The piece I mentioned submitting for syndication last month, but to which I hadn't yet received a response, was accepted. Unfortunately, there were some issues with proper credit being given on the piece. As I've shared about many times here, the only reason to submit writing to unpaid outlets is for "exposure." The outlet is meant to share the writer's bio and links when they use the writer's words – without compensation – to generate views on their site (and, subsequently, income for themselves). I had submitted my piece for syndication to Thought Catalog. I already have work syndicated with them and a bio on their site. However, since I last worked with them they started a new platform, Collective World. My piece was accepted into Collective World and published without my bio at the end of the essay, without a link to my Thought Catalog bio, without a link to the original essay or any indication that it had been previously published, without any links, at all! And, then it was shared on Thought Catalog's social media! I received absolutely ZERO exposure. And it took me a week to finally get someone to respond to me about the issue. They did, then, add a short bio with a few links to the end of the essay. But, it was too late, by then, for me to get any exposure for the social media share. I let it slide when Thought Catalog did not link to the original publications of the other essays I syndicated with them, because I did have a bio and thought it was still good exposure. But, after this experience, it feels more like them trying to claim ownership of words they do not own. I am going to have to think long and hard about ever working with Thought Catalog or Collective World again.
Shortly after all this, I finally heard back about the new piece I had submitted (for pay, if selected) back in December with another outlet. My piece was not selected to be featured for their February theme. So, I submitted it to the Medium publication, Hello, Love. It was accepted, published, and chosen for further distribution by Medium. Then, it was syndicated by The Good Men Project a week later.
I also submitted another older piece for syndication with a site I've worked with in the past. I haven't heard back about that one, yet.
And, the editor of HrtWarming reached out to me about wanting to syndicate a piece of mine. I've worked with them in the past and granted permission but it has not run yet.
And, I made a new graphic and redesigned an old one for Instagram.
All in all, this month was, again, more productive than I would have expected.