Constant Content

I was just contacted by a client who wants one of my articles but needs it to be longer, and offered more money for an expanded version. However, I don't know what to do next. Do I have to totally rewrite the article, submit it, and wait a week for it to be approved by an editor? Will the new version not be approved since some of it will be duplicate content? Any advice on what to do in this situation is much appreciated, thank you!

Here's what I would do:

1. Ask the client to put in a "private request" if he/she hasn't already done so. This opens a ticket specifically for this article, eliminating a ton of confusion for everyone.

2. Rewrite the article as needed, leaving whatever portions are appropriate from the original article.

3. Submit the new article under the specific private request, using a different title and making a note in the short summary that it's similar to another (include the title) but the client requested changes.

4. Once the client has bought the new article, remove the original article from the C-C system to eliminate duplicate content concerns.

Private requests are reviewed quickly, so it shouldn't take a week like you might experience for on-spec articles. Send the client a quick note when you submit, letting him/her know it's with the editors. It will be automatically submitted to ONLY that customer once it's approved.

One more tip: think creatively about other things you can do for this client. Send a message with proposed titles on the same topic, or different angles you could use to write additional articles. If you do this proactive step, you might find yourself with some nice "ching" at the end of the month.

Good luck!