Claiming public pool requests

[BWebb]

I think I must be missing the plot as I cannot work out how to claim a public pool request, of which there are many in my inbox and on my projects page waiting to be taken. If there's no way to claim them I guess it must be a free for all. However, the drop down menu on the submit page shows no sign of the titles. There is bound to be something very simple that I'm not doing right... Any ideas will be appreciated!

[EFowler]

When you submit an article there's a drop down that asks 'Is this for a request?'. If you select public request another drop down appears with all the current public requests to select from. Hope that helps!

[BWebb]

Many thanks for trying to help, much appreciated. Unfortunately there are no titles under the drop down menu for me to use when I click on it as you describe... I've used the system before, and it was exactly as you said. This time there is nothing.

[Isabelnewth]

I have received a lot of emails recently about what are described in the emails as public requests but are actually claimable writers pool requests...they have appeared in my inbox a very long time before they appear in 'requested content', where they come up after a long time lag as writers pool projects....so maybe that is what's happening? They generally get snapped up very quickly when they actually appear as requests so I often don't get to see them as requests, just as emails, specially given time zones.

I emailed support about it because I was confused as to whether they could be claimed as they were described as public, and I was told they could be, but I have missed nearly all of them!

[BWebb]

Yes, it sounds similar. The emails I get tell me that they are new public writer pool requests if I remember correctly. Anyway, they never show up in the drop down menu on the submit page, so I have no way of writing to them. They appear on my projects page and I am instructed to 'tag' them under new writer pool requests when submitting, although this cannot be done as far as I can work out.

[Isabelnewth]

That's odd. If they are like the ones I get they would appear on the writers pool tab under 'requested content' and they would be claimable. Once you claim them they appear in the drop down if you check 'writer pool request' when submitting.

If they are really public pool requests, then they would appear under the public requests tab in requested content, and you wouldn't be able to claim them but could submit to them. But it doesn't sound as though these ones are public pool requests: those come listed in one email rather than a load of emails! it sounds as though somehow you haven;t actually claimed them: maybe because they got snapped up so quickly?

[BWebb]

I think you might be right. That's the only explanation that fits. They've been snapped up. I'm in the UK. Perhaps the time difference really is making me miss out, although it wasn't a problem before as I was able to claim them in the past. Thanks for the reply, it's good to have other people's opinion on this so I can try and work it out.

[Isabelnewth]

Good morning. I too am in the UK. Yes, it is confusing: I was confused enough to email Support. The time lag between the emails and the requests appearing, the difference in time zones, and the fact these requests are described as public pool when they are not is all most confusing. If they are the ones I'm thinking of, and you've not managed to claim any, at least you can up the price a bit for your catalogue, because it is a little on the low side on the requests themselves!

[bhuff85]

I also contacted support about this. Before, the buyer used to send out a mass email informing everyone that a certain amount of articles would be available. After that, you would see the articles pop up in the pool, ready to claim.

Now, several "Public Pool Requests" go out, but when I go to claim them, nothing is there. I'll even check periodically after receiving the messages and there is still nothing available. Been like that for a few weeks now, but support mentioned that the articles just get snapped up quick. Guess it's just the luck of the draw...

[evaku]

but support mentioned that the articles just get snapped up quick.

It's true. I have seen the tail-end of one of these large orders and didn't realize they were going SO quickly (as the past few previous times many of these orders even had a difficult time being completely filled), and I spent too much time deliberating before claiming anything and when I finally tried to claim one they were all gone. The thing that confused me in that instance is that emails kept coming in staggered for the next hour or so, but the truth was (as I found out later), that all of the requests were posted at once, and I guess my e-mail couldn't handle it or something because it simply couldn't receive that many at once. So every time another 10 or so arrived in my inbox I refreshed CC constantly, but they were all long gone as part of the first batch I saw. Maybe more writers were added to the project or something? Who knows. But I do believe they were snapped up quickly.

[Isabelnewth]

I caught just a couple of a recent batch, but only because CC got someone who had gobbled up 50 at once to disgorge some of them, providing another brief window! I imagine they are trying to work something out, as that does suggest sub-contracting to me.

[Lysis]

You mean the public writing pools? Sorry, it's a lazy Sunday afternoon for me, so I might be misunderstanding.

I've done a few public writing pool requests. I've never had an issue with it not showing up in the list of options when I submit an article. You have to claim the request to write it though. I assume that's what you're doing wrong.

And yes, they go quickly. I've only seen some linger, and it's basically been articles that would take too much time and are very very technical even though the price setting was set at $100-$150. There was one that was extremely technical even for me, and I debated back and forth with myself if I wanted to take it. Decided not to as did other writers it seemed since it sat there for a long time. lol