A few questions...

[MPIvy]

Hi,
I have tried to find this info elsewhere but being unsuccessful landed here! Hope I am not doing anything out of line!

First, I am trying to give myself a "progress report" and wondered if there is anything like a "normal" curve of success in selling, based on number of articles posted or time since becoming a member. Simply stated is a 30% or 50% or 70% sell rate typical and does it normally increase over time? I understand it depends on quality and the number submitted to some extent.

Second, is it legit to submit more than one piece per requested topic. If a requester specifies 1 article needed, is it okay to submit more than one, as several times I have thought of different ways to approach a topic and could offer completed pieces in several forms.

Third, do requests sometimes just "vanish" after posting. Some topics disappear from the list and I have not noticed them listed under "recently sold." Just curious.

Finally, if a requester asks for slight revisions, how do I submit the revised copy? Do I re-submit the entire piece or just email the requester with changes and permission. Since this is full rights, aren't they allowed to modify slightly?

Maybe if I just sat on these questions for a few more months, I could figure them out myself, but being a very accomplished O/C personality, I just had to ask!

Thanks,
MP

[melissan]

[quote]First, I am trying to give myself a "progress report" and wondered if there is anything like a "normal" curve of success in selling, based on number of articles posted or time since becoming a member. Simply stated is a 30% or 50% or 70% sell rate typical and does it normally increase over time? I understand it depends on quality and the number submitted to some extent.

Second, is it legit to submit more than one piece per requested topic. If a requester specifies 1 article needed, is it okay to submit more than one, as several times I have thought of different ways to approach a topic and could offer completed pieces in several forms.

Third, do requests sometimes just "vanish" after posting. Some topics disappear from the list and I have not noticed them listed under "recently sold." Just curious.

Finally, if a requester asks for slight revisions, how do I submit the revised copy? Do I re-submit the entire piece or just email the requester with changes and permission. Since this is full rights, aren't they allowed to modify slightly?
[/quote]

First: Can't speak for anyone else, but I'd say I've sold about 60-70% of articles submitted.

Second: Why not? Your second or third approach may be the one the buyer was just looking for.

Third: I think so. Sometimes a buyer decides to cancel the request. Seems to be a better system in place now where requests expire. Requests used to remain in the system ad forever.

Finally: I have no idea. Just wanted to give you and your stated OCD personality a few pieces to the puzzle.

[MPIvy]

Thanks for the insight AND the chuckle! Both are always welcomed!

[Lysis]

When I do an estimate how much I'll make for the month for what I've submitted, I estimate 60% quick sales turnaround (same month) and 75% overall. I like to stay conservative with non-guaranteed money and just be pleasantly surprised if I do better. I think you'll have a better percentage if you stick to public requests.

[Elizabeth Ann West]

If the customer wants revisions, you will need to fix the file and resubmit. Don't post changes in the message system here, buyers could take your copy and not pay for it. Just put in the short summary to Ed it was a previously approved article, and the buyer requested changes. Also, make sure you note it is for a public or private request, that will also bump it up in the line.

[Celeste Stewart]

Also, if the customer purchases the article and then asks for revisions, you would then create the revisions and submit the article at a price of $.01 (as there's no real mechanism on the site for revisions). When submitting put a note in the short summary that the article is a revision request for an article purchased by customer X only. Fortunately, this is rare which is probably why a system hasn't been developed for revisions.

[MPIvy]

Thanks so much to all of you and I must say it is astonishing how quickly information came in. Wow, you are all both very kind AND prompt!

[Antonia]

About revisions--I learned this the hard way the other day when a private client requested some revisions before purchasing a batch of articles. Not thinking anything of it, I sent off a lengthy email to the client with the revisions included. That was a couple of weeks ago and they still haven't paid for the original articles or responded to me. The customer specifically mentioned being on a deadline so I dropped everything else for the articles and then the revisions.

In retrospect, I wish I'd uploaded a revisions document and given them a heads-up that the revisions would be accessible after they purchased the articles. Not so much that I think they'd do anything shady, more that I'm regretting that I prioritized the project needlessly. Glad for this discussion as it clarified the best way to approach the situation in the future. Crossing my fingers that the client pays for those soon...I was counting on the income last month!

[Ed]

Please note that when you submit a revised version of the article, the approved version of the article be deleted by the author first. You can do this by going into your account and using the delete feature located right under the edit feature next to each article entry.

Please make sure that a short summary that is pertinent to the article is added under the note to editor so that, in the event the original customer fails to purchase the piece (probably unlikely, but still possible), you have a short summary that will make sense to other browsing customers.

Thanks,
Ed