purpose. A purpose that can only be fulfilled through the participation of the very audience from which it emerges. In other words, this section needs you and wants you.
The second aim of this editorial is to demystify the process of writing for The Medium to make it more accessible and less intimidating to you. To become a writer for The Medium, one only needs three crucial things: the internet (duh), an interest in writing, and an email address. Notice that I didn’t say you have to possess mastery over the skill of writing; I haven’t even achieved anything close to that.
Once you have your email and courage ready, either send an email to our lovely Editor-In-Chief, Paula Cho, or fill out the questionnaire on our website. You can also email me if you are interested in writing for the Comment section specifically. After that first step, you get added to our list of writers and await my often meme-ridden pitch emails every Sunday. When you’ve finished laughing at my downright hilarious, super woke, lit memes, you can select one of my pitches or pitch your own idea for an article. I will reply, discuss your thoughts about the pitch, ask for a brief outline of your argument and approve it. The outline helps you organize your thoughts and makes writing a bit easier because it gives you a road map. Road maps are important because writing often is a very daunting and confusing task when you get down to it. I am also eager to talk with writers if they need help or want to work through an idea together, so feel free to email or message me.
Then the fun part begins! You have until Thursday night to research, write, and send the piece to me before the clock strikes eight, or you turn into a toad. In the time between Thursday and Sunday, your article will go through several rounds of editing, all to strengthen and refine your piece. During this period, replying to emails is critical because you will often have to revise your article to address the comments or questions that arise from the editing process. However, after all the edits and emails, your article will be immortalized in print and online come Monday morning.
Seeing your name under a headline, attached to an article, and shared throughout online platforms evokes a special kind of pride. It is my sincere hope that every writer wishing to write for The Medium experiences it and uses it to continue their writing journey.
Through this editorial, I hope that I have welcomed you to The Medium and its community of writers and removed any uncertainty and intimidation of our publication process. I genuinely look forward to hearing your ideas and discussing your opinions.
I’ll wait for you in my inbox, dear writer.
