Attraction for Demand Studios?

princessvessna said:

I'm glad I use a pen name there. I had a tree article approved there but the CE went and changed around all of my Latin names so they weren't in parentheses (I think that reads better than extra commas, and it's how I usually see it in the garden world. Read in the forums there how many do it that way too) and messed around with the variety names so they were in double quotes, not the single quotes used by botanists.

It made it more complicated by saying Canada Red Chokecherry, Prunus virginiana known as "Canada Red," when all you really need is (Prunus virginiana 'Canada Red'). And it would be one thing if they phrased it that way all the time, but they didn't.

It's approved so whatever, but it's not something I would want to put my real name on now as a garden writer.

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I always put the Latin names in parentheses and haven't had a problem yet. I agree, I think it looks more professional and reads better. I'm not sure all of the CE's are really gardeners. Just because you planted a petunia once in your yard, does not make a gardener.

As far as the CE gripes, most of mine are always good and professional, though I did have one last week that gave me a rewrite because they didn't believe the area I was writing about has 1000 lakes in it. I gave three references, but I think they were too lazy to read them. I directed them to the exact statement, wrote a note I try to give facts and not just add random stuff that is not true. I could have read nasty into the words that wasn't meant to be there, but I was taken back. My article did go through with a a note from the CE that their job was to check facts, which I completely understand, but I did feel like I was being called a liar. Rant over.

From what I’ve experienced and know of others experiences, February must be the month for new, inexperienced iditors at DS. I just had a reject because the CE wants information that has nothing to do with the article. I am appealing. I have had more rewrites in the month of February and this is only the middle of the month than ever before. All have been ridiculous with the exception of one, which I rewrote and had approved. This one, I rewrote one part and added one-step with a note to the editor and his response is he thinks I need to include legal information that is neither pertinent nor applicable to this article.

I wish they’d get a system where you could actually communicate with the editors/iditors and not simply this isn’t what I think it should be, rewrite one chance only and if it isn’t what I think or I think by rejecting articles I’m a big wig (actually know one who sent a message that underlines that) and that’s it. Odd that I have rewrites, especially this month and yet last month I think I had two total and they were both on articles I was half asleep when I wrote them and they were approved with no problems. I can go months without a single rewrite and everything is fine and then suddenly hit a string where nothing gets approved. Ugh. Off to write the appeal now.

SS

Where is the best site to sell an article originally written for DS but for whatever reason, such as some really weird questions not pertaining to the article requested by the CE in a rewrite making the article unprofitable to rewrite and likely to be rejected, will no longer be sold to DS? Is there another site other than eHow for how to’s? Are there any sites that pay upfront with similar or at least decent rates? What about Associated Content? Do they still offer upfront payment and whatever they call the percentage they pay out every so often that I look at like rev share or royalties?

Thanks for any suggestions. I have a few articles I need to receive compensation for and the only content site I’ve written for in quite a while is DS so I don’t know where to go with these.

SS

Still Seaking said:

Where is the best site to sell an article originally written for DS but for whatever reason, such as some really weird questions not pertaining to the article requested by the CE in a rewrite making the article unprofitable to rewrite and likely to be rejected, will no longer be sold to DS? Is there another site other than eHow for how to’s? Are there any sites that pay upfront with similar or at least decent rates? What about Associated Content? Do they still offer upfront payment and whatever they call the percentage they pay out every so often that I look at like rev share or royalties?

Thanks for any suggestions. I have a few articles I need to receive compensation for and the only content site I’ve written for in quite a while is DS so I don’t know where to go with these.

SS

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I'm not much help because I only put mine on eHow. The funny thing is, there are a couple of articles I refused to do the rewrite and posted them on eHow. Within two months both articles have made the money DS would have originally paid me and they still keep earning. It makes me very happy.

Still Seaking said:

Where is the best site to sell an article originally written for DS but for whatever reason, such as some really weird questions not pertaining to the article requested by the CE in a rewrite making the article unprofitable to rewrite and likely to be rejected, will no longer be sold to DS? Is there another site other than eHow for how to’s? Are there any sites that pay upfront with similar or at least decent rates? What about Associated Content? Do they still offer upfront payment and whatever they call the percentage they pay out every so often that I look at like rev share or royalties?

