Write For Psych Times — Submission Requirements
Updated as of August 1, 2023
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Welcome
2. What we publish
3. What we will not publish
4. Submission rules
5. What does it mean to have your work published in Psych Times
6. So, you wanna join the Psych Times fam?
7. Don't forget all these before you apply!
8. How to submit your draft to Psych Times1. Welcome to The Submission Page of Psych Times on Medium
Hello, fellow psychology enthusiast! You've come to the right place if you're as fascinated by the maze of human psychology as we are.
This is Psych Times, a platform where we dive headfirst into the fascinating universe of the mind. We delve into everything from the whirlwind of thoughts to the spectrum of emotions to the spectrum of human behavior.
We're calling all true writers.
Here at Psych Times, your unique voice is more than welcome; it's desired. We value your insightful ideas, dreams, special skills, stories, life lessons, and nuggets of wisdom.
We're all about elevating our writers' distinctive voices while satisfying our readers' thirst for knowledge.
We're creating a playground where our minds can run wild, where we can share our unique perspectives, and where together we can unravel the mystery that is the human mind.
My passion for words and psychology, as well as my appreciation for touching stories about real people, has led me to create Psych Times. Through this publication, I have been able to gather some of the most talented writers in the field.
2. What we publish
2.1 Our mission at Psychtimes is to bring together people from different cultures and locations around the world through our articles. We strive to create a platform that appeals to a wide audience and fosters a sense of global connectedness.
2.2 We are looking for simple writings on anything about psychology, relationships, life, health, and everything in between that anyone can understand without raising an eyebrow.
2.3 Write in the form of articles and stories. Poetry is also welcome here, but you must support it with an article to elaborate on it and what moved and inspired you to write those beautiful and touching words.
2.4 Whether it's well-researched gems, your own experiences, other people's stories (see rules below), or just some juicy brain food, we're all ears.
2.5 Any style you choose to express your innermost thoughts is welcome here. 2.6 If you are writing a research-based article, it is a good idea to include citations or hyperlinked sources to support your statements and build credibility with your readers. We always check the links you provide to make sure they're really the credible source you're basing your stories on.
2.7 It should also have a clear and straightforward structure that appeals to the reader's logical thinking, while telling a compelling story that touches their emotions and steers clear of any nasty, mean-spirited, or downright lazy content. Keep it classy.
2.8 Write with authenticity, with the goal of challenging your audience and shifting their perspective. Engage them so that they become attached to your work and feel compelled to come back for more.
3. What we will not publish
3.1 Steer clear of affiliate marketing topics.
3.2 Avoid false promises of getting rich or fit quickly.
3.3 We maintain a policy of not publishing explicit sexual content.
3.4 Stories highlighting monetary gains in a specific timeframe, like "how I made $x in x-months," are not part of our publication focus.
3.5 Articles centered around the pursuit of gaining followers, such as "how I achieved 100 followers," do not also align with our content preferences.
3.6 While you can express your opinions boldly and engage in debates, please refrain from hate speeches targeting any particular group.
3.7 Personal attacks against any writer should also be avoided.
3.8 Articles based on challenges or word prompts will not be considered for publication. There is place for that.
3.9 We also don't tolerate writing that was generated by AI. Consider the point 2.7 advice. The purpose of Psych Times is to highlight articles with striking and enduring emotional impact. Emotional, sentient beings are what we're looking for in the writers of the stories we publish. Even with advanced AI, machines will never be able to replace human emotions. The hearts of all of Psych Times' authors and readers are intertwined with the publication. This means that the published content will always be created by actual people.
3.10 And hey, we're not here for sneaky self-promotion either, so Ixnay on the advertisement-filled articles.
4. Submission rules
4.1 We like stories that come from the heart and express a personal point of view. We're looking for emotion above all, because that's what a real human should have, right? We want to know what moves your heart, so we're looking for stories written in the first person, or in the third person if it's someone else's story you're telling. Just make sure you have their permission to use their story. (Write the permission at the beginning of the story)
4.2 Check your grammar and proper paragraph breaks. We highly recommend you use Grammarly, DeepL (as what Kristi Makusha suggested in her story "A Trending Online Income Generator") and Medium's own built-in software
4.3 Every article must have a title and a subtitle. While writing the headline, use the title case format, and while writing the subtitle, use the sentence case format. Use this helpful tool whenever you are unsure of how to properly capitalize the words in your headlines. Because Medium does not apply the "subtitle" format automatically, you will need to highlight the subtitle and then select the little "T" icon located in the toolbar in order to apply the format.
