It would be good to know which authors are currently active without having to click through all the content pages. This may be of interest to customers as well.
So my suggestion is to add date of last submission to the author profile page. It wouldn't have to go against any content, which I understand could be counter productive.
Active authors
Moderators: Celeste Stewart, Ed, Constant
Hi,
Hope you don't mind my adding my 2 cents in. I'm not sure if dating the last article submitted would be good for the author especially where private requests are concerned. I know there are times when I don't submit an article for several weeks and then there are times I submit every day. If a customer sees an author hasn't submitted articles for quite some time he may not choose to contact that author for a private request because he may think the author is no longer available. That could hurt those who are still writing but haven't recently submitted new articles.
I know there are probably authors who are no longer active on the site even though they still have articles listed. Maybe it would be better to have a policy that if you haven't been active in, say 12 months, you will be asked to close your account?? Just a thought.
Hope you don't mind my adding my 2 cents in. I'm not sure if dating the last article submitted would be good for the author especially where private requests are concerned. I know there are times when I don't submit an article for several weeks and then there are times I submit every day. If a customer sees an author hasn't submitted articles for quite some time he may not choose to contact that author for a private request because he may think the author is no longer available. That could hurt those who are still writing but haven't recently submitted new articles.
I know there are probably authors who are no longer active on the site even though they still have articles listed. Maybe it would be better to have a policy that if you haven't been active in, say 12 months, you will be asked to close your account?? Just a thought.
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constant-content
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Elizabeth Ann West
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Or just have a sliding scale.. while it is understandable an author hasn't submitted ANYTHING in a few weeks, more than 30 days is probably more indicative that the author is not active. Most writing websites require a log in every 30 days in order to keep an account active.
I think if we could just get that ridiculous list on the right side of the Authors page pared down it would be nice.... for example, you have a list of authors in alphabetical order from the top who have submitted and been approved for something, private, public, or premium, within the last 30 days, then everyone else below.
OR
what about a list of the last 20 authors who have submitted on the Authors page below the other two lists, and it changes as people are approved. This way, it will encourage authors to submit more often to keep their name on the list, C-C will get more content, and buyers looking for active authors have a list right there... kinda like how article appear on the main page in the order in which they were approved.
I think if we could just get that ridiculous list on the right side of the Authors page pared down it would be nice.... for example, you have a list of authors in alphabetical order from the top who have submitted and been approved for something, private, public, or premium, within the last 30 days, then everyone else below.
OR
what about a list of the last 20 authors who have submitted on the Authors page below the other two lists, and it changes as people are approved. This way, it will encourage authors to submit more often to keep their name on the list, C-C will get more content, and buyers looking for active authors have a list right there... kinda like how article appear on the main page in the order in which they were approved.
I'm trying to figure out why it is important to let other writers and buyers know who is most active. The only reason I can come up with is so the buyer doesn't make a private request to an inactive writer, but under what circumstances would that ever happen? Most article topics are timeless, so why do we worry about someone taking a break? I do, however, agree that not signing in over a six-month period is definitely significant and that the endless list of authors is a waste of space.
I recognize that there are CC writers who want and need to make a living with their writing. There are also writers here who don't, but write because they like to exercise the cerebral muscles, they love to learn new things, and they want or need the supplemental income. Both groups have respectable motivations for working here at CC. However, I went a long stretch without submitting articles because my inventory was outpacing my sales, and I don't love the way that looks on my profile page. So should I be penalized because of this? I'm already being penalized enough.
I think it would be a good idea to reevaluate the whole concept of the top 10 lists. As I see it, CC singles out the writers with the most unsold articles, AND the list of best sellers ignores the fact that there is a lot of article-bundling going on, so it is fundamentally meaningless. The rankings say to buyers that CC values quantity over quantity and prizes the human article machines' work over well-researched articles written for the love of writing. Another list of names based on flawed reasoning would cause CC to slide further away from its standing as a unique site with high standards.
