The Friday Fix: PV's, Review Dates, Non-Exclusive Content, and More
Hope this finds you doing well. Today's edition of The Friday Fix is chock-full of information. We're covering four topics -- one that's big news, and three that have come up here at Seed this week in our communications with you:
BIG NEWS: Your Page View Counter is Counting Again!
As some of you might have noticed, your page view counter on your dashboard was not displaying correct information. We've corrected the issue, and now you can see just how far your voice is carrying when you write for Seed. (Some voices may carry farther than others, depending on what site your work appears on, along with the site's PVs and any additional promotion the site and/or your work received during the timeframe when your work published.)
The page view count you see is retroactive -- meaning, it's representative of your total page views to date. And it will continue to tally your PVs going forward as your content is read on our broad and growing network of sites. It will be updated around 7am ET daily for now, and soon it will start to be updated multiple times each day.
Next Up ... Confirming Your Review Dates
Click 'Continue Reading' button below.
Some of you are asking about the date on your Next Steps screen, once you've submitted your content, and what it's based on. This date is calculated as six days after the assignment's due date.
In the below example, yesterday, February 18, was the due date. So, our editors have around five business days (roughly seven actual days) to review your work and notify you. We've settled on a formula of six days, which is why February 24th is listed. If the due date is February 22, then the display date should read February 28th.
For now, you'll still need to make note of this in your personal files if you're tracking it. However, it's soon on our list to add this review date to your assignment details page after you've submitted your content.
Non-Exclusive Content
Just a friendly reminder that we don't accept previously published (or non-exclusive) content. This includes content that's submitted against an assignment request that you claim. The article needs to be completely original, intended only for Seed, as is covered in our publishing agreement and FAQs:
Can I submit content to Seed that I've already published somewhere else?
Can I publish my content elsewhere once I have submitted it to Seed?
In cases where we find something that looks like non-exclusive content, we'll email you with links to the non-exclusive content in question, along with your Seed submission link for comparison -- mainly so that you can aid us in clearing up any confusion.
Thanks in advance for working with us on this, and for helping us create articles that are entirely original for Seed and our AOL Network.
And, Speaking of the AOL Network ...
Some of you are asking about how to familiarize yourselves with our AOL network of sites. There's a link on Seed.com here: http://www.seed.com/aol-network/. Simply hover your cursor over each site logo for a description, or click on the logo to be directed to the site.
We're working with our editors to start including the name of the site each assignment is for. This will allow you to research the site's voice, tone, and published content, so that you can better complete the assignment. Until then, you could probably take some good educated guesses. If it's a pets assignment, chances are good that it's intended for our pets site, PawNation.com. Or, if it's health-focused, it's probably for our diet and fitness site, ThatsFit.com.
We definitely recommend taking time to familiarize yourselves with AOL's properties, as these are where your work will live. So, make sure to bookmark our AOL Network page and review it when you can.
NEXT UP: Don't forget to check out our Seed Successes post on Monday, February 22, highlighting Seed work published by you for the week of 2.15.10 - 2.21.10.
Have a great weekend!
Kristi
Reader Comments
(page 1 of 1)Great job! I've been with SEED for about a month-writing some, watching more-and love every improvement you have made so far. I appreciate the open communication you provide concerning ongoing improvements and overall directional updates.
While flaws still persist, I have been impressed at the professionalism and passion that I get a sense of every time I log in. I have no doubt the technical issues will be resolved and refined in the near future and look forward to being a more active participant in SEED's continued evolution.
Keep up the great work. You are providing a wonderful opportunity for writers and, based on my limited experience, a unique process within the online content industry.
Thanks for your kind words, zookeeper!
These changes are definitely a step in the right direction. I just wish there was some type of feedback or reason why an article wasn't chosen so we can avoid mistakes in the future. It seems like an awful waste of time to write an article only to have it rejected for an unknown reason which may happen again the next time you submit. I'm trying really hard not to get discouraged as so many others have. Hopefully the changes will keep happening to make it easier for the writers to give AOL what they need. In the meantime I will keep reading and writing and taking in all of your efforts. Thanks!
