Private request vs Category

[PeggyTee]

Hi

I am a little confused about whether or not I should be picking categories if I am submitting a Private Request e.g. I just submitted the Gemini Man. This is a private request, and I selected this option when I submitted the article. However I also chose a few subcategories to place the article in. After submission, when I check My Content, this has gone into the general articles category and hasn't been flagged as a Private Request.

Does this mean the article gets less priority when it comes to reviewing? If submitting to Private Requests from here on in, should I leave the general category choice empty, and just pick the Private Request I am responding to instead?

Any help much appreciated! Thank you.

Regards,
Peggy

[Celeste Stewart]

If the client opened an actual private request, you'd have an option to link the article to that request when you submit it (just like when you have a public request that you are responding too). If you do have an official private request that shows up in the list, then just link it and don't worry about the categories.

However, a lot of private requests are the result of ongoing correspondence between the requester and writer - especially now that the requests expire. For example, I have a client who had sent me a private request a couple months ago. I filled the request. The request expired. The other day, he used an old message from the messaging system inbox to request more articles. Therefore, there's no actual request to link the submission to.

No worries. The old system (choosing the Private Request category) still works and still appears to catch Ed's eye. Just place your articles in that category and the article won't appear to the general public, though it will be viewable via your profile page. Once approved, you'll need to copy and paste the link to the customer in the message thread.

[PeggyTee]

Thanks Celeste, that was helpful. I just got confused and linked the article to both the Private Request and the general article categories that we use when its just a normal article. When it gets approved (its sitting in a general category at the mo) I will link the article to the client via the messaging system.

Peggy.

[Ed]

When you use the request system, the customer gets sent the article regardless of whether or not it has been designated as for a Private Request or Public Request.

If the author is new, there will have to be a Private Request sent by the customer in order for the author to be able to place their article in the Private Requests category.

Thanks,
Ed

[canywriter]

Same question as Peggy. First private request (:-))- I did the same thing - selected private request and then selected review - and it shows up under the review category only. It got approved lightning fast, but there is now another problem - the original client had not yet seen it at last count and someone else picked it up.

What is the correct thing to do? Select only private request and leave the others ? Writing type and category? There are also a couple of others out for general view, and it's a bit embarrassing.

Thanks
CW

[Celeste Stewart]

Go into Edit and change the category to Private Request. That should hide it from general view.

[canywriter]

Wow! As simple as that? Thanks, Celeste, that is truly a saver.

CW

[canywriter]

One more question - for further submission I select private request and leave category and writing style blank? Does that work?

Thanks
CW

[Celeste Stewart]

Here's what you do:
Click the check mark button that asks if this is for a request. Pick the private request (such as "5 articles on ___") from the list. The private requests are listed above the general public ones so you'll need to scroll up to find your private request.

In the category field, choose Private Request. I leave the Writing Style at the default "Article" setting. From there, proceed as you normally would.

[canywriter]

Thanks for the prompt reply, Celeste. I hadn't noticed the private request option in the category field till you mentioned it. Thanks, that's clear now. And I've changed the others now, so that's fine.

Best
CW

[Constant]

These are all good suggestions! But the purpose of the system is to make sure that you submit your articles (if they are private or public requests) to the correct request! This means selecting 'is this for a request,' then select the proper request and submit it to the proper categories that would apply even if the article was not for a request. the private request category is really only for those writers and buyers that were used to the old system and eventually that category is going to be phased out.

David

[canywriter]

Now this is confusing. David, that is what I had done earlier - selected is this for a request, selected the request, then selected the relevant category. It never showed up as private request in my content, and got released in three days under the general category - and got sold before the requester saw it. Is that what is supposed to happen? But I have seen other articles where the category says private request? So how's it meant to be?

[Celeste Stewart]

That's why I always mark Private Request as the category because it provides an extra layer of privacy. Sometimes private requesters take more than three days to buy the article and I hate when the article sells before the customer gets it. It means that I have more work to do and a short time to do it. And, some other person benefits from the customer's research on keywords etc... It has happened to me many times and the Private Request category has largely solved that issue. The newer "Is this for a request" option is good and I like it but it does still have that hole so I continue to use the PR category.

Also, expiring requests are a problem for "open" requests. The request often expires before the articles are complete yet the customer still needs the content and is expecting it. If the customer doesn't do his part by extending the request, then the request disappears and the Private Request category is the only option. When the PR category goes away and a request expires but yet is still needed, I will have to either ask the customer to go in and renew it or submit it to the general public and risk it being sold to someone else. I prefer not to ask customers to do something on their end as I want their experience to be as painless as possible. Yes, it's more work for me to find the link to my article and write a note to the customer saying "here's the link" but it's not a big deal and the customer doesn't have to do anything other than buy it.

In fact, I just got burned by not using Private Request this weekend. A customer with a public request asked me to specifically write an article for that request. Since it was public but yet sort of private I questioned myself - should I mark it private or not? I decided since it was public to submit it to the public request and mark the category "Web development." Sure enough, three days passed and the customer hadn't purchased it yet. Saturday, the article sold - to the wrong customer. The customer told me he wanted it but since it was the weekend he thought there was no rush and could I please write a new article. It is now an official private request and the category is marked Private Request just to be on the safe side.

[Ed]

In fact, I just got burned by not using Private Request this weekend. A customer with a public request asked me to specifically write an article for that request. Since it was public but yet sort of private I questioned myself - should I mark it private or not?

If the request is Public, an article written for that request should not be placed in the Private Requests category. Articles are rejected all the time for this problem. As was indicated to another author, an author's inquiry to a customer, or communication between author and customer, does not make a request for a particular article Private. Only articles written for requests that are designated as Private may be placed in the Private Requests category. This policy prevents certain types of abuse.

Thanks for understanding.
Ed

[canywriter]

Thanks for sharing this, Celeste. What you say makes a lot of sense. I understand what you mean, Ed, about the public request, but if it is a private request, then what Celeste says still makes sense.

Thanks
CW