About.com?

Thanks Nancy and Christy. I guess I'll just hope that no news is good for me too At least they didn't kick me out or have any huge problems with what I've done so far. I noticed they have a stylebook available, so if that's any good it will probably end up on my Favorites list. Lol!

Christy, sorry you get to deal with neighbors renovating! It's so hard to concentrate with a lot of noise! I always have to leave the house if there's too much going on and I need to work. Anyway, I really hope they finish soon for your sake!!

Elizabeth, I'm still working on my bio page, but I'm not as concerned with those meta keywords as I am with actual content meta keywords. Like someone else said, it's not supposed to take more than 5 minutes (so since we're new, maybe 10 for us) to come up with META info. I'm going to do my name (on the off chance someone googles me) my university, my degree info, internship info, and special projects (I'm green living, so that's going to be about recycling and other volunteer projects I've worked on). I really don't think it will be as extensive as my other meta info has been though. Anyway, I hope everything is going well for you! Hooray for crunch time!

OK, I've got a question for those of you who are more established Guides. I joined About.com in May, went live June 1.

Does it weird you out just a little to see yourself cited as an expert online, quoted in other people's blogs, and find your articles linked to by people you've never heard of?

I'm amazed by this -- don't get me wrong, I'm very pleased, but it's a bit of a strange experience.

Patti,
I am just a newbie guide. Yesterday I received an email from an ADHD site in the UK...that is when it really hit me. Yikes, people are reading this. Now I am so much more nervous about putting stuff up. All my articles have to go through medical review so at least I know someone is checking over them. Tonight I am working on a blog entry (which does not get reviewed). I have rewritten it about five times and still am worried about it. Took a break and came here.
Keath

Patti and Keath,

I've been dealing with the same thing! I recently had an article shredded by a mommy blogger. I was a bit insulted, but then I realized something. She was upset about my article because she didn't agree with my "expert" opinion. She had come to me for "advice" and wasn't happy about what I said. It was a big reminder that people base their decisions on what we write!

I actually commented on her blog (in part to suggest that you don't HAVE to take parenting advice from someone you've never met) to clear up a misunderstanding and open some dialogue [aside: I just had to add that spelling to my Firefox dictionary!]. Turned out for the best - I posted a blog entry and a poll about it, which generated some nice buzz, and we've been reading each other's blogs ever since.

I suspect it's just a fraction of what celebrities face the first time someone runs up to them on the street. Who, me?

I'm just curious if anyone has been accepted into Prep (or graduated) for a health topic who is not a doctor or nurse or established writer in the field but rather just has a lot of firsthand experience with the topic and writes well (sorry for the run-on). Anyone? Should I bother applying for a health topic if I'm not a doctor?

@MoreThanMommy--
That was a great way to turn lemons into lemonade!

I read one particular blogger and she's had her share of ups and downs, dealing with negative feedback here and there. I guess that's the price you pay when you become somewhat successful and well known.

Tripletsmom,
Yes, definitely apply! Just include your educational background (even if it isn't relevant to the topic) and your experience with the topic. Your writing sample will give them an idea about your writing style. I don't know what the requirements are for each health topic. Usually, they are included on the page that has available topics.

http://beaguide.about.com/topics.htm

Check out the requirements for your topic. You may be just fine...sometimes first hand experience gives you a better perspective anyway!

I was wondering the very same thing about an About topic -- good to know!

Thanks

Hello, all. I'm de-lurking as I emerge from Prep and graduation, all on the same day. I found this thread after I googled about.com after being accepted two months after I applied (no acknowledgement, just like ya'll said) on a total lark. I wondered what I was in for, and found my answers right here. I wanted to thank all of you with about experience for sharing it to this lurker. Everything you said was true! I felt prepared going in and ready to march through the process. It was a lot of work, but I figure it'll be a lot of fun once the under-the-gun feeling passes. Good luck to those of you still in Prep. I think the weirdest part for me was competing against unknown others. I like to see my "opponent"!

Kim

KIM!!

Congratulations on completing prep and graduating!!! What is your topic?

Kim - that is my hardest part right now - once you get to the point that that writing and using about tools isn't a concern anymore, it's all about what the other "people" are doing - too bad they don't have a rating system to know how many people you are up against and where you stand. I would love to know where I place right now!

Only one week left untill the end of prep - I am both thrilled and flipping out that I only have 6 days left to enter content!

Back to work I go - good luck courtney - and to those of you that start prep on friday!! and for those of you who are applying, or waiting to hear about an application -- or are waiting to go live...

Congrats Semother!
I look forward to seeing you on the About site. Everyone there has been so warm, friendly, and supportive...just like on this forum.

Good luck Elizabeth. Only one more week to go! Happy wishes to everyone else in prep, those getting ready to start, and those waiting on their applications.
Keath

I emailed the About.com help desk to enquire about Fahim and I being co-guides, and here's the response I received:

Having co-Guides is fine; what we'll do is if we decide to accept your application, you'll be the primary contact during the Prep process. If we hire you, we'll add the name of your husband to the site as well.

Click to expand...

So, if anyone else is wondering, that's basically what they do.

Just wanted to drop in and say hi!

Kim-Congratulations!

