Need Help Understanding Rejections

[RobertCade]

Hi, I just joined and in reading over the introductory material I read somewhere that you only get 3 rejections and then you can no longer submit content. In seeing that publishers want to choose only the best content, wouldn't rejections be extremely common? It seems like it wouldn't be possible for anyone to have a very long career on here. I looked through the FAQ but it only answers questions for publishers.

I see a request posted that I would like to submit content for, but I don't understand the approval/rejection process. What if the publisher doesn't like the exact topic I wrote? That is strike one? There isn't a whole lot of description on the requirements for most of these.

Also, what if someone requests a big 2,000 word article and someone submits it before I do? Out of luck?

Thanks.

[Ed]

All articles are reviewed by an editor before they are accepted. Therefore, rejections come as a result of errors in the article, not as a result of the customer declining to purchase the article.

The FAQ for writers is here:
http://www.constant-content.com/about/writer-faq.htm

Thanks,
Ed

[Debbi]

I see Ed from the CC editorial staff replied already, but I'll toss my two cents in here too.

The three rejections rule means three rejections from the CC editors, not the buyers/requesters. These rejections are usually for formatting problems, poor grammar, spelling, punctuation, problems with clairty, etc. Until your submitted article is approved by the editorial staff, the requester never sees it. Most new writers here submit one article to "test the waters" and if approved, begin to submit more.

If you submit a 2,000 word article and the buyer chooses someone else's article, then yours goes into the general article pool for other buyers to see. Many authors write for one requester, are not chosen, but later sell to a completely different buyer. 2,000 word articles are risky, since articles between 400 and 800 words seem to sell more often.

Be sure to read all the writer's guidelines and FAQ, as well as all the forum postings you can to know how to format your submissions. For example, all articles have to be in .doc, .rtf, or .txt file format and in Times New Roman 12 or Arial 12 font, with single-spacing and a double space between paragraphs. If you do get a rejection, pay close attention to any remarks the editor may have made and revise accordingly.

Hope that helps! And welcome

Debbi

[RobertCade]

Thank you for such a timely and thorough response! That definitely clears things up.

[Lysis]

I think the banhammer comes down on people who have a major flaw in their grammar that makes the article nonsensical. Or, someone who makes the same mistake over and over. I'll even use me as an example. I wasn't really proofing well. I've been warned once to clean it up or the banhammer was coming, so I made some changes in how I proofed. I should say that I backed off of CC for a month to get my frustrations out of my system. Sometimes, I still make mistakes, but overall I'm doing much better with my acceptances. I still get rejected sometimes, but I understand that it's going to happen.

So, n00b to n00b here are my suggestions:
1. Write what you want and what really inspires you and stuff that interests you. This eliminates that forced word count and you aren't just filling space that looks dull to the editor.
2. Walk away from the article for at least a day. Proof it after it's out of your head. First, this will help you find errors. Secondly, I find I can add about 100 words to an article in the proofing process. I charge $.10/word, so this is good for me.
3. If you get a rejection, try not to feel too bad. I hate rejections and that big, bold YOU ARE REJECTED stings. Don't go back to the article right away. Your frustration level is high and you're more likely to make even more mistakes. Let it sit and write another article. Go back and read what you wrote. Sometimes, after a second glance, I don't like the article anyway so I don't even resubmit. That's up to you, though.
4. Be picky about what public requests you write on. I write for public requests that are somewhat close to my per word charge (which is rare), and on subjects I feel will sell to someone else. I also don't write on just any public request topic, because I don't feel I can write and proof within a day. It makes me nervous to proof on the same day. I'm really bad at catching stupid mistakes.

Anyway, don't stress the rejection. I know some people have said they are cryptic. If you get a simple "you need to proof" then the editor probably found a really dumb mistake that you just need to catch. We all make them, so don't worry. You'll find the mistake when you go back and read with a clear head.

Also, I'm no literary genius, so I keep my articles very, very simple. I've seen some people complain about commas and semicolon errors and can't find them and get angry because they think they are right about the sentence. I don't do any grammar trick unless I know I'm doing it right. I don't use any semicolons in other words. LOL If I'm not sure a sentence is done right, I rewrite it. I stick to what I know, and it's helped me.

I hope this helps a bit!

[RobertCade]

Thanks Lysis! It always feels good to have a little noob support. It sounds like they are pretty fair about the rejection process so I will lay the stress aside for the time being. I appreciate all of your tips.

[KirkhamsEbooks]

Besides having the date on a photo, what else would cause a photo to be rejected?

Rick

[Constant]

Photos are judged on their aesthetic quality, thus we don't go into much detail about rejections. We accept quality photographs that have interesting subject matter, use contrast and exposure in interesting ways and are generally attractive compositions. We do not accept photographs that are from vacations, family or are poorly conceived.