Article Rejected

[CodyJoeBibby]

Hi everyone, I have been using this site for a few months and have had three articles accepted so far. One has been sold and I have received offers on the other two which I rejected. My second article was initially rejected due to some minor errors related to American conventions in writing names of US states (I am not American); however, it was accepted after I resolved the errors.

I recently wrote an article in response to a request on the topic of 'Chiropractic Adjustments and the Common Cold'. My article was rejected on the grounds of punctuation errors in that I had used hyphens in place of what the editor believed should have been semicolons. I fixed and resubmitted the article but then withdrew it due to the overwhelming fear of the 'three strikes and out' rule which seems to apply here.

What has really annoyed me is that I did a quick search for the same topic on Constant Content and found another article, accepted by the editors, (but rejected by the client), which not only ignored the client's request that the article should be mainly about the benefits of chiropractic healthcare, but contained several egregious grammatical errors. I just don't know what to say.

[Judith]

Hi Cody! I read that article too and while it was not exactly what the buyer requested, I don't believe CC would not pass it along to the buyer. Sometimes buyers just give us ideas and we can build on them. Each writer might read the request a little differently. Ultimately the buyer decides if an article meets their needs. CC's reviewers are only humans doing the best they can. Sometimes I don't agree with a grammar decision sent back but I don't mind changing it to meet CC's rules. Sometimes mistakes will slip through on someone else's work and NOT on ours lol. But I would rather not have a mistake slip through on mine. I would rather change it. The holidays were long and busy for everyone and I am sure there is a reviewer or two or more that had children awaiting Santa's visit adding a bit more stress to an already busy schedule.

I can truthfully say I have had more than 3 articles returned for corrections. I am too new here to speak with any authority but it "appears" to me if your work is good and is selling that they don't follow the "3 strikes" practice.

[CodyJoeBibby]

Hi Cody! I read that article too and while it was not exactly what the buyer requested, I don't believe CC would not pass it along to the buyer. Sometimes buyers just give us ideas and we can build on them. Each writer might read the request a little differently. Ultimately the buyer decides if an article meets their needs. CC's reviewers are only humans doing the best they can. Sometimes I don't agree with a grammar decision sent back but I don't mind changing it to meet CC's rules. Sometimes mistakes will slip through on someone else's work and NOT on ours lol. But I would rather not have a mistake slip through on mine. I would rather change it. The holidays were long and busy for everyone and I am sure there is a reviewer or two or more that had children awaiting Santa's visit adding a bit more stress to an already busy schedule.

I can truthfully say I have had more than 3 articles returned for corrections. I am too new here to speak with any authority but it "appears" to me if your work is good and is selling that they don't follow the "3 strikes" practice.

Thanks for your input. Did you miss the errors in the article? I didn't, and the article requester did not miss the obvious point that the writer failed to address in any detail the topic of chiropractic therapy pertaining to the common cold, as was requested; hence, unsurprisingly, the article remains unsold.

[webscribe]

I agree with Judith about the three strikes rule. If your writing is generally good (and it's usually pretty obvious if a writer has a solid grasp of mechanics despite the occasional typo/missing word), you shouldn't stress too much about having your account suspended. I do, however, make every effort to ensure that my work is error free because I don't think it's the CC editors' job to teach me basic grammar or hold my hand. She also has a point about writing to the buyer's specifications when responding to a public request. Submitting to a request here isn't the same thing as being hired as the only writer on a project (in which case you would certainly attempt to meet all the buyer's criteria). For public requests at CC, the buyer always has the option of purchasing or passing on any submission, and I'm sure there are times when buyers purchase an article with a bit different perspective on the topic than what the buyer originally requested. I think public request customers should have the option of reviewing these types of articles as well. I've also read in these forums that customers will sometimes purchase more 'related' articles than they originally asked for in the public request (the customer asks for 10 articles but buys 15).

[karrie1908]

I have had numerous articles returned to me with grammar errors. I also have 20 or so articles accepted and four sold. I am still here and while I endeavor not to make the same mistake twice I am human. I have compiled a checklist of things to look for before I submit an article. The items on the list are all things I have been guilty of including examples. I have also begun to use text to speech as someone suggested and I find it is a big help. I have never had great grammar, but I can write. I simply need to work harder on the grammar aspect.

I hope you find success!

[KateL]

The text-to-speech function is also something that I find helps pick out the errors which have escaped my notice. The voice on the software I downloaded sounds very like Stephen Hawking, and I kid myself that he's proofreading for me. I used this approach for my last couple of articles and both were accepted first time, so it's either useful or lucky but I don't mind which!

[jadedragon]

You have the article written and fixed. Resubmit it. Maybe it will sell now - maybe later. The whole three strikes thing is not what newbies thinks it is. We've seen people get banned on submission number one (really bad work or they ripped off someone) and many of us have had more than 3 rejections. Rather than thinking about 3 strikes it is better to think of it this way: If your writing really stinks or you submit other's work expect the site to ban you to prevent you from wasting their time and yours.Otherwise write away and learn all you can, improving all the time.

[rory]

If it took them a day to review a submission, how long does it normally take for them to re-review it once you make the corrections and re-submit it. When it is an article submitted to a public request, does it take longer to review?

[Lysis]

If it took them a day to review a submission, how long does it normally take for them to re-review it once you make the corrections and re-submit it. When it is an article submitted to a public request, does it take longer to review?

It basically goes back into the queue, so it's the same amount of time.