My Suite101 Application... I think I blew it.

Congrats and good luck!

Congrats Crystal! There are quite a few of us that write for Suite, so feel free to ask if you have any questions about getting started.

Congrats! Like Blue said, there are many of us Suitees here on AW - feel free to ask questions. I'll bet you'll stay in third person when writing for Suite, LOL!
Right now, Suite is going through some exciting growth, so don't be alarmed if you can't log on to your "my suite" page today.

Hey, Congrats on getting in. It's a great site to write for!

Congratulations! You're gonna do a great job!

Crystal Lewis said:

Now if the Examiner and About.com would just stop torturing me... Haven't heard anything, but I'm trying to think positively about them too. I hope they contact me soon. I don't have anymore nails to bite!

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Examiner took exactly a week to get back to me (although I have seen people wait up to about three weeks for the word).

As for About.com, just focus on staying busy. They definitely mean it when they say that it can take 8 weeks to hear back from them. Since it is intensely competitive to get a spot with them, they screen a lot of applicants and take them into prep in groups (generally of five people). I have one app with them currently, and have been waiting just over a month. I try to forget about it and focus on writing I can work on immediately!

I submitted an app to Suite101 tonight. I don't know why...I'm already getting blogger's butt from Examiner. Or that's what my husband keeps telling me.

Is it worth the effort guys? Suite101, not the blogger's butt. I'll go to the gym for the later.

Bloggers butt, LOL!! I was wondering if you pay to sign up at Suite 101? Is it a good place to be? Just curious. Thanks guys!

Woo hoo, congrats!!!

Staceyp67 said:

Bloggers butt, LOL!! I was wondering if you pay to sign up at Suite 101? Is it a good place to be? Just curious. Thanks guys!

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Um..no you don't pay to sign up. You apply and they go over everything and then let you know if you're accepted or not.

I really like it there. You're paid by ad hits...not page views, but the more you have in the pipeline, the more you get. When you write one article, it continues to pay off forever.

The other thing is that they have a solid reputation and if you write for them it tends to open doors to other places. It's also a great place to get a huge course in web writing - you learn very fast, LOL! Great forum over there.

I write for quite a few places, however, I'll probably always write for Suite. They're going through some positive changes right now (for the writers), so that's been fun.

Go for it!

You are very lucky,Crystal Lewis ! Never give up something you believe in. Congratulate to you!

Crystal Lewis said:

After several days spent mulling over what the subject of my maiden attempt at an article for Suite 101 would be, I decided to upload a local restaurant review piece that I have used in the past as a demo article. It is one of those "best-places-you've-never-been" type things. I feel that the article is a well-written piece that will translate well into the online, keyword-rich format they want. (It also won't hurt as much if the editors pick it apart).

I should hear back from a Suite101.com editor within the next 48 hours. I am so excited!

By the way, I googled my name and it comes up at the top of the search engine under my Suite101 profile. My take on Suite? SWEEEEET!

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Congrats!! Keep writing...just save them in draft until you hear from your editor.

Ack, my app was turned down. Just got a form letter, which is annoying. The 4 reasons they list (and it could have been anyone one of the four) are so vastly different.

Here:
Your application to be a Contributing Writer to Suite101.com has been declined for one of the following reasons:
your writing suggested a first-person, experiential, or opinion-based approach to material rather than an objective journalistic style that quoted verifiable sources (maybe)
your writing sample contained errors in language use, structure, grammar, spelling, or voice (heck no)
article content did not reflect the search interests of our Web audience (huh?)
your educational and employment experience did not suggest authoritative expertise re the subject areas you wish to cover (they didn't ask for a proper resume, maybe I was too casual?)
Due to volume of applicants and limited editorial staff and time we are not able to field inquiries requesting more specific reasons for declining this application. Suite101 reserves the right to select its contract writers according to our mandate and standards in keeping with our editorial goals. We wish you the best with your writing career on a site more suited to your interests and abilities.

It would be way more helpful if they narrowed it down to what they really rejected it for! I could tweak the samples... Truth be told, I dashed off the app really fast. Maybe somebody actually reads them! I might try again with better (more national) samples, and this time I'll mention my freakin' JOURALISM DEGREE.