Mastering the Art of Formatting Your Writing for Medium
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Chapter 1: Understanding the Basics of Formatting
When I embarked on my journey on Medium, there was a wealth of knowledge I had yet to acquire. Admittedly, I'm still navigating that learning curve, but reflecting on my experiences from a year ago reveals a treasure trove of information that had long been forgotten since my school days.
New Insights to Consider
One key takeaway is that every word in your title should be capitalized. Additionally, incorporating a 'Kicker' above your title is advisable, along with a subtitle below it. It's vital to identify five 'Topics' that convey the essence of your piece, with one tag specifically being the name of the publication you are submitting to.
Grammarly, while often a source of frustration for me as a British writer, has played a pivotal role in my editing process. It predominantly adheres to American English conventions, which can clash with my British spelling of words like "Colour" and "Humour." My writing often looks like a canvas splattered with red and yellow underlines due to Grammarly's disapproval of colloquialisms and informal language.
Old Knowledge Resurfaced
The fundamentals of grammar, such as comma usage and tense agreement, have resurfaced in my consciousness after years of neglect. Despite my reservations about Grammarly’s strict approach to traditional grammar rules, I owe it a debt of gratitude for rekindling my understanding of the basics that were instilled in me over five decades ago.
Capitalization and Its Importance
Capitalizing your title isn’t a hard and fast rule; it’s more about enhancing readability. While you might choose to capitalize the first letter of each word for visual impact, you should feel free to experiment with how your title appears and how it influences your statistics.
Understanding Kickers
Upon submitting an article to a new publication, I received a prompt from the editor to include a kicker. I was unfamiliar with this term, so I had to do some research. A kicker is essentially a short line above the main title, as illustrated in my title structure.
For a more in-depth understanding of creating effective kickers, you can refer to this informative article by Rob Tomlin.
Chapter 2: Identifying Relevant Topics
Determining the appropriate topics for your article can be challenging. For this piece, the topics are straightforward: writing tips, writing, writers on writing, writing on Medium, and the publication name 'Word Garden.'
However, topics can become murky when the subject is less clear. For instance, if I write a reminiscence piece, the topics may include the publication's name and the theme of reminiscence itself. But how do I gauge what readers are searching for?
On my mobile, I can view a list of topics along with their popularity metrics. While it might seem logical to select the most popular topic, it’s essential to ensure it aligns with your article’s content. For example, although "LIFE" has a hefty 4.5 million hits, it wouldn’t be suitable for this article.
Personalizing Topic Selection
Selecting the right topics is inherently subjective and varies with each piece. If you have an analytical mindset, you may explore ways to refine your topic choices for better engagement. However, for now, I recommend trusting your instincts, as each article is unique with its own words, emotions, and themes.
Grammarly: A Writer's Ally
In terms of general advice, I highly recommend installing Grammarly. While I can't currently afford the Premium version, I believe it’s worth the investment to refresh your grammar skills or learn what your earlier education may have skipped.
There will be moments of dismay as you realize how much you’ve forgotten and how much more there is to learn. We could all benefit from a commission from Grammarly for the value it adds to our writing!
Understanding Pull Quotes
Have you noticed that distinct line that stands out on the page? That’s a 'Pull,' which serves to attract your reader’s attention to a significant point in your article. It's not merely for decoration; it must connect to the content that follows.
To create a pull quote, simply highlight the desired sentence, copy it, and place it above the corresponding paragraph. Use the formatting tools to emphasize it accordingly.
In conclusion, I hope that my simplified insights into formatting and structuring your writing will assist you in your journey. Undoubtedly, we will look back years from now and chuckle at our earlier naivety and celebrate how much we have grown as writers.