Writing and Publishing
An interview with Dr. Mehmet Yildiz, Chief Editor of Illumination Integrated Publications, who provides insights to writers from his observations and experience
An Exclusive Interview for Freelance Writers Contributing to Digitalmehmet.com site as Guest Bloggers
Dr. Mehmet Yildiz, founder of Illumination Integrated Publications on Medium, supports 32,000+ writers at different levels, including beginners and accomplished writers. His multiple publications are read by thousands readers.
As a content strategist, seasoned writer, and author of multiple books, he has guided new writers since the inception of his publications and constantly creates new opportunities for them.
One of his innovative achievements is establishing Illumination Book Chapters, allowing published and independent authors to post their own book chapters in story format. Click on the picture to read the submission guidelines.
After establishing this publication on the first anniversary of Illumination in 2021, many authors joined the publication and shared hundreds of book chapters.
He also shared his marketing strategy for self-publishing or indie authors in a story on Medium.com. We will blog it in his site soon.
We recently featured some of them in a collection titled Curated Book Chapters of Illumination #01: Introduction to published authors and sample book chapters on Illumination Book Chapters publication on Medium.
I enjoyed one of his post on Synergy giving voice to freelance writers. His story inspired many published authors and me. The article’s title attracted my attention, and the takeaway points inspired me to take action.
Unfortunately, like many of us, he neglected marketing his books, giving the responsibility and accountability to his publishers.
However, when he took responsibility for marketing, he produced remarkable results, as he generously shared his experience in the article titled The Joy of Selling 1,000+ Books In A Month With Minimal Investment: Practical and unique marketing techniques for creative freelancers leading to profitable sales with concrete examples.
Dr Yildiz also published a book titled Substack Mastery and he is sharing the free versions for free on multiple platforms. You can check out from the following links which also link to the free versions at the top of the story.
Preface of “Substack Mastery” for Beta Readers, Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9, Chapter 10, Chapter 11, Chapters 12
When you read the book and find it helpful please leave an honest feedback on Amazon or Goodreads
Here is the review link on Goodreads where millions of readers meet.
Dr Yildiz also guides and coaches freelance writers and content entrepreneurs through his Patreon service.
Interview Transcript with Dr Mehmet Yildiz
Inspired by a recent post by ILLUMINATION editors, we decided to interview Dr Mehmet Yildiz to obtain his guidance on transitioning freelance writers and bloggers to become published authors either via traditional or independent publishing approaches.
ILLUMINATION-Curator:
Thank you for your time this weekend volunteering for this interview.
I know you are swamped with the duties of your publications, as I understand that there are fewer volunteer editors at the weekend due to family commitments.
My first question is why you established Illumination Book Chapters.
Dr Mehmet Yildiz:
Thank you for the opportunity. It is an absolute pleasure for me. The main reason for establishing the Illumination Book Chapters was to give published and independent authors a voice and make their writing journey smoother.
As I am one of them, I understand their challenges and pain points. Developing an audience for indie authors is a difficult task.
I wanted them to leverage the power of Medium, which has a built-in audience.
Besides, there was no publication giving voice to published authors on Medium. It was a first-of-kind initiative. Therefore, many published authors joined our journey. I am grateful for their contributions, and I enjoy supporting them.
ILLUMINATION-Curator:
Could you please summarize this unique publication’s purpose and specific goals?
Dr Mehmet Yildiz:
Absolutely!
When establishing Illumination Book Chapters, I had three primary goals in mind. The first goal was to create an opportunity for published authors to gain new readers via their repurposed book chapters on Medium so that they could also earn income from their published content via their Medium audience.
The second one was to allow them to gain new followers and beta readers who might provide feedback for their manuscripts.
And the third is to enable allowing writers to create manuscripts derived from their published stories on Medium.
So they could transfer stories into the ILLUMINATION Book Chapters, obtain reader reviews, and publish them as books later.
ILLUMINATION-Curator:
Thank you for articulating your goals.
The sharing part by published authors is clear to me. My next question is how can Medium writers transition from storytelling to the published author status.
I remember you posted an article about it last year How To Create A 30,000 Words E-book In A Month: Practical steps to produce a manuscript with 1,000-word a day.
Could you please summarize the key points?
Dr Mehmet Yildiz:
Yes, certainly!
The first point is to start drafting the framework for the book. I recommended using the mind-map technique as an example.
The second point is defining and describing the book by asking seven powerful questions.