4.4 A featured image allows you to illustrate your post. It is important to include a credit image for each image, and you will have full rights to use the image. Place it right after your title and subtitle. I would prefer that you use images from Unsplash and Pexels to ensure the highest possible image quality. They're also free. However, most of the photos I use are ones I purchased from istockphoto. Plus, Medium has Unsplash built in! If you drag and drop your selected image from Unsplash, the image quality is not preserved; instead, use the site's download option to save the image at its original size. If I have to make an exemption, and you create beautiful illustrations, I may accept your own images.
4.5 Note that the automatic line breaks that Medium creates should be removed from your poems. Hold down the Shift key and press Enter when you reach the period at the end of a sentence. Unfortunately, you will need a computer to do this.
4.6 Articles will only be accepted in draft form. Submitted stories that have already been published will be automatically rejected. 4.7 Activate your private notes. To enable private notes, go to Settings, Account, and select ON. This is how the editors will contact you. If you need assistance, you can also leave private notes when submitting drafts.
4.8 You can always email me at timespsych@gmail.com if you need to contact me directly.
4.9 The editors are here to make changes, either minor ones or by leaving notes on your articles. So be sure to check your submission after a few hours for any notes we may have written to improve your work or changes you need to address. It's important to show them respect as they work diligently to maintain the quality of our publication.
4.10 If you do not edit your article within 48 hours and reply to the notes written, we will automatically reject it and return it to you with the reason(s) for rejection.
4.11 It may take up to 48 hours for your article to be published, as we have our own lives to manage. But I am very hands-on in this pub, so as soon as I get a notification of your story submission, I will immediately check it to see if it fits in the pub. 4.12 It is required that you use "Psychtimes" as the first tag and also "psychology", "life" or "relationships" as the second tag to keep this pub organized. You are free to choose the rest of the tags as you wish. We reserve the right to change your tags to comply with this rule. 4.13 Submissions must comply with Medium's Rules, Plagiarism Guidelines, Medium's Duplicate content Policy, Ad-Free Policy, and Distribution Standards. Violation of Medium's rules can be reported.
5. What does it mean to have your work published in Psych Times
5.1 Your story will be shared with Psych Times' network of readers and followers once it is published in the publication. That is to say, you can reach an active readership directly. The best part is that your work will be cared for by an enthusiastic group of readers and authors who care deeply about what they read.
5.2 You won't find more than two or three new pieces here every day, and they've been carefully chosen for their high quality and originality, in contrast to other publications whose army of editors publishes hundreds of items every day with no editorial effort at all. By operating in this manner, we are able to consistently recommend high-caliber writing and highlight authors who have that certain something that sets their work apart.
5.3 Because I read every word and feel every emotion, people know they can count on me to give an honest response or constructive criticism if necessary.
5.4 Regardless of the outcome, you are the sole owner of your story and maintain full rights to it. Please keep in mind that by opting to have your story published in Psych Times, you are also choosing to exclusively retain it within the publication. If I extend a warm welcome to you, it is because I perceive that you possess a unique perspective or talent, and I am eager to cultivate a strong and mutually beneficial relationship as editor and writer. Of course, if you ever wish to have your story (or stories) removed from Psych Times, that is within your rights. I just kindly request that you provide me with advance notification via email to ensure that all necessary arrangements can be made accordingly. If stories are deleted without prior notification, resulting in multiple dead links on Psych Times, such as those featured in newsletters or editor's picks, I retain the right to remove you from the publication without any prior notice.
6. So, you wanna join the Psych Times fam?
6.1 First and important, if making money is your primary goal on Medium, you shouldn't bother with Psych Times. I'm not interested in those that see their Medium writing as a business and will write anything to boost their earnings. I don't want money to be the sole or even primary motive for writers, but that doesn't mean I discourage them from doing so.
6.2 If you don't want to use your own name, a pen name is fine. Make sure you have uploaded a high-quality photo of yourself to your Medium profile and written an engaging bio and about yourself. Readers appreciate learning more about the author. Learn the steps here.
6.3 Kindly follow our Psychtimes Publication. This should go without saying. If you don't follow this pub, there's no point in being the writer, right?
6.4 Follow the editor. There is currently only one other editor besides myself. In order to accommodate the expanding group of writers, I may add more in the near future. Don't worry, I'll write about it here soon for those who want to be an editor.
