Why not let customers decide about clarity issues?

thegreatgordino · Post by **thegreatgordino** » Thu Oct 04, 2007 4:32 pm

I have had all of my first 14 articles rejected, despite never having had anything rejected before in 4 and a half years of writing online.
I have over 100 accepted at ezinearticles.

The main reasons seem to be 'clarity issues', and run on sentences.

Since the customer can see a 3rd of the article before they buy, surely they can be left to make that subjective call with their wallets, so we don't have to keep resubmitting?

Especially since the articles arent even made available for resubmission, we just have to start again!

Gordon

Celeste Stewart · Post by **Celeste Stewart** » Thu Oct 04, 2007 5:02 pm

If there weren't any standards, no one would sell anything because the customers would see junk and click away. Having an editorial process helps with quality control.

When you shop at Nordstroms, you expect a certain level of quality and don't want to have to sort through racks and racks of irregular clothes. You don't want to have to inspect the seams or double check to see if all the buttons are sewn on. Same goes with buying content for your website. If you want decent content, you will appreciate the screening process. You don't want to have to read through an article and try to figure out if the grammar and punctuation are correct. You expect it.

It's frustrating to get rejected for clarity and style issues but the standards are what they are. Ed may be picky but you'll learn alot from his wisdom if you're willing.

PS We all get rejected from time to time here. No one's immune!

thegreatgordino · Post by **thegreatgordino** » Thu Oct 04, 2007 5:39 pm

Quality control is of course an issue, but to use the clothing analogy, yes in fact I would check the seams and buttons if I were a customer, I wouldn't expect the shop to check every button, or send every garment with a loose seam back to be re-sewed!

Yes a content customer expects good standards, but that is why they read the sample, to make the choice.

I don't expect to be immune from rejection, but all 14 of my first articles??
It is clear that Ed doesn't like sentences with lots of commas, but to make me have to change my style just to suit his preference is not something I've ever had anywhere else.

Ed · Post by Ed » Thu Oct 04, 2007 5:41 pm

Please review comma usage rules:

http://constant-content.com/blog/?p=24

This has nothing to do with personal preferences. This has to do with accepted rules and standards of the English language, which all writers should know how to abide by.

Ed

thegreatgordino · Post by **thegreatgordino** » Thu Oct 04, 2007 5:50 pm

It's an accepted standard to use commas instead of a new sentence.
This is even stated in your comma guidelines.

It cannot be a serious suggestion that customers will view my content as junk due to my choie of comma usage?

Celeste Stewart · Post by **Celeste Stewart** » Thu Oct 04, 2007 6:01 pm

No one's saying your work is junk. Sorry if that was implied.

I wasn't referring to your work at all as I've never seen it. Just talking in general about the need for standards versus letting the customer decide.

thegreatgordino · Post by **thegreatgordino** » Thu Oct 04, 2007 6:09 pm

Not to worry, I didn't think you were saying my work was junk!
I know oyu haven't seen it yet as all 14 have been rejected.

My work is being rejected though, because it is viewed as not being good enough, either in people being able to understand my meaning, or that I am using an unacceptable standard of English!

That was my point, I can't believe a customer would click away from my work, and maybe the site, because they thought the grammar was bad.

It's like having work marked by teacher, but with general advice of 'it has problems.'

As I suggested to Ed, I'm more than happy to post the articles, (but not all 14!), so that other people can say 'no, I can't understand what your meaning is,' or 'yes, I can clearly get your meaning.'

Gordon

Ed · Post by Ed » Thu Oct 04, 2007 6:21 pm

http://projects.uwc.utexas.edu/handouts/?q=node/27

Caution:
Don't use a comma to separate two complete sentences (comma splice).
Incorrect:That guy fell over a lot, he must have been drunk.
Correct:That guy fell over a lot; he must have been drunk.

Run-on sentences are never accepted. Arguing this point will not get your articles accepted. The authors at CC are proud of our standards and abide by them.

thegreatgordino · Post by **thegreatgordino** » Thu Oct 04, 2007 6:37 pm

OK, looking at that document via the link gives me a clue.
I was brought up to write in English, being English.
US English is vastly different!
Just in that document we can see the word 'neighbors.'

The correct English spelling of that word is in fact 'neighbours.'

So you're referring me to a document that has a clear English error in it!!
Can you see my point?

Do I need to write in American English - would that make a difference?

Gordon

NicWrites · Post by **NicWrites** » Thu Oct 04, 2007 7:01 pm

I know that ED does not reject for UK English spellings, because many many writers have asked. However, run on sentences, comma splices, or whatever you want to call them, will lead to a rejection. It is incorrect grammar. In the same sentance, it could read: That guy fell over alot, so he must be drunk. You add a conjunction and it is fine also. As an English teacher, this is not a UK/US problem, it is simply a grammar issue.

thegreatgordino · Post by **thegreatgordino** » Thu Oct 04, 2007 7:10 pm

But Nicwrites, I make the point again - I am being referred to a document to correct my grammar, which has a clear spelling mistake.

So is that saying that spelling mistakes are ok?
Yes or no?

Also, and this is my main point, does that mistake affect our understanding of the document's meaning?
No.

Does it make the document rejectable?
No.

Would it put a potential customer off?
No.

And yet it is nevertheless a grammatical lesson with a mistake in it!
You must be able to see the point - me being picky over that mistake is how I feel Ed is being over my writing.
The meaning and quality is not detracted from by an odd comma mistake.

Gordon

Celeste Stewart · Post by **Celeste Stewart** » Thu Oct 04, 2007 7:23 pm

The word "neighbor" is spelled correctly based on US English. This is a US-based website.

CC does accept both US and UK spelling and many UK writers have found success here.

abraidwood · Post by **abraidwood** » Thu Oct 04, 2007 7:32 pm

I wouldn't call the "neighbor" "neighbour" thing a mistake. Just a difference in usage; it's perfectly correct in its current context if the site is American. I've tried to stick to American spellings (despite being brought up on Canadian/UK spelling) when writing for CC, as the buyers are predominantly from the US. And after my first (rejected) article used UK slang that didn't translate terribly clearly.

But on the comma issue I'd have to agree with Nicwrites and Ed. The only grammar/punctuation change I've had to make when submitting here is remembering to use the Oxford comma.

So I do sympathise with the frustration you're feeling, but keep at it. It can take people a while to crack the style CC requires, but once you do it's well worth it.

Cheers,

Alison