About.com?

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About.com

Hi All,
I have been reading posts for a while and find you all addicting! Anyways, I thought I would share my thoughts with you. I went through prep about 4 months ago and did not get the gig. However, it was very frustrating for me because I was getting good reviews and I thought if I was not on the right track, my mentor would tell me. In my final review, I was told I did not have enough content up. Although I met all the requirements and received great reviews.
Anyways, I recently applied for another topic. I will remember that lots of quality content is a must!
Also, I have visited the sites of the individuals who post here and I must say, WOW great writing to all of you.

Ahh! I haven't been on here in a few weeks and just read the last few pages (though I think I'm actually 10-15 behind). The suspense is killing me! Who passed prep? What were your topics? I'm a listserv junkie now, so I want to know who the newbies are before anyone else!

No news yet about passing or not passing prep. But I still have access to the site, and so I'm just going to keep on adding content until I hear one way or another.

Kari

no news here either and I've checked to see if mine and Kari's topic is still on the list of Apply Now topics or if they've been took down yet. Sigh...

I too am adding still, just added todays blog post cos I've a thing that I wanted to do every thursday and I don't want to miss it today if I do end up with the site

here's hoping Kari, keep me posted

tina

Well, I applied for Small Farms. I used to manage one and grew up on a farm. Maybe this time they'll let me in prep.

fingers crossed for you Julie, sadly I've been looking and see one I'd apply for too, but it wouldn't be my dream topic like the one I'm waiting to see if I got

Just got notice that I didn't get the Chronic Pain site.
Bye everyone and good luck Kari.

t

Oh, Tina, I'm so sorry to hear your news. Can you turn around and apply for the other site you were interested in? They say that that's the best way to handle query rejections (and I've done it, but it's never easy).

Consider yourself hugged!

Kari

Tina,
I am so, so sorry. I know how invested you were in this whole process and how passionate your are about this topic. Please know you have a lot of people thinking about you and wishing you happiness.

I also hope that after taking a little time to rejuvenate and take care of yourself that you will find another topic you enjoy. Many guides have made it through the second time around. Going through prep again is probably not on your to-do list right now...but after some time has passed you may feel differently.
Warm regards,
Keath

Awwww, Tina, I'm so sorry to hear that! :-(

Oh, dang, Tina. Sending positive thoughts your way.

A lot to read

I originally found this thread searching for something else. But once I found it (and that was at the end of last year some time) I really got into it. I checked out About.com and they had a subject I thought I could do. But I didn't even get into prep (it was for insects- I don't think I had enough experience, just a huge love for insects and all things crawly and science writing). But I recently applied for the Organic Gardening topic because I have experience in that and writing about it too. I was accepted into prep and it starts next Friday.

Now, I'm feeling tired just researching things. My husband is trying to take off vacation on one of the weeks that I will be working in prep so it makes it easier on me with our three kids. I also homeschool them. It'll be interesting but I really think I can do it. I'm used to up all nighters (although my body doesn't quite like it anymore as I'm getting older ).

I just want to say thanks for all the tips. I think they'll help me.

KM

KM, good luck! I have 3 kids, too & my husband was a huge help (mine aren't homeschooled, but I went through Prep over Christmas break, so they were home). This thread was invaluable to me; I didn't graduate, but if my one topic of passionate interest comes up, I'll definitely apply again.

Oh, Tina, I am sorry to hear your news. You worked so, so hard. I know just how you feel (remember that I didn't graduate my first time).

Be good to yourself for a few days...sending cyberhugs your way!

KM,

I homeschool my kids...I guess it's proof you can survive Prep (twice) and still correct math papers.

Good luck to you...clear the decks as best you can between now and when Prep starts, lay in some educational DVDs, make a library run, stock up on groceries, and you'll survive. Organic gardening sounds like a great topic.

Tina, I'm so sorry you didn't get the Guide position. That's really tough, especially considering the amazing job you did. I hope you're able to find good (great-paying!) homes for all of your articles, and that another Guide position comes along that is even better.

KM, congratulations on being accepted into Prep! Don't let the huge amount of information in this thread overwhelm you! I hope everything goes well for you.

SothernFriedJulie, congratulations on applying for a topic, and good luck at being accepted into Prep!

Good luck, KM and Julie!

We have three children as well (seems to be a trend here!), but during prep I recruited them as food testers and photographers, which seemed to work quite well! Hmmmm ... I do hope they're not expecting to be paid ... . I also recruited my husband to do a few of the weekend things that I'd normally be stuck with at this time of the year (weekend Campfire candy sales--ugh. But now that I know that he can do it ... ).

Kari (who cut her hair yesterday so that she couldn't pull it out during this waiting process ...).

Thanks all for the good luck wishes. I'll need them. Haven't gotten into Prep yet, just a stack of rejections. I did get past the first part of application for b5 on some things, hopefully that will go well, IF I get chosen for sure.