Elizabeth-Are you going crazy yet? I am! I definitely agree though...I like being able to size up my competition that way I know where I stand. I don't want to be too over-achieverish but I certainly don't want to do too little! I guess if I have to pick one or the other, I'd pick to do too much work.

Does anyone know what's up with Jennifer Kyrnin's About site (she does Web Design)? About half the time it comes up as a regular About site (like everyone elses) and half the time it comes up with this really cool look to it. I've been trying to figure out why hers is different (aside from the fact that she's brilliant with web design). Is About going to launch a new design soon?

Cheers to everyone!

How many people here applied for Deb's Web Logs guide position? Or would the better question be who did not apply for the position?

Just curious to hear when anyone else hears about being accepted to prep, so I stop wondering about it. If anyone here gets accepted, could you post so I can scratch this one off my list of hopefuls?

Thanks!

Yep, we're very slowly moving into a redesign and they're testing out the new look on a lot of sites now. I think a new batch started yesterday, and more will be added at the beginning of January.

I think the new design looks awesome!

Thanks Wolflady! I've been curious for awhile I think it looks awesome too! Do you know when your site will make the change?

Welcome and Congrats to Kim! Definitely let us know what your topic is so we can keep an eye for you on the newbie list and the forums. It's fun to find out people's "real" names and identities once they get on board. This week, we welcomed Nancy P!

I'm so excited for the new site design. I think it looks great, it is easier to navigate and the guides have more control over promoting content. I just need to stay focused and get enough content up to make it look great once we switch over. I believe everyone is switching in early 2008.

Elizabeth and Courtney... final stretch! I think this was the point I started to panic a bit. =} The clock was ticking and I still had a lot that I still wanted to do. Anyway, I'm crossing my fingers and sending you good wishes and all that.

Christy

Ha ha...my first email from the New Guide Forum was...your redesigned landing page (home page) is due tomorrow! (Travel is part of the redesign test.) Talk about a surprise! I'm living proof that the new tool is pretty easy to use.

Kim, welcome...I'll see you in the New Guide Forum.

Keep writing, Elizabeth and Courtney...

...and thanks, Christy, for the welcome!

Tripletsmom said:

How many people here applied for Deb's Web Logs guide position? Or would the better question be who did not apply for the position?

Just curious to hear when anyone else hears about being accepted to prep, so I stop wondering about it. If anyone here gets accepted, could you post so I can scratch this one off my list of hopefuls?

Thanks!

Click to expand...

You're just a bunch of vultures, aren't you!
Just kidding. I look forward to learning who lands the gig next. I must have had about two dozen people email me to ask me about the gig and that was before i even officially left About!

You're right, Deb. The competition is going to be tough for that one!

I think that my site is scheduled for the second week in January. I can't wait, but at the same time, there's a lot of catching up to do. Without going into too much detail, there's something that we've been supposed to do when we submit articles to be ready for the redesign and I haven't done it since, oh, July or so. Bad me! But I'm confident I'll get everything ready before it's time to make the change. It's just going to be a busy couple of weeks until the holidays are over and things settle back to normal!

wolflady26 said:

I think that my site is scheduled for the second week in January. I can't wait, but at the same time, there's a lot of catching up to do. Without going into too much detail, there's something that we've been supposed to do when we submit articles to be ready for the redesign and I haven't done it since, oh, July or so. Bad me! But I'm confident I'll get everything ready before it's time to make the change. It's just going to be a busy couple of weeks until the holidays are over and things settle back to normal!

Click to expand...

=} I keep forgetting those as well! You get through prep and you think you know what you're doing and then all of a sudden there's all this other stuff that never came up before (including a weekly newsletter and forum).

=},
Christy

Congratulations Kim!

After reading through this thread, I think I'm ready for prep. I've read over the site guidelines and made a tentative outline with potential article ideas for each category. Mentally I'm ready.

Best of luck to those who are in the middle of prep! Keep on writing.

Hello everyone - it will be very exciting to see all of your sites once they change format - I was wondering what those few odd pages were all about!

art nerd - this thread definitely helped me to have some idea of what I was getting myself into - the first few days were overwhelming with the amount of information there is to process, but once you get all that down, it's just a race against the clock to see how much content you can publish in the time you're given.

I am absolutely feeling the pressure now that I'm down to just 5 writing days - I have a list of content to get through each day to have the site look how I want it to - I have all of the requirements done, but it's so strange not knowing how much other people are writing and if I need to do more - I'm up to 26 pieces, and I would really like to end with 50 - not because they require it, but just to cover the topic as completely as I can.

I think the hardest part right now is knowing that I could be doing all of this and not get it - it makes all of the prior posts feel so much more real now that I understand all that goes into it - taking time away from kids and husbands and sitting at the computer for hours on end for a 20% chance - that's some dedication we all must have!

I commend all of you that have gone through it more than once - that is my plan if I don't get this - but now I really understand the potential dissapointment - and I'm trying to mentally prepare myself for that possibility.

WOW I'm a bummer - back to work - gosh I really hope I get this - uggg.

Elizabeth, thanks for keeping us posted on your progress. It sounds like you're doing great, so keep it up.

I guess all of us have to deal with the possibility of doing all that work and not getting the gig. At least you'll have content that you can market elsewhere. I'm going to try to keep that in mind as I start prep. I think it's easy to psyche yourself out and get discouraged.