That better communication between the customers and writers will help us all, including the admin.Q&A section seems a valid option.Sometimes I feel I am not selling articles because I dont know exactly what the customer wants.
While technical problems will be a hurdle, I dont think we can ever improve if we are discouraged by them.I have been on this site for a few months, and have seen it really improve!
And i'd like to thank Chris and his team for the excellent work they are doing!
There have been a lot of views on the topic but not that many responses. Does anyone else have an opinion on this? Do you think it's a good idea to create a q&a for authors? Sometimes I do come up with crazy ideas and I'm wondering if more people think this is plausible or too far out there.
Ok, I understand the need for communication between customers and writers and I also understand that evolving is obviously a good thing but you're stepping closer and closer towards becoming a freelance work exchange type site with this.
Eventually it's going to result in $4 articles for work that is written, rewritten and altered to an extent that means you'll have written four articles to sell one.
I know you want to give the customer what they want but if you take it too far the old saying will more than likely come true - give them an inch and they'll take a mile.
I don't believe that writers should need to contact customers except in the question field that exists in every request. If writers have a question, they should ask them there. Allowing writers and buyers to correspond freely is not a good idea. There is no where else where you can ask an editor questions. You write the article on spec, or are assigned a topic. If you are assigned a topic, you write for it and sometimes you have no idea exactly what the person wants. Writing articles for requests without knowing exactly what the editor or requester wants is part of being a writer. I am dead set against this suggestion. My two cents worth.
Thanks to all who responded, its nice to see the sides that may not always be visible to one person. I am not sure everyone understands the idea though. Regardless I do feel that there should be some way for buyers to contact writers about an article they have written. Maybe technology isn't advanced enough for this to not become a freelance site. Anyone with a technical understanding may be able to shed some light on the idea and how it might be able to be worked in. Thanks again to everyone, it helped me see all the aspects.
Technically anything is possible, but there is much more to consider then if its possible or not. Like who would monitor all these questions, how would we make sure writers don't take the business off CC, etc.
why couldn't there just be a link available to be added by the authors or not, their choice to allow purchasers or potential purchasers to email/contact author about this content and when they would click on the link, below the article or below the partial article, the pot. purch. would then be taken to that authors email page with a comments section. They fill in their comments and submit. Then the next time an author would come online they could check their messages to see if there is a pot. purch. who would like to see more or their work, something a bit different, but like their writing style. Also the authors could have the options of being notified when they recieve mail. I believe it would be redundant to have a 'counter' on a person's articles since it would be hard to distinguish (as some others have said) between you as a registered writer/author checking on your own writing, the moderators checking on it or only pot. purch. checking it out. You could be lulling yourself into a sense of false security or insecurity if you notice you have a lot of people checking out your writing or no one checking it out, only to find out it is only you checking a hundred times, etc....a emailing system I believe would be much better, just to get a better sense of what is being looked for. Just another suggestion.
I think that is a great suggestion beaches. I understand all the difficulties involved (well as much as possible for a person with little technical understanding), but still think someone out there with a brilliant idea with think of some how to get around them. I know some sites have it strictly posted that offers to purchase outside of the site are not tolerated, maybe that would help keep the business on CC. I think most of the writers here like doing business with CC and would not become unloyal because of the plethora of options that only this site offers. Also, this site is the ONLY site many of us have come by that offers real potential to do what you love and make money without a contract. I feel CC is the best for flexibility, I can write when I want and choose what to write about while still keeping the largest available market open. I wouldnt be surprised if most writers here feel this way. I don't see people leaving CC because of a solicitated offer through a message system, if they wanted a contract I think they would be looking for one. I love CC and I would never sell outside of the site because it is CC who brought the business to my door and keeps the bell ever ringing.
I totally agree that you and I, like most of those on CC, if solicited through an email system, would say no or at least send a copy of the email to the admin to allow them to see what is being done/asked by customers. The idea of putting a 'warning' label up saying you may not solicit off of our site plus giving them only once chance or no chances if given proof they were trying to do so against the rules, would be a great way of helping to deter those customers who would try to wiggle around the guidelines. I personally would not accept a 'solicitation' off of cc like that. I though, have seen customers interacting with other authors in a manner that I felt was not quite so kosher, i.e. 'telling them they may need to contact them to do something more permanent for their company'. Is that something that is supposed to go on or is that what I thought it was .... a bit 'wrong'? Just curious.
I'm not sure if it's wrong or right but I also think that if a problem with the message system could be offers to work outside of CC that this would not be tolerated. Im sure you will receive a response from Admin. about it's acceptance here at CC.
