Medium Day 2026 Speaker Application Questions

Applying to speak at MD26? Here’s what you need to prep.

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Hello, writers! If you’re thinking about applying to speak at this year’s Medium Day, but you’re not sure what all is involved, here’s a repost of information sent to me by the Medium team that’ll help you out.

(Note: I am not Medium staff and I have no role in organizing the event, so if you have questions, please check out this blog post for more information.)

Medium Day is an all-day online event held on Zoom, allowing anyone in the world to join. It’s scheduled from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern Time on September 18, 2026.

Applicants are invited to host sessions within Zoom webinars, where they can give a talk and engage with the audience in Q&As. Speaking slots for the Craft and Perspectives tracks are 30 minutes, and 60 minutes for the Community track.

Medium Day 2026 Speaker application questions

1. Name
2. Email address associated with your Medium account
3. Medium profile URL
4. In one sentence, what is your expertise and what do you write about? Example: “I’m a former ER nurse writing about what the healthcare system gets wrong about patient communication.”
5. Have you spoken publicly before — at a previous Medium Day, an event (in person or virtual), on a podcast, in a workshop, or in a classroom? If yes, please share a link or brief description. First-time speakers are welcome — this helps us understand your comfort level so we can support you well.
6. What track are your applying for? a. Craft — For writers who want to teach writing. The Craft track is for sessions about the practice of writing itself — process, voice, structure, editing, habit, getting unstuck, and getting your work into the world. The best Craft sessions don’t just share what a writer has produced. They open up how they work in a way that others can learn from and apply immediately. Your session should include prepared talking points or slides. b. Perspectives — For experts who want to share what they know. The Perspectives track is for sessions grounded in substantive firsthand expertise on a topic Medium readers are eager to learn more about — science, health, technology, culture, society, finance, and beyond. The best Perspectives sessions teach attendees something they didn’t know before, from someone who has lived it, studied it, or built something related to it. Your session should include prepared talking points or slides. c. Community — For editors and writers who want to bring people together. The Community track is for hosted conversations and community experiences — not presentations, but facilitated spaces where attendees connect around a shared interest or subject related to writing. Meetups are 60-minute group conversations on specific topics, hosted by 2–3 editors or writers who know how to hold a room.

Craft

1. Craft Track — Session title: “How I Grew My Medium Audience” is too broad. “The One Structural Change That Doubled My Read Ratio” is more like it.
2. Describe your session in 2–3 sentences: What will you cover and how? What’s your argument or central lesson?
3. Is this session based on a story you’ve published on Medium?: If yes, please share the link to the story. If not, please skip.
4. Complete this sentence. “After my sessions, attendees will…”: Be specific. “Feel inspired” is vague. “Know how to structure a personal essay so it earns the ending” is more concrete.
5. What makes your angle on this topic specific to you?: What do you know or have you experienced that most people haven’t? What makes you a great fit to lead this session?
6. What is your proposed session format?: a. Solo presentation with slides and Q&A (30 minutes) b. Panel or conversation with other speakers (30 minutes)

Perspectives

1. Perspectives Track: what subject area does your session fall under?: • Health & Medicine • Science & Nature • Technology & AI • Software & Engineering • Business & Work • Finance & Economics • Culture & Arts • Media & Journalism • Society & Politics • Identity & Social Justice • Self-Improvement & Psychology • Education • Environment & Climate • Food & Lifestyle • Sports • World Affairs • Other (required: describe your subject area in two to three words)
2. Session title: “How I Grew My Medium Audience” is too broad. “The One Structural Change That Doubled My Read Ratio” is more like it.
3. Describe your session in 2–3 sentences: What will you cover and how? What’s your argument or central lesson?
4. Is this session based on a story you’ve published on Medium?: If yes, please share the link to the story. If not, please skip.
5. Complete this sentence. “After my sessions, attendees will…”: Be specific. “Feel inspired” is vague. “Know how to structure a personal essay so it earns the ending” is more concrete.
6. What makes your angle on this topic specific to you?: What do you know or have you experienced that most people haven’t? What makes you a great fit to lead this session?
7. What is your proposed session format?: a. Solo presentation with slides and Q&A (30 minutes) b. Panel or conversation with other speakers (30 minutes)

Community

1. What format are you proposing? Other community formats can include networking activity, writing game, collaborative exercise, etc. All community track formats must be 60 minutes. a. Meetup (60-minute facilitated group conversation) b. Other community format (networking activity, writing game, collaborative exercise — describe below)
2. What topic or theme will your Meetup center on? • Poetry • Fiction • Memoir & Personal Essays • Humor Writing • Sports Writing • Identity, Culture & Belonging • Society & Justice • AI, Tech & Science Writing • Personal Growth & Self-Improvement • Health & Wellness Writing • Business & Career Writing • Other (required: describe your topic in two to three words)
3. Describe your community meetup in 2–3 sentences.: What will you cover? What does a successful 60 minutes look like to you?
4. Who is this for?: Describe the attendee who will get the most out of this. What brings them to this conversation?
5. What specific experience do you have facilitating group conversations?: List 1–2 examples — what was the context, how many people were involved, and what was your role? If you haven’t facilitated a formal group before, tell us about the closest equivalent experience you have.

All applications

1. What times are you available to speak on Friday, September 18, 2026?
2. By submitting this application, you confirm that you are 18 years of age or older, and that if selected, you agree to: • Follow the Medium Rules. • Attend a mandatory online training session prior to Medium Day. • Show up fully prepared with access to Zoom and strong internet connection on the day of the event. • Have your session recorded and shared after the event. • Promote your session with your network and audience.
3. Anything else you want us to know?