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