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 Some Reminders about Site Policies |
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Hi Writers,
It’s easy to forget to what you agreed to when you registered for CC, so here’s the text of the registration agreement for you to review.
I hereby declare that the material submitted is my own, original material and does not violate any copyright rules. I understand failure to follow these terms will result in appropriate action being taken against me.
I understand that in submitting my articles/work to constant content I will retain the copyrights to all my work, but I will allow purchasers a license to use my work on designated websites only. Work may be purchased by additional users, unless my work falls under the Unique Purchase Package. I understand that work purchased with a Unique or Full Rights purchased can not be published or sold else where. If any article purchased with a “Unique” or “Full Rights” license is found published else after a sale, I will be responsible for giving Constant Content a full refund for the article purchased.
I understand that Constant Content reserves the rights to decline any work they feel does not meet their requirements. I am welcome to submit other work for approval even if one article has been declined. However, I understand that, if three articles are declined, Constant Content will accept no more submissions of my work.
I understand that it is my responsibility to set prices for my work, keeping in mind that the pricing should be at a reasonable price and still stay competitive.
I understand the licensing rights located here:
http://www.constant-content.com/area/faqs.htm
As well as the terms and conditions here:
http://www.constant-content.com/area/terms_conditions.htm
Please also remember that you may not contact customers outside of Constant Content. In addition, you are not permitted to provide customers with your contact information. Authors found doing this may be suspended.
From the Author FAQ:
Why can’t I contact a customer directly or post contact information?
Constant Content’s marketing and services bring customers and writers together in an arena that benefits both parties. You win because you have a place to market your work with no up-front fees. The customer wins because he has a place to buy quality content. Bypassing Constant Content’s system and posting contact information to our customers is grounds for account suspension.
April 2008
 Author: Ed | Category: Uncategorized | Comments(0)
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| Weekend Writing Idea - April 25, 2008 |
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So you’re feeling the effects of a slow economy and you need to write more articles. What topic is more pertinent than the slowing economy? We’ve had some great submissions about how to cut back spending in general, but here are some more subjects to consider writing about:
- Reasons for global economy slowdown
- Reasons for US recession
- Effects of rising prices world wide
- How is the economy’s pace affecting the wealthy?
- How does it affect healthcare?
- Is “going green” compatible with living more economically?
- How are retailers dealing with slowing sales?
- How are the poor affected?
- What about third-world countries?
- What can someone do in the case of a food shortage?
- How should a person invest during a recession?
April 2008
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| Pronouns Revisited |
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Many writers have trouble selecting the right pronouns when they are writing about a specific group or individual members of that group.
You should always use singular pronouns for singular nouns. Really. A breed of dog is singular, as is a company. If you are writing about a pet monkey, the pet monkey can be referred to as “he” or “she” . . . or even “it.” The monkey won’t mind. But your editor (who may or may not be a monkey) will mind if you refer to the monkey as “they.”
Correct:
- A pet monkey can be very high maintanence. It will live a long time.
- Pet monkeys can be very high-maintanence creatures. Theyalso live a long time.
Incorrect:
- A pet monky can be very high maintance. They can live a long time.
Another faux-pas in the writing world is using the pronoun “one,” when you should be using “he” or “she.” Using “one” is old fashioned and stuffy sounding, as in:
- When one is out calling, one must leave calling cards.
Use “he” or “she.” “He/she” can be cumbersome; the reader will forgive you for choosing one or the other in order to sound up-to-date on writing trends. (“They” is becoming more accepted, but it still rankles to prescriptivists.) If you’re addressing the audience, it’s also perfectly acceptable to refer to your reader as “you.” This sounds personable and makes your article accessible to the reader.
Examples:
- A quilter will want to make sure she chooses a pattern before selecting fabrics.
- The favorite political candidate may not always win. He may have to wait until next term to run for office again.
- Your poodle will need proper grooming. Have a sweater handy if she must go outside in cold weather. (Or, to revisit the idea in the first part of this post: A snake is a popular pet. It will not keep you warm at night, but it it will amaze you with its ability to swallow live rats whole.)
- What do you do in the event of a food shortage? Do you stockpile food, grow your own vegetables, or take to the streets and join your community in a riot?
If you have any questions about using pronouns, please ask in the forum, and our friendly community of writers and editors will answer them or point you in the direction of resources that will help you with your own writing.
April 2008
Author: Ed | Category: writing tip | Comments(0)
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| Weekend Writing Idea - April 18, 2008 |
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If you’re having a block this weekend, or none of the request appeal to you, consider writing about medical advances in technology, drugs, or procedures. Cancer treatments, discoveries in Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, or MS research, or new information for diabetes sufferers or the obese are all fair game.
After you’ve identified your topic and scientific studies that explain these medical advances, use search engines to try and find the original studies - or, in the very least, copies of their abstracts. This will guarantee that the information you have is correct and lend your article more authority. Don’t forget to reference your sources at the end of the piece.
Basic starting points for further investigation include BBC’s health section or Slate’s Human Nature column.
April 2008
Author: Ed | Category: writing tip | Comments(0)
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| Weekend Writing Idea - April 11, 2008 |
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As the word “recession” reverberates in echo across various media outlets, “green” living becomes ever more econonomical, trendy, and a way for practitioners to show others they are environmentally conscious, and the political sphere spins closer to election day in the US, we’ve seen a great many submissions that capitalize on buzzwords, explore hot topics, and look towards future changes in our lifestyles and our world.
