Submission/Review question

[VersantScribe]

I worked very hard last night and today to submit work that I had not been able to use in the past. Well, get paid for at least. I did have one article that is online elsewhere (for now) with my exact pen name, picture, details, etc. straight on the page so there is no confusion. I listed it for usage rights only and am working on removing it from the other site because the changes I made for CC have turned it into a much better article overall.

My question is this: I now have 4 articles up for review at the same time. I've had 1 rejection out of 2 articles submitted, but it was edited and that article has now sold. What happens if for some reason I get back more than one rejection from the articles I've submitted? I'm hoping this doesn't happen because I worked extremely hard and feel confident about the pieces, but you can never be sure.

If I get multiple rejections in a row, will they suspend my account without reading my other submissions that may be acceptable?

I'm not sure what kind of risk I've taken by posting up so many at once being a newbie. But they're doing me no good in my files when they haven't sold, I have to get them out there.

Also, I was wondering if articles submitted for Private Requests go through CC editors before the customer sees them and selects. I think they do for Public Requests, but I'm not sure about those done Privately.

Thanks so much for all the guidance here, this forum is great!

[Celeste Stewart]

Remember, the whole account suspension thing is at the discretion of the editorial staff. The more common reasons for suspension include:
* Plagiarism
* Articles that show the writer doesn't have a clear grasp of English and basic grammar
* Articles that do not sound as if they were written by a native English speaker
* Articles with the same errors submitted over and over despite the editor telling the writer about the issue

The occasional minor grammar, spelling, or typo isn't likely cause for alarm. I also believe that the editors give new writers a little bit of slack unless one of the above major issues is present.

If you're overly concerned, you can delete some of your submissions and then resubmit them one-at-a-time after your next one is approved. Go to My Content, find the article, and click Delete.

Yes, private requests go through editorial review. The customers and editorial team expect the same high standards for private requests. The only difference is that private requests often require links, first person voice, or other aspects outside of the regular writers guidelines. The review team realizes this, though it's not a bad idea to mention anything out of the ordinary (such as "first person voice by request") in the short summary.

[VersantScribe]

Thank you, that was very helpful! And prompt!

I've already gotten approval from one of my articles for yesterday, so I am hopeful! I won't be deleting anything yet! That makes 3 approvals and 1 sell so far. I cannot tell you how great it is to re-purpose these projects for CC. I had these things I'd written as samples for gigs in the past that I just didn't know what to do with. This is such a relief. And it's good to know the terms for suspension. It seems have nothing to worry about.

I'm glad the Private Requests get reviewed. That makes me feel better.

[Evelyn]

I just want to add my own experiences with re-purposed material.

I submitted 5 re-purposed unpublished articles on the same topic and they sold about six months later for full rights. That customer subsequently has asked me for several private requests, so I'm pretty pleased at that.

I've also submitted about 30 or so re-purposed gardening articles for usage rights only because they're published elsewhere on the internet. Haven't sold any of them, so I'm glad I already got paid! I'm giving them until April at their current prices then I'm going to either delete or reduce the price.

That's my input on reusing content. Make of it what you will.

[VersantScribe]

Thanks for the encouragement Evelyn. I'll be writing what I can and leaving the sales part up to the Powers That Be. However, I'm not adverse to the idea of lowering my price on usage articles down the road if they aren't selling. I am training myself to be patient, but it's not a virtue I'm very good with...

I appreciate all the help!

[ThisOldMan]

@ Celeste
"Articles that do not sound as if they were written by a native English speaker"

Do I understand by this that CC does give preferential treatment to native English speakers? Where do I go to read up on the definition of native English speakers, please?

[Celeste Stewart]

There's no real definition - CC looks at the text, not the writer's birth certificate. As long as the text sounds natural to native English speakers (CC's customer base), there shouldn't be a problem. Some non-native English speakers use awkward verb conjugations or overly formal phrases, making the text sound stilted or "not natural" sounding. There are plenty of successful non-native English writers here, so don't be discouraged.

[ThisOldMan]

Thank you, Celeste. Good to know that.