The next topic was to start the first chapter. I provided several tips, which are also repeatable for subsequent chapters.
From my experience, writing at productive times can keep us motivated. Rewarding ourselves after each milestone, even for accomplishing small goals, is crucial to staying on track.
The next critical point is setting a time for writing a section or a chapter. Self-editing using tools such as Grammarly and Hemingway Editor and finding peer-reviewers to cast their eyes on draft chapters is essential.
Not all writers can afford expensive editing services.
I also guided in creating book covers and publishing them on various platforms such as Amazon KDP, Draft2Digital, or Smashwords.
There are many more organizations that can distribute self-published books to multiple markets.
ILLUMINATION-Curator:
Your final point initiates a common question in my mind. Do you recommend going through traditional publishing or self-publishing?
Dr Mehmet Yildiz:
I agree many authors ask this question, and my answer is it depends on various factors. I tried both methods and found self-publishing more advantageous for multiple reasons.
While traditional publishing is good for the resume and boosts the writer’s ego, self-publishing with good discipline can bring many benefits. From my experience, the most important benefits are freedom, speed to market, and flexibility of distribution.
For example, publishing a book via the traditional method has consumed three years of my time. Some of my ideas and content became obsolete until the book was published. I had to re-write some chapters.
The royalty fees were unsatisfactory and even depressing. I couldn’t sell my own books as the publishing company owned the copyright. The contract locked me to do anything myself. So, in short, I couldn’t get the value for my time and effort.
However, publishing the same size book in the same genre took me only three months. The income was higher in the order of magnitude.
I gained more readers and built my mailing list, created my own newsletters, which allowed me to reach out to a broader audience. As I pointed out Subscribers Can Produce 50 Times Better Results Than Followers for Freelance Writers.
However, we are all different and have different goals. There are still good use cases for traditional publishing. Another alternative is hybrid publishing.
For example, I agreed with a publishing company to keep the book’s copyright and allow me to market and sell my copies in addition to theirs. The solution provided valuable results for me.
So, the hybrid method might work for some authors. Negotiation is essential in the publishing industry.
ILLUMINATION-Curator:
Thank you for this helpful answer.
Regarding self-publishing, I recently came across one of your stories mentioning the amalgamation of two book publishing and distribution companies.
Could you please elaborate on that?
Dr Mehmet Yildiz:
Yes, I am happy to do that.
Since I used both Draft2Digital and SmashWords, I was pleased when these two companies amalgamated.
I called it good news because both organizations care about independent authors and have different capabilities.
Interested readers might check the article titled Good News for Published Authors: Two Innovative Content Distribution Companies Amalgamate: Introduction to an exciting journey of Draft2Digital and SmashWords; what it means for indie authors and publishers.
ILLUMINATION-Curator:
Dr Yildiz, you are big on social media with many followers.
You share every story and book you read on social media, especially on Twitter and LinkedIn.
Can you please comment on the value of using social media by the author?
Dr Mehmet Yildiz:
Social media is a double-edged sword. I had a lot of problems with social media.
At one point in my life, I had to do social media fast to maintain my sanity. However, meaningful use of social media can be valuable for writers, bloggers, and authors.
I established various methods and provided guidance for meaningful use of social media in an article titled How Can Writers Use Social Media Productively?: A six-minute investment to productivity and desired outcomes using social media mindfully and meaningfully
So my point is yes, social media can be valuable if it is used mindfully by writers, bloggers, and authors. Otherwise, it can be a waste of time.
ILLUMINATION-Curator:
Thank you for your guidance, Dr Yildiz. Do you have additional comments and suggestions for beginners?
Dr Mehmet Yildiz:
Yes, I have a few points for aspiring authors to consider.
Writing a book is a tedious and challenging task. However, my analogy is eating an elephant bit by bit. So my point is writing 500 words is not a big deal for the brain. However, writing a 30,000-word manuscript cause resistance in the brain.
Coming from a cognitive science background, I know that tricking the neo-cortex is critical. Therefore, I suggest that writers who don’t have much time could schedule half an hour daily to write 500 words for 60 days.
Sixty days is also critical to re-wire the brain to gain a new habit. So writing 500 words a day, an author can produce a 30,000-word manuscript in two months.
They can then get a book published in three months by allocating one month for self-editing, line-editing, book cover designing, and other publishing requirements.
Another point is refraining from perfection. Analysis paralysis is a known mental issue that demotivates people and makes them unproductive. No one is perfect.
