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.

From the Registration Agreement

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 I understand that work purchased with a Unique or Full Rights purchased can not be published or sold else where.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.

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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?

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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. They also live a long time.

Incorrect:

• A pet monkey can be very high maintenance. 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.

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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.

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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

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