6.5 Please submit your application by email to the following address: timespsych@gmail.com after carefully reading all the rules. Your email must include:
6.5.1 The link to your profile on Medium, as well as an article (currently in draft form on Medium) that you'd like to have published in Psych Times if given the chance.
6.5.2 Include a brief explanation of why you want to contribute to Psych Times, as well as links to two stories that you clapped and responded to, and enjoyed reading. Please introduce yourself and share what inspires your writing.
6.5.3 Write "Write for Psych Times" in the subject line.
6.6 I will review your profile and assess whether your work meets our quality standards before adding you. The review process may take up to 72 hours, after which you will be added to our list of writers.
6.7 If I reply favorably and include you in the publication, you should reply again to make sure everything is fine. If we want our relationship as writer-editor to last, this is crucial. I know that I am being quite picky, but this is the only way that Psych Times can succeed on Medium and provide its readers with excellent content.
6.8 Once you're part of this growing community, we expect you to engage with the work of other writers here. That's part of the support. I always check to see who is really reading and engaging. If I find that you are only using this pub for your own personal gain, I reserve the right to remove you from the publication without notice.
6.9 You should also know that if I have to turn down your application to join the publication, it in no way reflects on the quality of your writing. When I read a piece of writing, I need to feel a deep connection to it, whereas many editors are more concerned with expanding their publication at any cost, and so will accept any writer who wants to join. If that's not the case, I'd rather go my own way. As an INFJ, I always go with my gut. Since I only learned to write by reading other people's work, I cannot give you any insight into why you were rejected or any suggestions for improving your application. Regardless of my opinion, please respect my working style and always believe what you write.
6.10 If you don't hear back from me within 72 hours, I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't bother me further. I have a lot of requests coming in, so if you try to rush me, I'll just ignore you. That really bothers me.
6.11 Please keep in mind that I won't read your work if you send it as an attachment or write it straight in the email. Your story should be a complete draft that is ready to be published on Medium.
7. Don't forget all these before you apply!
7.1 Please keep in mind that I only publish original, never-before-seen stories that haven't appeared anywhere else online. Providing readers with content they can't get elsewhere online is more exciting to me. After your story has been published on Psych Times, you may share it on your social media accounts so long as you include a link to the article and credit Psych Times in the post.
7.2 I sincerely encourage writers who are interested in contributing to Psych Times to participate in the day-to-day operations of the publication by reading, applauding, and commenting on the work of the publication's great writers. Therefore, in order for you to be able to read anything and everything that is published on the publication without any restrictions, you will need to become a member of Medium. I anticipate that writers will be avid readers first and foremost, and that they will enjoy encouraging other writers on platforms like Medium and Psych Times.
7.3 You must also want your future writing to appear in Psych Times because you're connected to the stories, the writers, and most importantly, me. That means contributing to our publication on a regular basis. And by regular, I mean two to three articles a week. If you're publishing in a bunch of publications to increase your readership, you won't find much sympathy here.
7.4 Once you are accepted as a writer for publication, there is no guarantee that every story you submit will be published. I will carefully review each piece and ensure that my primary focus is on providing readers with quality work. I will always explain my reasons for rejecting a story by leaving a private note. Rejecting a story is never an easy task, as I am well aware of the immense effort and passion the author has put into it. However, there are times when I may not experience a sufficient level of emotion while reading your story. This does not necessarily mean that it is of poor quality.
8. How to submit a draft
8.1 Please create a new draft and write your text. Once your draft is prepared for posting, locate the three small dots adjacent to the Publish icon situated in the right corner of your draft page. Proceed to select "Add to Publication" and then choose Psych Times. This action will trigger a notification to be sent to me. If you need assistance, please refer to this guide.
8.2 It is important to follow Medium's guidelines. If a writer's submissions consistently violate these rules, there is a possibility that their ability to submit to Psych Times may be revoked.
8.3 If your submission is approved, we'll publish it and share your insightful words with our growing community of life, psychology, and relationship enthusiasts. If not, don't take it personally. You can resubmit your work once it meets the requirements.
8.4 Once your story is published, it's time to spread the word. Share it on your social media platforms, blog, and email your friends. The more you share, the farther your story will reach. I recommend sharing your work on the Medium Writers and Genuine Readers Facebook group. The members are friendly and, yes, real.
8.5 Your story should be between 3 minutes and 10 minutes long.
Building your reputation takes time. Stay dedicated, engage with your fans, and hone your writing skills.
We can't wait for you to become a part of our community and share your life experiences and profound insights with us. Let's keep exploring the mind together and sharing our findings with the world.