Readers don’t expect perfection. When we produce reasonable content, I will get the first version published and improve it with reader feedback.
Marketing and distribution of books can be time-consuming. Delegating these tasks to others can save time if you don’t have time. There are affordable services on online sites like Fiverr and Upwork.
My next point is a collaboration with other writers and authors. There are many platforms supporting writers and authors. One of them is GoodReads, which I introduced in an article.
In fact, I built a community for Medium writers. They are welcome to join. It is a small but good start to obtaining reviewers and getting inspirational support.
I also created a community of over ten thousand writers using Slack. All Medium writers are welcome to join. It is free and safe as moderated by volunteer editors supporting my publications.
Related to collaboration, mentoring and being mentored can be invaluable. I mentor many authors, and I have many mentors who support me. It is a reciprocal activity. And finally, testimonials are critical for authors.
I provided a sample testimonial recently in a story by ILLUMINATION titled The Importance of Testimonials for Writers and Published Authors: A sample testimonial for Lady Dr. Gabriella Korosi, published author by Dr Mehmet Yildiz, chief editor of Illumination Integrated Publications on Medium.
ILLUMINATION-Curator:
Thank you Dr Yildiz. How can authors join Illumination Book Chapters?
Dr Mehmet Yildiz:
As my publications are integrated, we use the same weblink for the applicants. They can provide their Medium ID pointing that they have published books and want to repurpose on Illumination Book Chapters.
We offer them writer access allowing them to post their chapters. One chapter a day, meeting Medium’s policies and our publication guidelines can be a good start.
We are an open, diverse, and inclusive writing community. All writers from Medium and other platforms can join us.
As a peaceful and productive community, we allow ethical writers who refrain from plagiarism and online bullying.
The level and background of writers do not matter. We smartly cross-pollinate them and create the opportunity to grow safely, collaboratively, and joyfully without judging their skills, experiences, and backgrounds.
ILLUMINATION-Curator:
Thank you for your time, Dr. Yildiz. We appreciate your insights.
Final Words
We hope you enjoyed this short interview. Please feel free to leave your questions in the comments sections. We will monitor the comments and request Dr Yildiz to answer your questions.
If you are a writer of Illumination Integrated Publications, you can also contact him directly on Slack workspace. He supports members and mentors many writers and authors generously.
Dr Yildiz and his editorial team also promote the work of authors. For example, in addition to creating curated collections frequently, the Illumination coordinator also introduces published authors on YouTube.
You might learn more about Dr Mehmet Yildiz from his editorial profile posted by ILLUMINATION editors.
Meet Dr Mehmet Yildiz
Owner and chief editor of Illumination Integrated Publicationsmedium.com
Here here are three sample interviews with a book author. It also has links to many other interviews conducted by Dr Mehmet Yildiz
Featured Published Authors on Illumination YouTube Channel
Here are a few samples from his introductions.
Carla Woody is a published author.
Meet Carla Woody on Illumination YouTube Channel
A published author, artist, spiritual mentor, and a holistic health coachmedium.com
Bill Abbate is a published author, and senior editor of Illumination Integrated Publications.
Meet Bill Abbate on Illumination YouTube Channel
A published author, top writer and senior editor of Illumination Integrated Publications on Mediummedium.com
Shashi Sastry is a published author.
Meet Shashi Sastry on YouTube
Author of the book “Philosophy of Life Instinct”medium.com
Neha Sonney, Author is a published author.
Meet Neha Sonney on Illumination YouTube Channel
A prolific writer on Medium and a Published Authormedium.com
Arlo Hennings, Ph.D. is a published author, and senior editor of Illumination Integrated Publications.
Meet Arlo Hennings, PhD on Illumination YouTube Channel
A published author, musician, top writer and senior editor of Illumination Integrated Publications on Mediummedium.com
Karen Madej is a published author, and senior editor of Illumination Integrated Publications.
Meet Karen Madej on YouTube
Top writer on Medium, viral creator on NewsBreak, published author, and senior editor of Illumination Integrated…medium.com
Joe Luca is a published author, and senior editor of Illumination Integrated Publications.
Meet Joe Luca on Illumination YouTube Channel
A prolific writer and supportive editor on Mediummedium.com
Melinda Blau is published author of 15 books.