This weekend’s writing idea steps away from content that focuses on timely subjects and into one that is timeless - the realm of the paranormal, unexplained, or mysterious.
Whether you’re a believer in UFOs, Bigfoot, ghosts, or mysterious happenings, or you’re a die-hard skeptic, you can get in on the fun. Provide evidence or examples of paranormal phenomenon or debunk them. One caveat - as always, avoid first-person narratives. Some ideas for articles include:
- Bigfoot sightings, Bigfoot around the world, Bigfoot in myth and legend
- UFO unsolved mysteries, common witness errors
- Ghosts, hauntings, theories behind ghostly activity, ghost hunter tips
- Lake monsters or sea monsters
- Mass hallucinations
- Curses on objects or families
- Superstitions around the world
April 2008
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| Weekend Writing Idea - March 21, 2008 |
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Food is an all-around fun topic. It’s fun to write about and fun to research. So this weekend, if you need something to write about, write about food. Bypass your desire to capitalize from your grandmother’s three-layer, upside-down, german chocolate angel cake recipe, and instead focus on world cuisines. Here are some topics to think about:
- Traditional cuisines vs. modern cuisines
- Tex-Mex and pizza parlor vs. Mexican and Italian
- Ways to bring authentic cuisine into the kitchen
- Exotic cuisines/Unknown cuisines
- Korean side dishes (or other unusual snack foods) for your cocktail party
- Dessert meets bacon (a trend that I hope will go the way of 1950s Jell-o salads)
- Haute cuisine chocolates
- Vegetarian/Vegan takes on favorite recipes
- Molecular gastronomy - what it is/how it works
- Ways to make breakfast exciting
- Unusual or surprising picnic food choices
March 2008
Author: Ed | Category: Uncategorized | Comments(0)
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| Weekend Writing Idea - March 7, 2008 |
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Forbes.com featured some of the world’s most expensive desserts in a slideshow in honor of Valentine’s Day. Most expensive, least expensive, or other surprising qualities at either end of the spectrum make for great articles. Some other suggestions include:
- Most expensive coffee makers
- Least expensive cars
- Smallest dogs
- Largest houses
- Longest films
- Oldest man-made structures
- Most expensive art sales
March 2008
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| Referencing Sources |
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The previous post talks about the importance of researching information for your articles. It is also important to give credit to your sources, especially if the information is not common knowledge. So what is the proper way to credit sources?
You may credit your sources using any style format you prefer - MLA, APA, etc., as long as you maintain a consistent format for all your sources. It is best to use endnotes/works cited/bibliography, rather than footnotes.
If you must cite websites, drop the http://www. prefix from the web address.
It is best to indicate, via the short summary, that your article contains legitimate references. This can pique buyer’s interest if you show you have researched your article. However, if your references lists is simply a cursory inventory of websites you visited while looking up information to include in your article, refrain using this as a selling point - a customer may feel mislead if the work does not contain specific references to authoritative sources when the author has indicated that references are included.
March 2008
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| Researching Articles and Providing Accurate Information |
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One of your fellow rightes REason-ably pointed out the importance of thorough research and providing accurate information in articles. I completely agree.
For example, I see a lot of articles come through with poorly supported arguments. With a little time spend researching, the authors could make convincing statements and provide useful information to readers. Providing useful information is essential for all articles. Even if your article is beautifully written and contains no errors, if the information within cannot be used by the reader in any way, the article is just words. Readers, especially internet readers, have little time to read simply beautiful writing. Readers in this so-called Information Age are searching for answers, solutions, facts, advice, and tips.
Research gives your articles credibility, supports your arguments, and can serve to make your articles longer, more detailed, higher quality. Therefore, they can command higher prices and attract discerning customers. You can research via the web, by going to your local or university library, by accessing academic journals through subscription services or on a college campus, and by interviewing experts. If you don’t know the answer to something, or want to bulk up your article with interesting information, a few minutes of research will allow you to answer any lingering questions a reader (or you) might have about your subject and help to flesh out your article.
In addition, it is always dangerous to make up facts or speak about something of which you have no knowledge. I have sometimes come across articles that provide blatantly false information. If the author of these had spent five minutes using a search engine, the wrong information could have been disproved. If a customer or reader finds that you are disseminating incorrect information, especially information that is commonly known to be factually incorrect, you will have lost credibility immediately. Writing about a subject in which you have no experience without some cursory research can ruin your reputation before you even have one.
While researching, you should strive to understand terms and use them correctly. Is the health issue you describe a disease, a syndrome, or something else entirely (as defined by health professionals)? Are you using the currently accepted term flight attendant rather than the outmoded stewardess? For industry-specific terms, search the Federal Trade Commission website. For example, the FTC prefers fuel economy when “miles-per-gallon” is referred to in a document (http://www.ftc.gov/os/comments/fueleconomyadguide/529732-00005.pdf). A search on the FTC website - a few minutes of research - will bring up documents that will explain industry-appropriate terminology.
Using the correct terms not only increases your reliability as a writer, but makes it more likely that your article will be understood by a wide variety of readers. A writer’s job is to communicate his or her subject matter clearly; using the correct terminology is just like using the correct punctuation or proper grammar in order to make yourself understood.
Many thanks to R. Eason for suggesting this blog topic, as well as the tip about the FTC!
March 2008
Author: Ed | Category: Uncategorized | Comments(0)
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