Confused About a Rejection

[Sola]

Hi all! I submitted an article entitles "Advantages of Punishment in the Classroom" and it got rejected. The comment was:

"This is not the type of content we are looking for."

I'm confused; I didn't know that there WAS a specific type of content that CC looks for. I thought that it was pretty open. Are there specific niches that shouldn't be touched, or are general informational articles not allowed? Where did I go wrong with this title? I was under the impression that any article could be sold on CC.

[JStone]

Hi Sola,

It's hard to offer any advice without knowing more about the article, but I noticed in another thread that you said you had been writing for Demand Studios. I'm just thinking that Demand Studios articles are written in a very specific way, and to their own editorial standards, and that maybe they're not suitable for CC. But that's just a guess...I really don't know. I would suggest contacting support to see if they will offer some more detailed information.

Jasmine

[Celeste Stewart]

While writers can pick any topic they want to write about, that doesn't mean that CC necessarily wants it. In general, controversial topics and opinion pieces won't find a home here. From the title, "Advantages of Punishment in the Classroom," I'm guessing the article might have been considered too controversial. Without reading the article, I could be wrong, but if the article advocates something like spanking kids, it's not going to be accepted here. General information articles are fine, but the topic shouldn't venture into murky political, social, or moral waters. For example, while abortion is perfectly legal in the U.S., I doubt CC would accept an article on "How to Choose an Abortion Doctor." The article may be completely objective and even well written, but the topic touchy. Plus, it's not terribly marketable to the CC audience. Who would buy it?

[Sola]

Ahhh thank you both for your help. Ends up all 3 of my first articles got rejected.

Maybe you're right Jasmine. I wrote all three articles in accordance with Demand Media Studios guidelines, as I thought their style guides were pretty fair, but perhaps that's not right for CC. I reviewed the extended article guidelines though, and I can't find anything wrong with the three articles. Maybe it's just a style issue. I've sent an email to the help desk, hoping that there's some advice they can give me. Perhaps the writing was just too general or not concise enough. Am I going to be suspended right away?

[jak]

If you were suspended, your last rejection would have told you that. Sounds as if your English and grammar are acceptable so you can try again. Good luck.

[JStone]

As jak said, I think if you were going to be suspended they would've already done it. Try submitting a different kind of article and see what happens. Good luck!