The usage of first and second pronouns

[ReneeF]

I'm just a bit curious, quite a few of my article (in multiple topic areas) have come back for the use of the personal pronoun "you". So, I stopped using it, no big deal, rewrite 12 articles to third person. (And it says in the guidelines that only third person is okay) YET in the sales listings I see many many articles using second person personal pronouns. Did I miss a memo someplace that now allows 90% of the articles to be in second person? Or do the grammar rules just not apply to these people/articles/clients? (And yes other rules are broken in these articles on punctuation and grammar, things my articles would get rejected for.) Which makes me think that these articles might be allowed because they are client orders and not the general catalog, is that the case?

[Lysis]

ooooh rly? That's kinda weird. I use "you" all the time. Actually, I know people have been rejected for being too formal. That's frustrating.

Was it just for using "you" or is there some kind of context there? Something is up with that. Maybe send a question via the contact form? I just had some articles pass on Saturday and I always use "you."

[ReneeF]

I used to submit articles with both YOU and WE pronouns in the past, here. Many were still up for sale and up for a few months. And YES they were in different topic areas so it likely wasn't the same editor. I Keep a list of mistakes the editors find and cross proof my articles against it before submitting new ones. All articles in 2013 not sold previously (12) were removed from the site for being in first (we) and second (you) pronouns and I was told to edit them or leave. So yes, imagine my surprise to see in the rules that it is not allowed, but then see masses of articles in the sold listings using both pronouns as if nothing were wrong. I also see others with grammar and punctuation mistakes I've been rejected for.

I am very confused!

Thats when I began thinking that maybe its okay for client requests, but common catalog articles are more stringent because they are more representing our new customer base. AND yea for some topic matter third person actually drags out the word count and makes the content stuffy, plus some content is hard to write in third person. I find myself writing in second person and then spending two weeks rewriting the article to third person and being sooooooo frustrated.

I am simply curious why its okay for others to break the guidelines/rules and not me...


For now, I'll stick to my strict list of things the editors have informed me about and make sure future content adheres to the list and the guidelines, which I have also printed out to edit the articles by.

[ReneeF]

The sad thing is, after I stopped using "you" personal pronouns, my sales have dropped to zero. I sold articles with second person pronouns, but only one on third person pronouns.

[tayalltheway]

I don't usually do first person (maybe a VERY occasional "we"), but I think literally every one of my 1,000 articles I've written for this site have used "you." No idea why you've had trouble getting them past the editors!

[ReneeF]

I used to do second person "you with the rare occasional second person "we" because less formal tends to sell things better. But the CC guidelines do stipulate that second person isn't tolerated. that is why I am sooooo very very confused why its allowed nearly ALL the time, just not by me.

[Abbamay]

That's interesting. I would write and ask the editors about it. Explain it to them like you have to us and see what they say. I wonder if they thought "you" didn't suit the tone or subject of your articles - though surely you would have known that anyway.

Your comment about how we might need to write more formally for common content articles might be right, but I know plenty of the articles sitting in the pool use "you" constantly. I think CC could answer this best, as it doesn't sound right.

I hope you get this sorted. Sounds miserable.

Abba May

[ReneeF]

It wouldn't be miserable IF articles sold after writing only in third person. I sold EVERYTHING when I wrote in second-person and would gladly continue writing in third-person if sales stayed. But Only ONE sale has happened since the switch.

[PaulMaplesden]

I write quite a few 'how to' articles where I use 'you' all the time; I've never had an issue with being rejected for using second person pronouns. I do find though that some editors reject things for areas that other editors do not have an issue with, and I just put that down to each editor having different views on what they do and don't consider acceptable. It may just be that you had an editor that prefers writers don't use second person pronouns. When I get an article that's rejected for something that other editors may have accepted, I simply fix it to the response that the editor has given.

I also find that articles that use 'we' and 'you' generally tend to be better received than the more formal 'they' and other third person pronouns, and it seems that content marketing as a whole is moving in that direction. I would think that CC would know this and that most editors don't have an issue with second person pronouns (even if the guidelines stipulate otherwise.)

I have never used first person pronouns (I) in an article though, unless either a client specifically requests it or I am using it to provide an example of how the person I am addressing might do something.

[Isabelnewth]

This seems really odd and difficult, particularly having to take old articles down and change them.

I think you should email support with the question and I hope they give you an answer! I have had some editors object to things that everyone else allows, but have not been requested to change articles which had already been approved: I think that's a bit shocking, if I understood what you said.

If you can't use 'you' in how to articles, I'm at a loss to know how they should be written. You would end up getting into trouble by using the passive voice too much instead.

[ReneeF]

Apparently there were "numerous complaints" about it and so yes, I did indeed send in a query and the admin who responded confirmed that third person active voice is required by the guidelines. And yes, that is tremendously difficult. but, it is even harder to get third person active voice to sell. I promised my husband that I could turn working here into a second income for our household and I cant get articles to sell now. I would get it if it was just the Google-Technology articles, but it seems I have the same editor for any section I write in, including health, beauty, sexuality, gardening, food... The only way I get around it is to avoid personal pronouns as much as possible, which feels uncomfortable to me when I read it back.

[Lysis]

Just FYI: first person has never been allowed unless the customer asks for it. Might want to avoid it.

If I have to change previously published articles, I'll be fixing about 250. Most of my kick-backs are for wordiness.

That's really frustrating and confusing. I'm sorry you're going through it.

[ReneeF]

I get first person and had no issue when the pronoun WE was considered first person and I was asked to remove it. I still cringe when I write blog posts for clients privately (clients I have worked with long before starting at CC) and they want first person posts. I cringe at my own first person reviews on my review blog. I've been writing for clients since 2001 and they have always wanted the second-person vernacular over third person. THIS is why I am confused and frustrated that since I changed those articles to third-person sales have dropped from 100% to ZERO.

[ReneeF]

I just posted another inquiry to the moderators:


Dear Moderator,

How do I gain approval for using second-person vernacular? I have been informed by editors and through contact CC requests before that ONLY third-person is allowed and so all of my currently for-sale content was pulled down by the editor last fall until I complied and made it all third-person active vernacular.

I would happily write in third-person IF the articles sold. But since making the switch my sales have gone from 100% to just one sale in six months.

I asked on the forums why I see quite a few second-person vernacular articles in the sold listings and how they were allowed where mine are not. I see in the guidelines that second person is not allowed, but still these articles persist and get sales.

It seems to me we should write what sells and if third-person vernacular articles are not selling, but second-person vernacular is, we should comply with the customers needs.

Here is the forum where the discussion takes place:
https://www.constant-content.com/forum/ ... 12&t=76712

Help posting content that sells is greatly appreciated.

Thank you
Renee

[Lysis]

Let us know how it goes, please? This really concerns me (lots of us maybe?) especially if it's an issue for previous articles.