Write for TDE

Write from what you know

Base the story on work you’ve done, bugs you’ve fixed, or a take only you could make. Data engineering, cloud, or AI infra all fit. Generic overviews with no personal angle usually don’t land well here, and Medium rarely Boosts that kind of piece.

Write it yourself

Don’t submit a fully AI-written story meant to earn money. Medium won’t let that earn, can unlock it, and can remove you from the Partner Program (often with no appeal). We won’t accept it for TDE either. Your voice and judgment should be obvious on the page.

Be honest about AI help

Outlines, spelling, and grammar tools are fine. If AI helped write the words, say so in the first couple of paragraphs. If a picture is AI-made, note that in the caption.

Match the title to the story

The title and subtitle should tell the reader what they’ll get. No clickbait, no mystery headlines that don’t pay off. If the title overpromises, people bounce, and Medium can lower what you earn. Cover images should match the piece too.

Make it easy to read

Use a clear structure. Back up claims when you can. Credit images and don’t use others’ work without permission. Add images only when they help. Short paragraphs and plain language beat dense walls of text.

Don’t treat the story like an ad

If the main point is selling something, collecting emails, or farming clicks, it doesn’t belong here. Medium treats promo-first and low-value posts as weak distribution. TDE wants teaching and experience, not soft marketing.

Don’t paywall “Medium about Medium” posts

Stories mainly about Medium, the Partner Program, Boost, or how to earn on Medium cannot sit behind the paywall. You can still write them for free. For TDE, stay on data engineering topics anyway.

Stay on topic, write in English

Keep the piece in TDE’s lane: data engineering, cloud, AI systems, MLOps, and related practice. We review English stories only for now. Medium also Boosts English stories only at this time.

What to look for

Real experience, useful takeaways, respect for the reader’s time, a fresh angle, and clean writing. Ask: would a paying Medium member feel glad they opened this?

What to turn down

Mostly AI-written drafts. Thin filler. Soft ads or signup funnels. Plagiarism or close rewrites of other posts. Meta posts about Medium or earnings tips. Anything you’d be embarrassed to put in a member’s feed.

What to send back

Misleading titles or covers. Missing AI disclosure when it looks assisted. Stories that need the writer’s own experience added. Ask them to tighten, clarify, or rewrite before you accept.

Only put forward your best picks

Nominate or accept stories you’d be glad to see in a paying member’s feed. Boost is rare and human-reviewed. If you wouldn’t share the piece yourself, it probably isn’t ready.