Rejections

[StormyWriter]

When an article is rejected, why is it so hard for the editor to let the author know what needs editing. It could be something as simple a a minor formatting error, or something equally as simple that the author may not be aware of, or is not fully explained in the guidelines.

When I edit a manuscript, I always reply back with anything I notice as both a reader and an editor. It is not that hard, may there is something at this site that makes it impossible for editor to respond as to why an article is rejected.

I have heard of complaints on sites where authors are rejected by editors, some of whom know nothing about the subject matter they are asked to edit.

I am curious about the rejection policy and why authors are not told the reason for rejection and what if anything needs to be edited.

Any input?

[Antonia]

The reason for rejection is included in the rejection email. However, keep in mind that there's only one editor, and he doesn't have time to point out every single error. CC isn't really a site for beginning writers. We are expected to know how to proofread our own work and correct errors. Spend some time reading the guidelines, resources, FAQ, and forums to get a better sense of how things work here. Good luck!

[jadedragon]

Get some more experience here and you will find the staff treat the writers AWESOMELY.
If the reason for rejection is not clear post it up and someone (maybe even Ed) will help you out.

[dmgray]

I am fairly new to CC and when I first started submitting articles and adapting to the format and level of professionalism required, I admit that I had a few rejections. At the time I too thought the comments where a little vague, but now I understand and am actually thankful.

Ed has a lot of articles to review and could not possibly supply detailed information as to which paragraph, on which line and what words are the culprits. Personally, I found that having to work with limited information has dramatically improved my proofreading skills. If I had been told which word, or specific area of punctuation, was to blame, I would never have had to go through my articles with a fine tooth comb. Now I have become much more adept at proofreading my own articles and it also encouraged me to work on my grammar.

Nine times out of ten, my mistakes are down to my abysmal typing skills!

I will offer a tip that I use to save me some heartache from a rejection. When rejected, the article and submission is purged from CC's database. This means you also lose the short summary and keywords. I always keep a copy of my short summary and the keywords (all comma seperated and ready to go) in a notepad file. This way if you do suffer a rejection, after editing the actual article, all you have to do is copy the other information back in (as long as that was not the reason for rejection). Saves a little bit of time.

[VeronicaM]

dmgray, how many rejections did you have at first. I would send you a PM, but it looks like PMs are disabled.

I'm nervous about CC because of the whole 3-strike rule. It seems like a pretty strict rule.

[Celeste Stewart]

The three strikes rule isn't hard and fast. It's like CC's way of saying, "We reserve the right to refuse service." Newbie, minor mistakes are understood and no one's keeping track of how many strikes a writer has had. However, if a writer keeps ignoring the guidelines and submitting work loaded with errors, then that writer should be concerned.

[dmgray]

Not sure how many rejections in total - it was not too many and never more than once for any one article. I never knew about the 3-strike rule until I finally ventured in here, so I escaped that worry. I think as long as you pay attention to Ed's reason for rejection, rectify the article and pay attention not to repeat the same mistakes in future articles you will be fine.

Everyone here is very helpful, non-judgemental and willing to help all new members.

[jhphillips]

Hello,

I am a new writer and every article I have submitted has been rejected due to the formatting guidelines. I have read the submission requirements multiple times and cannot seem to find any that I have violated. My only thought is that somehow the format I save my documents in on my Mac is not working when it gets sent in? I don't know? I submit my articles as .doc. Any advice?

Thank you so much!

[AmyT]

Hey! I just discovered this "Extended Guidelines" for CC which has been a WONDERFUL resource for helping me proof-read my articles. Wish that this was more accessible.... http://www.constant-content.com/about/e ... elines.htm

Best wishes,

Amy

[Ed]

Technical Submission Requirements:
12 pt Arial or Times New Roman font
The short summary must be an original description of the entire article, at least 30 words long
A full 1/3 of the article must be excerpted in the long summary

[Celeste Stewart]

Amy, good find! CC, maybe a link to the extended guidelines from the basic guidelines page is in order?