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Personal Accounts/Narratives
Constant Content has gotten an unusually large amount of submissions in the first-person point-of-view. As stated in our guidelines, these are not generally accepted. Why don't we accept personal accounts or narratives?
1. Customers purchase content on an as-needed basis. There is no opportunity for the author to build a relationship with readers, as would a writer of a weekly column. Therefore, the reader is not invested in the personal life of the author because the author is a stranger; they will not empathize with the writer and may find the emotions/opinions of a stranger to be irrelevant.
2. Our customers look for web content. Web customers or people who search for information on the internet are searching for just that - information. They are less interested in experiences that may be unique to the author and are more interested in information that will be immediately useful to them - how to care for a burn, what to do if their ficus is looking a little brown, how they can lose ten pounds before the wedding next month.
3. Customers want content that will be found by search engines and ranked high so that customers will visit their pages. Pages that are relevant to a wide group of people - that is, articles that address the audience, rather than use introspection - will rank more highly because they will be more likely to get link backs, will more likely be visited by people looking for information, and will more likely be given more credit by those who use internet search tools like Stumbleupon or Digg.
4. Personal narratives have a difficult time balancing information and style with sentimentality and emotion. First-person accounts are often so subjective that the reader will be turned off by shows of emotion (especially if it is negative) because there is no common ground between the reader and the writer. Successful autobiographical authors use objectivity to help others see the world through their eyes and show rather than tell about situations. However, Constant Content is not a good place for narratives - fiction or nonfiction - simply because customers are in the market for the type of content described above.
Please avoid using the first-person point-of-view (either a single time or multiple times) in your articles, except when a requester has specifically asked for personal accounts. For more information, please re-read the blog post about avoiding the first-person point-of-view, republished in its entirety here:
You may have had one or more of your articles rejected for use of the first person point-of-view (POV), and you may be wondering in what cases the "I" voice is unacceptable. I'll explain.
Author Intrusion
In most cases, the "I" slips into articles even if the article begins by addressing the reader as "you".' When the reader is suddenly hit with the author's opinion or experience, this is uncomfortable and is known as author intrusion. When a reader has been set up to absorb information directed at them, it can be awkward to suddenly hear the voice of the author. Voice or POV should stay consistent throughout a piece, whether it is first-, second-, or third-person.
Web Writing
However, for web writing, "I" should rarely be used.Constant Content will, of course, accept articles that are submitted for requests that require the inclusion of personal experience, narratives, or anecdotes. For other writing, "I" is hardly ideal. Why? Because readers want to know what is true for them if they are seeking information. The experience of the writer is usually irrelevant, as the writer is only one person. Authors of articles at Constant Content should seek to explain what is generally true in a broad sense. This will not only make your article more useful to readers, but it will make it more useful to the customer who buys it.
Ex. You write an article about poison ivy. However, you happen to be immune to poison ivy's toxins. Instead of saying, "Poison ivy will make you itch, but I am immune to it", it would be better to say, "Poison ivy will make most people itch, however, there are a few people who happen to be immune to this plant's toxins."
Goals of Articles Submitted to Constant Content
Articles submitted to Constant Content should, above all, offer something to the reader. Personal narratives rarely do this. Most people reading web writing are seeking information. A personal narrative that does not connect to the reader does not offer the reader anything. Articles that fall into this category may be perceived as a waste of the reader's time. In addition, a reader who does not suspect that the article will provide them what they are looking for after the first few sentences will cease to keep reading.
Blogs
Even blog authors are straying from the use of the word "I". Personal blogs are still in the styles of diaries. However, blogs more often offer information that is up-to-date and informative. In this case, the first-person is once again rendered irrelevant.
Credibility and Professionalism
In addition, because writers for Constant Content rarely have connections with the publications in which their work is featured, the "I" can become even more problematic. The reader is not familiar with the writer or the writer's work. The "I" is a stranger, and the stranger may not be able to be trusted in the reader's eyes. Removing the "I" from articles submitted to Constant Content will lend more credibility and professionalism to the information.
Final Note
The reader doesn't care about the process it takes to write an article. If you give them a step-by-step about what you went through to gather the information you present, they will quickly grow bored and stop reading. Present the result of your research, not the process. Cite credible sources ("The FDA reports . . . " not "My mother says . . . ") that inspire confidence in the information.
June 2008
18 Responses to “Personal Accounts/Narratives”
Karen Adams Says: February 3rd, 2009 at 9:24 pm
I don't mean to get started on the wrong foot, but this is a writing site. (And I also work as an editor.)
So I have to point out that: "Constant Content has gotten an unusual amount of submissions..." is a little disturbing.
How about: "Constant Content has RECEIVED an UNUSUALLY LARGE NUMBER of submissions...."
I'm just sayin'.
Karen
Profitwriter Says: February 24th, 2009 at 4:04 pm
Dear Ed
I see that personal content is permitted in blog articles - e.g. I was reading one of your author's personal accounts on depression.
Can we take it then that personal accounts are ONLY permitted on blogs?
And by the way, I would also like to point out a spelling error - when submitting an article one is asked if this is for a PIVATE request instead of private.
Kind regards
Gayze Says: March 27th, 2009 at 7:12 am
While in general I totally agree with the "no first person POV" issue on articles, and certainly respect all decisions made by CC on that score, I'd like to propose a thought.