For a while there, I was contemplating using some computer wizardry to produce some official-looking documents to say that ThisOldMan was actually a native of the hamlet of Yolkshire, located about 40 miles, as the crow flies, to the right of the freeway connecting London to Edinburgh. Come to think of it, I am not really sure how English or non-English I sound, reason being, I learned my English from an Australian, Miss J. Ingersoll, and an Irishman, Mr. Ray Hall, just to name two of my wonderful teachers.

Just for the fun of it, from the way I write, where would you place me as my birthplace? Somewhere in US or UK? Or do I come across more like a refugee from Timbuktu?

[VersantScribe]

Personally, I'd place you from SOMEWHERE inside the U.S. But that's because I myself live here and people are always more inclined to think the people they meet online are from where they are. I haven't seen anything in your writing (at least on the forums I've read) that would make me think you were writing with a different vernacular of English.

Also, I think (and I could totally be wrong) that the town your fake birth certificate would be from is spelled YoRkshire. LOL, so if that's the place you were referring to, it would be a dead give-away. ;p Heeeheehee.

I will say that you definitely come across as someone with world experience, which is rare. But not due to your writing as much as what you say.

[ThisOldMan]

Maybe I should post in Singlish once in a while.

btw that Yolkshire spelling was intentional. Here, the burger stalls offer something they call a hamlet, which is a corruption of 'omelet'. The 'hamlet' sold here is an elongated bun of bread wrapped in a thin piece of fried egg and slathered with margarine and 'sangkaya' which is a sweet jam made from egg and coconut cream. I have tried it with an extra helping of mustard and chilly sauce. Delicious.

So I suppose I can pass myself off as someone who writes like a native English speaker, eh? Plus my stories about what's going on in Thailand may identify me as a retired expatriate having one last fling with the local lassies. If only that last part is true.

Back on topic. Need some input, please. Supposing I do the following:

1. Write a generic article on a general topic like, say, How To Remove a Girl Clinging to Your Sleeve.
2. Then submit it to CC offering only 'use' rights.
3. After that, re-write the article to fit into another format like, say, Squidoo.

Would I be in violation of any TOS here?

[VersantScribe]

You own the rights here, so you can sell what you want other places IF: You offer it for usage rights only, AND the other publications all have the very same pen name you use here. The editors will need to verify without a doubt that you are the original and only author of the material. If there is any question, they'll kick it back to you. Just be careful that everything is consistent!

[jadedragon]

Interesting topic but I'd focus on writing article that can be used to sell stuff. Think about what the commercial value of the piece is and you will be able to pick your topics more profitably.

[ThisOldMan]

@ Versantscribe
Thank you for the information. I suppose I can take that as the official policy if I don't see any administrative staff saying otherwise. Looks like I can get started on building my pension fund here.

@ Jadedragon
You are right. On my blogsite, I would put that under "Talking Rubbish". Just like the article on "Hairless Pussies and 3-Foot Men". No, no, it definitely is not what it seems. Hint: what is a Sphynx that does not lie baking in the sun on the Giza? (No typos)

I think I will work on more monetize-able topics like:

1. Of Veils, Valencies and Valentine
2. How to Make Your Own Valentine's Day
3. How to Cultivate a Family Tree on Your Desktop
4. Habla Your Way to More Dinero
5. Taking Advantage of The Weakened Sex

Oh dear, does the Copyright Act automatically cover topic titles, too?

[VersantScribe]

I'm not certain, but I think I read somewhere that titles can't be copyrighted. Look that up, though. The reason this makes sense to me is that there are so many movies and books with the same title. I'm not sure that you should put a language besides English in your titles, editors might be picky on that. But you could try!

BTW, your article on "Taking Advantage of the Weakened Sex"... are you giving a man's perspective for advice to women on how exactly to control men? Because we already know how to do that. ;p

[ThisOldMan]

@ Versantscribe

Now you have proven yourself to be a really smart cookie alright.

Yes, it is an indisputable fact that the the female of the species has been the dominant life form throughout the history of mankind. The vain ones want to be kings. The smart ones become the real power behind the kings. Now, as never before, the male of the species is threatened with extinction. Already an endangered species with very little control over their very own lives, men are now faced with the possibility of being stripped of the last vestiges of their manhood in the name of gender-biased justice and sexually-slanted equality. A woman can now have her man first and sue him at her displeasure later. The Black Widow Spider gene is manifesting itself more and more prominently.

I think I will just crawl back under my little piece of rock.