Maximize Your Medium Experience with List Features
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Chapter 1 Overview of Medium's List Feature
In our fast-paced lives, finding efficient tools is crucial. This quick overview highlights the significance of the List feature on Medium.
I've been utilizing the List feature on Medium for several months to categorize my various articles. Recently, I realized that I could also allow others to view and save these lists. Yes, others can save your lists!
To save an article to a List, simply open the desired story—whether it belongs to you or another writer. Click the "Save" button located just to the right of the Title, Subtitle, and Image. A dropdown will appear, with 'Reading List' pre-selected.
Note: It's advisable to organize your stories into different lists and keep 'Reading List' reserved for items you plan to read later. If you wish to add an article to an existing list instead of 'Reading List,' select that particular list and ensure to remove it from 'Reading List' if you don't want duplicates. Once you've made your selections, you're all set; the article saves automatically.
If you want to establish a new list, scroll to the bottom of the dropdown and select "Create new list." Choose a meaningful name that reflects its content. I maintain several distinct Lists for both my stories and those of other authors.
To keep a newly created list private, simply check the "Make private" box after naming it and optionally adding a description. Don’t forget to click the "Create" button to save your changes.
Important Note: When saving others' articles, only save those you genuinely plan to read soon or reference later. Be selective; this tool can be incredibly useful.
You should add another author's article to only ONE of your lists, and consider keeping your reading lists of others' work private as well.
Why Use Lists?
Organizing your articles by saving them under various topics (list names) in your Library is essential. You can also save other authors' articles in your Library under your 'Reading List' or any list you've created (I categorize recipes, medical advice, and writing tips separately).
This feature allows for quick viewing by others. They can visit your Profile, select Lists, and view only your public compilations. While readers can scroll through all your stories, having lists can streamline their search.
You can also highlight a List within your stories. Instead of spotlighting just one article, consider featuring one of your Lists, which I began doing a few editions ago in my 'Digging Up Bones' publication.
Allow others to SAVE your public lists. They will receive email notifications whenever you add a new article to those lists.
Saving Public Lists
Subscribing to receive notifications from a specific writer is always an option. However, if you prefer only to read articles in a specific niche or list that the author curates, you can sign up for just those Lists and receive updates only when new articles are added to your chosen Lists.
Two Ways to Join Someone's List
- Visit their Profile, then check the Lists. Choose the desired list, open it, and click the "Save" button. You'll get a notification saying, "You've been added to their List." Now just wait for them to add new articles.
- Alternatively, if they share a link to their Lists, open it, click the "Save" button, and follow the same process.
Pros and Cons of the List Feature
Pros:
- Within each List, you can rearrange your articles however you like—alphabetically, by popularity, etc. You can also edit, make private, or change the privacy of individual articles.
Cons:
- Currently, I've found no method to organize the Lists themselves. I would love to have the ability to arrange them in a specific order. If anyone has insights on this, please share!
Here are some options for my Lists related to various publications:
- List for 'Digging Up Bones' Publication only.
- List for 'Dancing My Way Through Life' Publication only.
- List for 'Women Who Use Tools' Publication only.
I hope you find this information helpful. Feel free to comment, clap, reach out, or ask questions. If I overlooked anything or didn't explain something clearly, please let me know.
Happy Reading!
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