I've written about paranormal, psychic, spiritual, and many other related topics for years, and yes, on the web as well. It's my experience that, on such topics, the main thing that readers want to see is first person examples that these things are real, that they work, and that they, also, can hone their skills or have similar experiences. The feedback I've gotten over the past ten years has shown me that, almost without exception, the articles I've posted with first person examples have gotten the most hits, and the best feedback.
Just throwing this out there....
Thanks for everything, have a good one!
--Gayze--
Gunther i Says: April 4th, 2009 at 3:52 am
Am very enthusiastic about the professional way things are put!
The tips for writing are indeed informative guides to content structure as well as quality!
Thank you
Tsu Dho Nimh Says: June 5th, 2009 at 12:27 pm
Is it OK to use first person to establish expertise and background in a how-to or review article?
That's where you mention "in __ years as a _insert profession here __, I found that __blah__" and continue with the information.
brotee mukhopadhyay Says: July 19th, 2009 at 9:20 pm
The information is a good read and helpful.
But just now I have submitted a 250 words writing on Jacksonville which I have received as a request and which has asked my personal reflections. I have used words like 'my', 'I' and 'we' thrice at least.
I do not know if the submission will be disapproved for this reason.
Jill Says: July 27th, 2009 at 2:52 pm
I can understand the "I" issue, but I find it a little bit silly that I was unable to submit content that was created for attorney websites using the word "our" to refer to the law office that purchased the article.
I can think of many situations where clients would want "our" or "we" in their articles to refer to themselves and it seems silly that they would be expected to specificy this before they could have an article written for their site.
When writers craft something to be in the voice of a specific customer group, it shouldn't be rejected for a blanket rule like this.
Just my two cents.
Blair Says: August 9th, 2009 at 4:21 pm
I think sometimes the use of the first person is important. For instance, I've been writing a series on safety for DIY renovators. I have a fair bit of experience in the building and reno industry and in talking to people doing their own work. I may not have an opportunity to build a relationship with the the reader beyond that one article, but surely they want to know that it was written by someone with experience? I have often used my own experiences in driving home a point. They add interest to the article and personalize it so that people realize that it can happen to them.
I guess my question is, "Why not let the buyer decide?"
chessgolf Says: September 7th, 2009 at 4:58 pm
Having read the comments on why personal narratives are not allowed, it made me wonder when I read through an article that has been accepted and sold twice as usage here on CC.
http://www.constant-content.com/MoreDetails/54003-Getting_Acquainted_with_Single_Malt_Scotch.htm
The entire article seesm to be about one person's experience!
JC
M.C. Allen Says: September 25th, 2009 at 9:28 am
Though I agree for the most part with CC on the POV issue, I must say however that if an informative article is written (one that exposes very questionable practices and provides information that will be considered helpful by a reader)based on research that was prompted by a negative first hand experience, the article should be accepted. There are many, many issues that require first-hand experience to convey. If something is amuck and the writer can legitimize this by backing up with facts it really is not a POV issue.
Had to share... am new and just received my first rejection for the POV issue. I don't think the rejection has merit. Still, glad to be a part.
M J Sinclair Says: October 23rd, 2009 at 3:34 pm
Whilst I do understand your position, and that the majority of Internet users are after information, this is not always the case. I recently submitted an article in the "humor" category, which was rejected because of the "I" word.
People reading funny stories and articles are not looking for information, they are looking to be entertained, and are not necessarily put off by a personal viewpoint - in fact it's often an advantage. Look at all of the "my wife", "my mother-in-law" jokes. It is only BECAUSE this is a personal viewpoint that it is funny. Imagine saying "all wives are so fat that . . ". Do you get my point?
Will you please review your rule and make some exceptions - for example humor?
Daniel Says: December 18th, 2009 at 12:24 pm
I just got an article rejected because it uses the first-person POV. However, the article was submitedd for a particular ad that asked for an article that told of "your own experiences"
Doesn't make sense to get rejected for that reason then.
JadeDragon Says: March 7th, 2010 at 12:37 am
I totally agree with the concept that readers are not interested in what "I" think. They need information.
I would like to know about writing content that will be used to establish authority. A landing page for example might say "Our company offers you blah blah blah..." I assume when this is a request it falls into the requested first person point of view category.
Sherri Says: February 2nd, 2012 at 2:50 am
As a newbie, I had gone ahead at full speed and written an article that contained some first person POV, before seeing this rule. While I can appreciate why the rule is there, as explained by CC, it seems to me that in some instances using it adds to the credulity of the article. For instance, my article was a cooking "how to", written in a light-hearted style, and the "I' comments were there to make it more enjoyable and relaxing for the reader. After all, television chefs often explain from the "I" point of view what they do as a custom. But it seems that if I attempt to submit it, it will probably be rejected in its current form.
The rule does seem to be a little cramping in some respects! I'm rather in agreement with M J Sinclair's post about humor. But I'll go ahead and attempt to work with it and hope for the best.
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Constant Content » If You Aren’t Getting Your Emails . . . Says: August 15th, 2008 at 8:20 pm
[...] addition, as per our guidelines, we do not generally accept personal accounts/narratives. Because they are not considered except in the case of a buyers specifically requesting [...]