Thanks for any suggestions. I have a few articles I need to receive compensation for and the only content site I’ve written for in quite a while is DS so I don’t know where to go with these.

SS

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Just remember to change the title of your article because DS owns the title. I just read about that a few days ago. I haven't put any articles on other sites, so it will be interesting to see if their are other options besides eHow.

Has anyone ever been rejected from DS?

I applied last week and this morning got an e-mail saying they couldn't use me Needless to say, I'm feeling somewhat crappy right now. I think it may have had to do with my resume (which, to be frank, wasn't very polished).

Is it possible to reapply, or should I not bother?

Thanks, Joyce and Kem and Kem, I didn’t know that, thank you very much for brining that to my attention. I’ll keep y’all posted and it’s looking like it’s going to be eHow but I haven’t acted on anything yet, doing a little research. Anybody else have any suggestions or advice?

Hester, I do know one person who was rejected and she has a book that has received an editor’s choice award so it isn’t that she can’t write. She’d never written content or for a paper and didn’t know anything about AP style and we speculate that her sample had something to do with that but we’re not sure. Best of luck.

SS

Hey SS! Thanks for the kind words...

I was kind of bummed this morning but I'm feeling a little better now (runs out to grocery store to stock up on chocolate...

Hester, the first time I applied I was told I wasn't needed. My resume was not up to snuff and I knew it. I wasn't sure how credible DS was at the time. I wrote some articles and put them on eHow and waited a month or so and tried again. The last time I polished my resume and I also had my eHow articles to link to. DS accepted me. So yes, you must be able to apply again because I did. Best of luck.

I, too, was rejected by ds the first time around. From all the talk about how great they were, I thought they wanted research type papers. So I sent in a lengthy (3 or 4 pages) research paper. They rejected me stating that my type of writing didn't fit with their vision or something like that.

Since then I've been working on an original article to resubmit to them but I have been feeling really stuck since being rejected by them. I first applied when I first started freelancing late last year. Since then, I've done lots of research, and written lots of seo type articles.

I recently applied again with an article that I wrote for a client that I realized afterwards that it has been published to someone's blog. I'm hoping for the best.

The "rumor" is that once you're rejected you can't apply again, but I know people have. I suggest that when you re-apply, you do it from a different email address, just in case that's how they are screening out previous applicants.

jana13k said:

The "rumor" is that once you're rejected you can't apply again, but I know people have. I suggest that when you re-apply, you do it from a different email address, just in case that's how they are screening out previous applicants.

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Actually, that is what I did. I first used my regular email address that all the junk and whatever goes to. I had created a second address for my serious email and that was the one I used on the second go-round. I don't know if that helped, because I'm sure the decent resume that next time helped too.

You guys rock!!

Thanks so much for the helpful posts-I'm going to work on brushing up my resume and putting some "how-to" articles up...maybe I'll reapply in a month or so from a different e-mail addy...

I applied to DS in 2008 - while I was pregnant, working as a full time newspaper editor and in college full time. I was accepted - but never wrote for them. I had even forgotten that I was ever accepted there until I recently saw an email newsletter from them in my junk email.
Since I am back on the freelancing train, I decided to reset my password and give them a try. After a 2 year absence they welcomed me back and my first article was approved after a rewrite request for a small style correction.
I have to say, it gets tough to remember the different style guides for the different websites, like DS and Suite - totally different on some things - and the style guide for the news magazines I write for. But I just double check before I send.
I am hoping the style guides get easier to remember as I go.

JanineWrites said:

I applied to DS in 2008 - while I was pregnant, working as a full time newspaper editor and in college full time. I was accepted - but never wrote for them. I had even forgotten that I was ever accepted there until I recently saw an email newsletter from them in my junk email.
Since I am back on the freelancing train, I decided to reset my password and give them a try. After a 2 year absence they welcomed me back and my first article was approved after a rewrite request for a small style correction.
I have to say, it gets tough to remember the different style guides for the different websites, like DS and Suite - totally different on some things - and the style guide for the news magazines I write for. But I just double check before I send.
I am hoping the style guides get easier to remember as I go.

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I've been writing steadily for DS for 1.5 years and over that time period it seems the style guides keep changing and changing. Don't feel bad, as soon as you learn it one way, they'll change something up to something else. Best of luck.