About.com?

Ayup. I plan on writing for them for a looooong time.

In a strange case of "it's a small world" after all, I just found out that one of my dear friends has a new neighbor who is an About.com guide. At the same time, I found out another friend met someone at work whose husband is an About.com guide.

We are legion.

Hi all - just wanted to let you all know (for those of you not about.com guides already), you can look through all of the topics and click on them. All of them list a guide, but when you click on some of them and get to the page, there is no guide. I actually found a topic of interest to apply for. Check it out! Good luck.

Skyraven said:

Hi all - just wanted to let you all know (for those of you not about.com guides already), you can look through all of the topics and click on them. All of them list a guide, but when you click on some of them and get to the page, there is no guide. I actually found a topic of interest to apply for. Check it out! Good luck.

Click to expand...

I was looking at that. I actually clicked on one yesterday that I was also interested in, but when I did, it wasn't listed on the application as an open topic. I am assuming it's been filled, but hasn't gone live yet.

you never know if you don't try.

Can you apply for something that isn't listed as available? I didn't think you could apply for it if you couldn't pick it at the beginning of the application process. On the topic, it says apply now, but when you click it, and it takes you to the application page, it isn't listed as a choice.

When a guide leaves a topic it can sometimes take weeks or even a month or more for it to be listed in the beaguide list. The editors must discuss the topic, decide if it needs any changes to go with current trends, right the document that is going to be displayed in the beaguide list that has requirements and expected contents, etc.

Havlen - would it be possible to pitch a site to the editors on a topic that is listed as unguided, but not on the beaguide list? There is one I'd love to apply for, but it's not on the list.

If it unguided and not on the beaguide list, it probably falls in that in-between period that I described. The only reason it wouldn't make it back to the list eventually is if About.com decided to move on without the topic based on projected popularity. This often happens to time-sensitive topics like the Gameboy site. That site will remain dormant while a DS site takes its place.

That said, I don't think you'd have any luck pitching one of those sites. If the editors have decided not to look for another guide for the site, they have a reason for it. Either the site isn't deemed timely anymore or search trends suggest it won't have an adequate audience.

Thanks for the info, Havlen. The topic I'd like to guide is one that they have split into several, niche topics. I can do the general topic, but not the niche ones. I'll keep checking about though, to see what changes. Thanks again.

I'm LIVE!

Hi,

I just wanted to let you know my About.com site just went LIVE! Whoo hoo!

If you have a moment, please stop by and take a look!

Thanks for all your help & support on this forum!

http://fleamarket.about.com/

Way to go Jacer! Congrats!

Woohoo!

Congrats Jacer, I just went live too.

http://lawncare.about.com/

Congrats Kburke!

Congratulations!!! Both of you

I can't wait to check out both of your sites. I LOVE fleamarkets, and really need help with lawn care, so you both have something I really need to read

Sonyareads said:

Can you apply for something that isn't listed as available? I didn't think you could apply for it if you couldn't pick it at the beginning of the application process. On the topic, it says apply now, but when you click it, and it takes you to the application page, it isn't listed as a choice.

Click to expand...

Havlen's got the reason right - generally, we reassess each topic before we reopen it for application. There are a few sites we're keeping up that we are not planning on ever reopening, so to help remove any confusion we'll be putting some code into our design that removes the apply now link for these non-recruiting sites. I'll post something here when that change goes up.

Thanks Eric!!

Actually, the site I was talking about went live on Saturday. I went back to it, the apply now link was gone, and it now had a guide. She's doing a great job, too!

This week's most wanted:

1. Sleep Disorders
2. Men’s Big & Tall
3. Laundry
4. Indianapolis
5. Moroccan Food

Come on, someone...Indy's a cool city! And Mt. Laundry is taking over my basement...and my husband is 6'7"...

Congrats to our newest AW About.com Guides, too! I will be checking out your sites posthaste.

Hey, Nancy, if you ate a lot of Moroccan stuff and then couldn't sleep, you could apply for all five... what are you waiting for?

While it is not listed in the most wanted list, the featured travel site that is available has to go to Las Vegas -- no doubt it'd be one of the better cities to cover as far as potential web traffic goes.

LOL Patti...I was more thinking that someone ELSE could apply and help me with my laundry disorders and big and tall Moroccan food. (Sorry...couldn't sleep last night...)

Congrats to Jacer and kburke!!

Hi, all. I was wondering, does anyone here know why Family Fitness has been pulled from the list of available topics? It was up for only a couple of days when--poof!--it disappeared.

CoffeeBound said:

Hi, all. I was wondering, does anyone here know why Family Fitness has been pulled from the list of available topics? It was up for only a couple of days when--poof!--it disappeared.

Click to expand...

It was a mistake on our part - we changed the topic name from Kid's Fitness to Family Fitness right after hiring the new Guide, then accidentally put it up on the application site. Sorry about the confusion...

Thanks, Eric. Guess I'll have to keep on the lookout for when a similar topic opens up.