Meet Melinda Blau
A published author of 15 books and a prolific writer on Mediummedium.com
Reference Documents for New Writers
Starter Kit for Writers of ILLUMINATION Integrated Publications
Starter Kit for Writers of ILLUMINATION Integrated Publications
One-stop-shop for beginnersmedium.com
Answers to frequently asked questions about ILLUMINATION Integrated Publications
Process and Procedures
Anything you want to know about ILLUMINATION Integrated Publicationsmedium.com
Meet Editors of Illumination Integrated Publications
Collection of Editor Bios
Meet Editors of Illumination Integrated Publicationsmedium.com
Why Image Copyrights Matter for Writers and Editors
Why Image Copyrights Matter for Writers and Editors
Update to handling story photos policy for Illumination Integrated Publications on Mediummedium.com
Introduce yourself in a story.
Curated Writer Bios
Learn about contributing writers of ILLUMINATION written by their penmedium.com
Reasons Why Writers Need Personal Publications!
Why Writers Need Personal Publications
Invitation to introduce your own publication to the audience of Illumination Integrated Publicationsmedium.com
Recent Curated Collections
Curated Collection by ILLUMINATION-Curator
Outstanding Stories — Volume 88
Selected stories from top writers of ILLUMINATION-Curatedmedium.com
Outstanding Stories — Volume 86
Selected stories from top writers of ILLUMINATION-Curatedmedium.com
Viral Stories Attracted A Million+ Views
Readers can enjoy and writers can learn from these outstanding stories.medium.com
You may check my previous collections from this link
Stories on ILLUMINATION-Curated — All Volumes
Easy access to curated and outstanding storiesmedium.com
Curated Collections by ILLUMINATION
Curated Collection #112
Curated Collection #112
Chosen stories from experienced writers for avid readersmedium.com
You can find featured stories by ILLUMINATION in 2022 from this meta collection. We appreciate the support of our chief editor, Dr Mehmet Yildiz, to create and promote these collections.
Meta Collection of Featured Stories
Meta Collection of Featured Stories
Easy access to daily selected stories from engaging writers of ILLUMINATION — Volume 3–2022medium.com
Curated Collections by Technology Hits
Hand-Picked Articles #81
Hand-Picked Articles #81
Chosen by the technology editor of ILLUMINATION Integrated Publications on Mediummedium.com
Hand-Picked Book Chapters #01
Hand-Picked Book Chapters #01
Inspiring books submitted to Illumination Book Chapters on Mediummedium.com
Collection of Hand Picked Articles
Collection of Hand Picked Articles
Featuring stories of contributing writers on ILLUMINATION and Technology Hitsmedium.com
A curated collection from Euphoria Publication on Medium by our chief editor Dr Mehmet Yildiz who encourage writers to create their own publications. He posted a new newsletter to his subscribers.
I Write about Health as It Matters.
February 2022 updates from Euphoria, including health, mental health, fitness, lifestyle, and self-improvement topicsmedium.com
Sample Videos from Illumination YouTube Channel
Guidance on how to write viral articles and blogs.
How to Write Viral Articles and Blogs
A video presentation of an inspiring and informative article of Dr. Mehmet Yildiz on YouTube presented by Illumination…medium.com
/media/8d0b1a01943b54281a0e6a51bc88c4c5Prepared by Illumination YouTube Coordinator published on Illumination YouTube Channel
Quality checklist for Illumination writers to improve content.
Improving the Quality of Writing Using an Editorial Checklist
Video presentation of Illumination’s editorial checklistmedium.com
/media/25707966f743c04af20fd756bf4d1974Prepared by Illumination YouTube Coordinator published on Illumination YouTube Channel
The value of YouTube for Medium Writers.
How Writers Can Use YouTube Creatively and Productively
A video invitation to writers of Illumination Integrated Publications to create introductory videosmedium.com
/media/aeb71573542b3ac85ebb1b07cc441363Prepared by Illumination YouTube Coordinator published on Illumination YouTube Channel
Introduction to Illumination Integration Publications on YouTube.
Illumination on YouTube
A video introduction to Illumination Integrated Publications on Mediummedium.com
/media/5acc8ac4a43bba7d0872b34b7e223ef9Prepared by Illumination YouTube Coordinator published on Illumination YouTube Channel
Many thanks to Illumination YouTube Coordinator for creating an inspiring video celebrating our second successful year on Medium.
/media/23ac77ac819c101ac504a06f1b076b74Video on Illumination YouTube Channel
Our mission is to support and empower content creators.
We will continue providing free services to creators. However, to support freelance writers who want to earn money from their content on Substack by increasing their paid subscribers, we will offer a premium service through an optional $5 monthly subscription. This means that we will still support non-paying members with complementary content to guide them in building their newsletters and will give marketing support to freelance writers and content entrepreneurs.
