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Hi there - I'm new and hope I'm here to stay! I have submitted two articles so far; both have been rejected (for reasons with which I have to agree!). I have amended them both and re-submitted them; one has now been accepted and the other is under review.

I have a couple of questions; firstly, I have read that, if three articles are declined, we can submit no more - is that three rejections on one article or three different articles?

My other question is to do with the difference between US and UK spellings. I'm thinking specifically of words like 'colour' and 'favourite' where the 'u' is omitted in US English, and words like 'jewelry' and 'jewellery'. In one of my articles, I used the word 'physician' to keep to the US version, whereas here in the UK, we would say 'doctor'. I'd be really grateful for some advice, such as whether or not I should add a note to the short summary explaining why my spellings are non-US. I hope this makes sense!

Many thanks in anticipation.

Three times in a row of a single article. I've had one that was rejected two times in a row for little things which were easy to spot. I waited a few weeks, and then edited the piece again before resubmitting.

I'm not so sure about the UK vs. US spellings though. After reading many novels written by UK authors, and helping a British friend edit his work for the American market, the spellings don't phase me anymore. My advice is, "Know your audience."

By that I mean to tailor your articles for your audiences. Many will tell you to go ahead and switch to the US spelling when dealing with online writing. If that's what you want to do, then fine. I would say that you're almost bilingual if you can switch back and forth at will. I have submitted articles to UK magazines in the past. I couldn't say for sure, but I'm sure my "Americanese" had some bearing in the selection process. (Americanese is the term I learned from a group of British professors who were visiting my college years back. Apparently, our version of English here in the US is considered to be a bastardization of the language.)

Sorry for rambling on there. Anyway, colour your writing for the desired audience. At least with the random articles you submit. If you're writing an article for a public request, look at the "language" they type the request in. In a lot of cases you won't be able to tell the difference because the request is so short. In those cases, use your own judgment.

Another alternative is to get a small browser add-on called ieSpell (for Internet Explorer based web browsers). While it's not completely fool-proof, it does have its uses. It will find words like colour and favourite and ask you if you'd like to change it.

Hi and thanks very much for your informative reply. It's comforting to know that the 'three-rejections' rule applies to the same article and not to different ones!

I will try and become 'bi-lingual' between the two different forms of English; a lot of what I read on the internet is in 'Americanese' (what a great word!), so hopefully I won't find it too taxing.


Thanks for the advice and well done on being successful in writing for the UK market.

The newest version of ieSpell has a menu which allows you to choose US, UK, or Canadian English as the default. It'll check your spelling based on the one you choose. (And it works with the latest version if Internet Explorer.)

Yes, it may seem lazy to some. To me, it is another tool like any other. As long as I don't depend entirely on it, then it doesn't become a crutch.

"Three times in a row of a single article." Sorry, Barry - this isn't accurate, especially any more. It has become increasingly important that authors follow the guidelines and proofread their work. While each case is different, if an author shows no signs of improvement, an account can be suspended after three rejections. In addition, any instance of plagiarism is immediate grounds for suspension.

Misstamla, I assure you that we don't discriminate against UK vs US spelling. Barry is right that you might try to write for your audience. However, do be wary of colloquial phrases that may not be universally understood.

In your case, I think you just need to get used to our sytem and let yourself relax a bit. I found your second submission to be a bit more readable than the first, maybe because you are getting into the groove. Also, your seem to be able to follow comma rules admirably, so keep at it.

Ed

Thanks again to Barry for the replies to my questions.

Thanks to Ed for the advice and also for the encouraging words. I do hope I am 'getting into the groove'!

Misstamla

[quote="Ed"]"Three times in a row of a single article." Sorry, Barry - this isn't accurate, especially any more.[/quote]

Learn something new every day. That's the way everyone made it sound, and I wasn't aware it had changed. Still, I'm wary of being too quick to resubmit anything after my last instance of obvious mistakes. (I shouldn't try to write or edit before my usual morning to pots of coffee.)

It hasn't really changed. It is just being inacted more readily. It has always been that "failure to improve," inability to proofread your own work, or not having a grasp of basic writing rules ultimately leads to account suspension. Writers must be able to find their own errors and must meet certain writing standards.

Re US and UK spelling. My natural spelling is UK but I aways try to use US spelling here, unless the article is aimed specifically at the UK market, or for a requester who asked for it. I've found a good way to double check is to post the whole article in the long summary slot on the submissions page, and then check for red underscores where some UK spelling has slipped in, before removing the bits I don't want to showcase.

Hi Jak

That's a really useful suggestion. Many thanks.

Ok, I got my first rejection, for my third article. Eep.

Couple of questions...

The rejection info saod the problem was with the way I grouped into paragraphs. I'll think it over more closely, but I'd say that is a matter of writing style. i.e. Whether to sometimes break out sentences into paragraphs of their own for emphasis, rather than bundle them all together in one, because the points are related.

Anyway my first question is: Is it worth raising such points for reconsideration (i.e. "I think it was legitimate to do it that way, and here are my reasons")? Or would you not bother and just go along and do it the way you've been asked.


Second question: How absolute is this three rejections rule? Because if I'm going to get rejections for things like grouping thoughts differently than someone else would, I'm going to run up three rejections in no time at all.

Usually the rejections are non-negotiable so either revise according to the editor's recommendations or find a different home for that particular piece. Put the article aside for a day or two if you're too close to look at it objectively when considering the changes. Who knows, it could be a simple matter of rearranging a sentence or splitting a paragraph into two separate ones. In general, the CC site tends to prefer "Internet style" with short paragraphs, bullet points, and sub-headings. Long paragraphs and academic writing are rare here.

I believe the rule is really a guideline and is used at the discretion of the powers that be. For example, I doubt they'd kick someone off because of three minor punctuation mistakes or typos when their body of work is usually clean and well written. However, if that same writer consistently makes the same mistakes and doesn't make an effort to correct and avoid them, then who knows? Likewise, if a submission demonstrates a complete lack of basic English skills, I imagine one or two submissions would be enough for the editors to say, "Thanks but no thanks."

In short, it's about making your writing read smoothly and in an organized manner, not about doing it the way someone else would.

Proper paragraph structure should be observed. As I said, single sentence paragraphs are rarely successful. When the supporting sentence relates back to the topic sentence of the paragraph, it should be included with that paragraph. In short, paragraphs should make a statement, include supporting statements, and end with a statement that concludes that thought and possibly leads into the next group of related ideas. Otherwise, your article will sound choppy and as though you weren't sure how to organize it - ideas will just appear one after the other without relating to each other.

Ed

Good thought about leaving it for a while and coming back to it, I'll do that.

Maybe it's the difference between what I find appealing and readable and what others do. What appeals to me looks "choppy" to Ed, but Ed's version looks "lumpy" to me. But maybe Ed has a better feel for what most people like, esp clients here.

Probably we have different ideas about what constitutes a single thought as well.

It's definitely a plus to have other people reviewing your work though. I like that aspect of CC.

But still unnerved by this three-strikes-and-you're-toast thing, and I can certainly see me falling foul of it before I figure out what does and doesn't go here.

No one should be writing single sentence paragraphs unless they're a writing a thriller or writing a basic, factual piece for a local newspaper.

When you begin a paragraph with "There are three reasons why . . ." then all three reasons should make up that paragraph, especially if little description accompanies each reason.

I can direct you to any number of resources about proper paragraph structure if you need help. However, if you choose not observe writing standards, your writing will be rejected. I have rejected articles on this basis numerous times before and will continue to do so because it simply doesn't make for good reading, and it is not an element of good writing. Authors do face suspension for repeated rejections/failure to improve.

Ed