Tina, that is bad to hear. I hope you do send out all of your articles and find homes for them all. I am sure they'll be great samples, too.

A friend of mine was accepted into Prep and had to turn it down because of time issues right when Prep started in December. I'm trying to get her to go for it again.

Hey, guys. Here are a few weird questions that have occurred to me during the prep process. Because I really have enjoyed the challenge of writing for About.com, whether or not I get the site, I'd like to know a bit more about the system:

1) When I look at the favorite About.com sites that made me want to apply to be a guide--often by long-established guides who consistently score in the "Top 50," I'm wondering ... do Guides ever do "reruns," using the same content from previous articles or blogs ... or linking new blogs to old content? As a wannabee food writer, I just find it impressive to think that each new blog may link to entirely new recipes (and photographs) ... but is this true? Or do people in fact reuse old material?

2) How involved are most guides in their forums? I see on the "Top 50 list" that they rank both sites and forums. Do guides get "credit" (monetarily or otherwise), if they run forums that receive a lot of hits?

3) Just because I'm at that weird waiting stage ... this is the only site I've found (and it's been a blessing!) where people talk about what is involved in writing for About.com. I'm actually fairly good at being a web detective--one day I'll tell you about my search for my birth family (happy ending, btw). Yet this is the only forum I've found "about About." Which makes me wonder ... do you think that About editors take the time to glance over our posts here? Just wondering whether I should make sure that nothing's misspelled! (but also thinking that since whatever I say here is publicly accessible, then potential employers might get as clear a picture of my strengths and weaknesses here as they would in evaluating my spec work for them).

As I said ... just wondering as I try not to angst too much about "did I" or "didn't I"!

Cheers,

Kari

Hey you guys...adding yet another question.

I applied for volleyball awhile ago, but never heard back. Today, I noticed that they took volleyball off the Be a Guide site, but the site says it is still unguided! Does this mean prep has started or someone has been selected?

Thanks in advance!

Kari D. said:

1) When I look at the favorite About.com sites that made me want to apply to be a guide--often by long-established guides who consistently score in the "Top 50," I'm wondering ... do Guides ever do "reruns," using the same content from previous articles or blogs ... or linking new blogs to old content? As a wannabee food writer, I just find it impressive to think that each new blog may link to entirely new recipes (and photographs) ... but is this true? Or do people in fact reuse old material?

Click to expand...

You wouldn't rewrite old content because it wouldn't make any sense. Most of the page hits you will receive on an article are from search engines like Google, and older articles have an advantage in search engines because they are more likely to have been linked to from other sites.

This is one reason why there is a focus on timeless content that will remain good for years to come.

As for the blog, it's certainly acceptable and even smart to link to old content. The blog is about timely information about your subject *and* about promoting your content.

2) How involved are most guides in their forums? I see on the "Top 50 list" that they rank both sites and forums. Do guides get "credit" (monetarily or otherwise), if they run forums that receive a lot of hits?

Click to expand...

Guides are encouraged to be active in their forums. You get credit for page hits to your forums, though not as much as to other areas of the site because forums historically don't monetize as well as other content.

3) Just because I'm at that weird waiting stage ... this is the only site I've found (and it's been a blessing!) where people talk about what is involved in writing for About.com. I'm actually fairly good at being a web detective--one day I'll tell you about my search for my birth family (happy ending, btw). Yet this is the only forum I've found "about About." Which makes me wonder ... do you think that About editors take the time to glance over our posts here? Just wondering whether I should make sure that nothing's misspelled! (but also thinking that since whatever I say here is publicly accessible, then potential employers might get as clear a picture of my strengths and weaknesses here as they would in evaluating my spec work for them).

Click to expand...

Relax. They aren't sending spies around here checking in on you. If they have an interest in what message boards have to say about About.com, it is as a way to get customer feedback.

Mandy said:

Hey you guys...adding yet another question.

I applied for volleyball awhile ago, but never heard back. Today, I noticed that they took volleyball off the Be a Guide site, but the site says it is still unguided! Does this mean prep has started or someone has been selected?

Thanks in advance!

Click to expand...

It could take a few weeks for the site to go live after a guide is selected. Once you graduate, you are tasked with getting your site ready to go live. Think of it as two or three more weeks of prep without the competition.

Also, I've heard of people who got their graduation email several days after the site was removed from the list.

Tina, I'm really sorry to hear you didn't get the site. I know you put a lot of work into it! Take some time to regroup and then try, try again!

Kari, Havlen said it all. =} I agree! I wouldn't be surprised if the powers-that-be peek their heads in here now and again, though. We've welcomed a steady stream of folks from AW on the newbie listserv in the past few months and I'm sure they must be curious about what we're saying. And, honestly, seeing what prep-sters really go through might be interesting and useful for them. Anyway, unless you bad mouth your prep mentor, I wouldn't worry about it. They're great people.

Good luck to those in prep and those with applications on file.

My best advice is this... Slow and steady wins the race. Just be yourselves!

Christy