I totally agree with R. More customized feedback for rejected articles would benefit both writers and SEED. I understand that writing a detailed critique of all submissions would be unrealistic, but perhaps editors could somehow give a general indication of what their writers might improve upon for next time. A list of standardized suggestions might be generated, then editors could click on all that apply. For example; "not enough AOL links," "links not relevant to subject," "tone too informal," "tone doesn't suit our AOL site," or "grammatical errors." I would welcome any feedback at all beyond the same standardized email I've received for each article I've submitted. However, I must say this site is coming together quite nicely, and I thank you all for this very good excuse to practice writing.
Hi Nathan. Thanks for your input. You'll be glad to hear that we're introducing new tools and resources for our editors that will allow them to input more detailed article requests, and also reach you directly for more specific feedback. So, you should see changes in these areas soon. Thanks.
I've been with SEED approximately three weeks and have been waiting since February 15 for one article to be approved or rejected.place This is easily more than seven days. I wrote one article to see how it would go. I've worked places where you have to stay on them to get paid in a reasonable time, so I always start with one article, otherwise it's a waste of time.
It's not going good.
Hi Julie,
I'm having the same problem ~ my story is still in review and it's been more than 15 days.
Did you ever get a response or a review?
I've already commented about this in a different comment thread, but it didn't get posted until just now. But: it's definitely frustrating to get something rejected without any feedback at all.
I spent several hours doing research and interviews- on the phone and in person- for an article that got rejected. Fair enough- that'll happen I guess. It certainly would help to get some kind of reasoning though- or instructions to rewrite and resubmit, maybe- I'd certainly rather do that than get nothing at all out of it.
But now I see the same article description listed again- at 3/5 the rate it was when I claimed and wrote it.
I don't like the looks of that too much.
And whatever the reason for the rejection- if the article as I submitted it was too messed up to fix- I have a hard time seeing how someone else is going to find it worthwhile doing the same amount of research and talking to people, for less money.
So- what's up with all that?
The payment model for this website is unfair in its current model. If AOL actually wants to recruit decent writers it must change. I have other websites which will pay me an agree upon amount for more work.
I'm not going to consider writing for AOL unless it offers competitive compensation. The same will remain true of any decent writer. Our time is worth money, so we'll write for clients who actually promise us payment.
Hi Matthew -- Thanks for writing. I'm sorry about the perception you have about our payment model. In our short time being live, we've actually done the most in this area to ensure that we're very competitive when it comes to payment pricing and payout. We moved from a monthly to a now weekly payment schedule, and we currently only offer flat-fee payment -- which is usually well above what others in this market offer. If I can shed more insight or answer more questions in this area, please let me know.
I think M.S. is referring to the fact that we don't know whether we will get paid or not. I think it strikes a balance. I also write for other sites where I know I will get paid. The pay is less than Seed though for an equivalent amount of work. I think that is the trade off. For me, if Seed doesn't buy it, I use it elsewhere.
I submitted an article 14 days ago re: "Three Basic Sauces are the Essence of French Cuisine." and have not had any comments as to whether it was accepted or rejected.
Please advise a.s.a.p.
Thank you.
I have the same question. I submitted a story well in advance of its deadlines, but it's now 2 weeks and I can't get an answer. I'd like someone to use it, of course, but if they don't want it, I want to use it elsewhere. Anyone out there listening?
The one thing I don't get it is if we claim an item are we the only ones able to submit for it or are there hundreds of people writing the exact same story?
New to this Blog.
Seed is much more rewarding to me than writing for magazines, even though I have submitted 16 various articles and had 12 rejected. It is a much faster process and provides a plethora of assignments to choose from. I am concerned about the "KOL Homework Help-Nouns" I submitted 26 days ago. I am excited about the other three which have not been decided on as yet. This has provided a new writing experience for me. I don't intend to get discouraged. I also would like more accurate information why an article is rejected. Thank you.
MDW
I'm confused, this says that articles will be reviewed within 7 days. I submitted an article on it's due date 10 days ago but have not heard if it's been accepted or rejected yet. I've contacted Seed twice, both times got automated emails back saying that I would receive a response within 24 hours and have yet to get a real response from anyone. What's up with that?
Yikes! I was hoping I'd signed up with a good company (AOL) but seeing all these things that aren't what they say kind of worries me. I, too, have written articles that go unnoticed, and I'm an experienced professional. I'll wait and see what happens before I submit more.
I have had one article accepted--thank you. I am concerned about the other articles i have submitted--some over three-weeks-old--that are neither accepted or rejected. The last post on this blog was Feb, 19--over three months ago. What's up? An answer would be appreciated.