Short Summaries Requirements

[Ed]

Writers,

There has been an increasing problem with authors not giving short summaries the attention they require. Short summaries are the first thing your buyer sees after the title, which means this is their first impression of your writing if they haven't purchased from you before. It is also the first thing the editor sees, which means it is considered upon review. It helps Constant Content determine the legitimacy of the submission. If short summaries contain errors, are a repeat of the title, do not observe all writing rules and standards, or do not provide more information than the title provides or more information than keyword inclusions, the submission will be rejected.

Short summaries must:
Follow all writing standards, including punctuation and grammar.
Provide the potential customer with information that will help them decide if they want to click on to read the content excerpt.
Be free of errors.

Short summaries may not:
Be copied and pasted from the title, the introductory paragraph, or the body of the article.
May not be one line that does not describe the article beyond its title or keyword inclusions.
May not be free of end punctuation or proper punctuation in general.

Good Examples:
Title:
Choosing Blinds for Your Home
Short Summary:
Blinds provide your home with privacy, but they can also add style to your home's interior decor. This article discusses types of blinds available, what blinds the homeowner should consider for different rooms of the house, and tips for getting blinds installed. (Additional information about the article can be added depending upon the article and author's preferences - think about the customer and his or her needs.)

TBC . . .

[Ed]

Bad Examples:
Title:
Choosing Blinds for Your Home
Short Summary:
This article will help you choose blinds for your home

Short summary:
Search-engine optimized for "choosing blinds" 500 words

Constant Content Submission Guidelines state: The short summary must be a description of the entire article. It should be at least 30 words. It may not be copied and pasted from the body of the article.

Please give your short summaries the same care that you give your articles. Think about what would make you want to consider the article further if you were a customer. Remember that this is the first impression buyers get of your writing, so your short summaries should exemplify your attention to detail.

Thanks,
Ed

[Ed]

Additional notes:

When submitting to a public request, the short summary must still adhere to the guidelines outlined above. Customers for public requests have the luxury of picking through the articles submitted to them, and if the article is not purchased by the requester it will then become available for general purchase by any buyer. This means the short summary must be appropriate for any customer who comes across your article. If the original requester has specified deviations from the guidelines, these must be included in the short summary so that another customer can decide if the article is right for his or her needs.

Thanks,
Ed

[Ed]

Hi Writers,

For the most recent requests that are short and require deviation from the guidelines (suggestion and poll of the week), a good example of a short summary is given below.

*This submission includes 4 "Suggestion of the Week" ideas relating to love and relationships. Not written in typical article format, as per customer request.

Other customers are going to come across these submissions when they search for content if the original buyer fails to purchase some of these submissions. Think about what type of information you can give customers in order to indicate that these are not the types of articles that they are used to finding on Constant Content. With only a portion of the submission showing in the content details, the customer doesn't necessarily know that the submission doesn't contain an intro, body, and conclusion.

If you place your entire submission into the content details, it is a good idea to let the customer know in this particular case.

Thanks!
Ed