This $5 membership for ILLUMINATION Premium through our freelancer library on Substack or Substack Mastery of ILLUMINATION Community will provide extra valuable resources in all our Substack newsletters, including educational opportunities, promotional support for newsletters of creators, and amplification of content on Substack, Medium, blog sites, other content platforms, and our tailored social media tools. We will design a comprehensive service for content entrepreneurs using our founding membership price.
ILLUMINATION Substack Community Support — Dr Mehmet Yildiz
This is a summary of 3-tier service offerings for creators, freelance writers, and content entrepreneurs on Substack…digitalmehmet.com
Under the strategic leadership of Dr. Yildiz, our chief editor, and his team of 10000+ industry leaders on LinkedIn, we will be crafting a comprehensive marketing strategy. Our ambitious five-year goal is to grow to 5 million members, establishing ILLUMINATION Connect as a premier network for creators.
Dr Yildiz committed to invest 80% of his content marketing efforts to Substack as he explained the reason in this story on Medium.com. He has been supporting Medium writers since 2019 through his leadership for ILLUMINATION Integrated Publications.
Join us at ILLUMINATION’s Substack Mastery, where your creativity meets a supportive network dedicated to helping you shine.
To guide you on Substack, our chief editor wrote a comprehensive guide for writers. How to Start Substack Instantly & Own Your Content/Audience Effectively
We invite you to join Substack Mastery on Medium and Substack to become part of a collaborative movement that celebrates and empowers Substack creators. Together, we can create a supportive ecosystem where your voice is heard, your stories are shared, and your success is celebrated. Let’s illuminate the path to your success together.
Amplifying Substack Mastery Stories and Newsletters of Our Writers via LinkedIn Newsletters
We also share these newsletters and posts on our Linked site. Please subscribe to our newsletter on LinkedIn too.
Here is the link to the first episode that you may engage and share on your LinkedIn profile to bring more readers to your newsletters and posts.
The new episode will be posted to LinkedIn, Quora Spaces, Reddit, and more by Dr Yildiz. You can learn about our tailored social media platforms to amplify the content of our writers. How Friends of Medium Can Amplify Important Stories Via Customized Social Media Sites
As our followers are limited Dr Yildiz volunteered to share these list from his personal newsletters on LinkedIn followed by thousands of professionals. Connect with Dr Mehmet Yildiz on LinkedIn to share your stories and newsletters.
Here are the published versions of his LinkedIn newsletter.
Substack Mastery Episode 3: Introduction to Leading Substack Newsletters
Substack Mastery: Introduction to 10 Leading Substack Newsletters #2
Today’s Survey Results from LinkedIn
You can vote here for your choice. Your votes might change the results.
Dr Yildiz created a LinkedIn Group for us to collaborate. Please apply to be a contributor or moderator. He also blocks them on his website, digitalmehmet.com. Please share them on your socials so that more readers find these newsletters easily. Substack Mastery Episode 3: Introduction to Leading Substack Newsletters.
Join the Substack Mastery Community on Quora
Substack Mastery
Share your Substack newsletters and Medium articles to reach a broad audience.substackmastery.quora.com
Quora is a large platform that freelance writers can reach a broad audience. We created this Quora space to allow you share you Substack newsletters and posts to gain new subscribers. It does not take much time. All you need is copy and paste the newsletter address or your news posts. If you want to be a contributor or moderator please leave a message on this post with your Quora profile name and we will send you an invitation. Alternative by clicking on the following link you can request access. Here’s our Quora Space link for Substack Mastery.
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We will help you gain visibility and succeed as a writer on Medium. Please mention the publication name with your Medium account ID in the request.
ILLUMINATION Integrated Publications include:
ILLUMINATION, ILLUMINATION-Curated, ILLUMINATION’ S MIRROR, ILLUMINATION Book Chapters, The Lampshade of ILLUMINATION, Technology Hits, SYNERGY, Readers Hope, Illumination on YouTube, Illumination Gaming, ILLUMINATION Health & Science, Integrated Healthcare, Substack Mastery, ILLUMINATION’s Blog, EUPHORIA by Dr Mehmet Yildiz.
Get an email whenever ILLUMINATION-Curators publishes on Medium.
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Originally published at DigitalMehmet.com site.
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https://ko-fi.com/illuminationsubstackmastery
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