IF CC makes a management decision that it is important to recognize particular authors, I respectfully request that the criteria indicate something other than what they currently do. There should be a tie to the organization's mission statement. It is probably apparent that I believe hollow honors with no connection to any organizational goals are worse than no honors.
OK, I'm stepping down from the soap box to give someone else a chance.
I recognize that there are CC writers who want and need to make a living with their writing. There are also writers here who don't, but write because they like to exercise the cerebral muscles, they love to learn new things, and they want or need the supplemental income. Both groups have respectable motivations for working here at CC. However, I went a long stretch without submitting articles because my inventory was outpacing my sales, and I don't love the way that looks on my profile page. So should I be penalized because of this? I'm already being penalized enough.
I think it would be a good idea to reevaluate the whole concept of the top 10 lists. As I see it, CC singles out the writers with the most unsold articles, AND the list of best sellers ignores the fact that there is a lot of article-bundling going on, so it is fundamentally meaningless. The rankings say to buyers that CC values quantity over quantity and prizes the human article machines' work over well-researched articles written for the love of writing. Another list of names based on flawed reasoning would cause CC to slide further away from its standing as a unique site with high standards.
IF CC makes a management decision that it is important to recognize particular authors, I respectfully request that the criteria indicate something other than what they currently do. There should be a tie to the organization's mission statement. It is probably apparent that I believe hollow honors with no connection to any organizational goals are worse than no honors.
OK, I'm stepping down from the soap box to give someone else a chance.
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Celeste Stewart
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I'm not sure the customers pay as much attention to those lists as we do.
Hmmn, let's see, of all my private request customers, only one time did someone randomly pick me based on the list. He also picked Gypsy and Bonnie --(or so I assume as we all wrote similar articles at the same time and posted them to the private area). He did not buy any of our articles. So, that didn't appear to pan out.
All of my other private requesters have been from relationships built over time by answering public requests and a few referrals along the way.
I think some sort of active icon would be nice though.
Hmmn, let's see, of all my private request customers, only one time did someone randomly pick me based on the list. He also picked Gypsy and Bonnie --(or so I assume as we all wrote similar articles at the same time and posted them to the private area). He did not buy any of our articles. So, that didn't appear to pan out.
All of my other private requesters have been from relationships built over time by answering public requests and a few referrals along the way.
I think some sort of active icon would be nice though.
Thanks, Deanna - I appreciate your comment! Celeste, can I ask you to elaborate a bit more? My comments related to a suggestion that maybe CC should add yet another list, and I am questioning the value of all of them. I'm not as sure as you that buyers don't pay attention to them - the old CC must've believed they do or they wouldn't be so prominently displayed. It just seems like an ideal time for David to examine the perceived value and desired outcome of the lists before another one is considered.
It may just be a case of my having a senior moment, but it's not clear to me how your sources of private requests figure into the equation. Can you 'splain? Thanks.
It may just be a case of my having a senior moment, but it's not clear to me how your sources of private requests figure into the equation. Can you 'splain? Thanks.
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Celeste Stewart
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Just saying that in my experience, I haven't landed additional work because of being prominently listed in the top-selling author's list. My assumption (and that's all it is) is that if customers really paid attention to the list, then they'd want to give proven sellers a try. In my case, that hasn't happened which leads me to believe that being listed hasn't provided me with any benefit other than bragging rights.
Of course, Gypsy might be getting all of these requesters
I don't think the lists are bad and I kind of like being listed. I just think us writers take them more seriously than the customers do. I could be totally wrong though.
Maybe a weekly top sellers list might spread the joy around more? It is motivating to set goals such as "making the list" so a weekly listing might inspire writers.
Of course, Gypsy might be getting all of these requesters
I don't think the lists are bad and I kind of like being listed. I just think us writers take them more seriously than the customers do. I could be totally wrong though.
Maybe a weekly top sellers list might spread the joy around more? It is motivating to set goals such as "making the list" so a weekly listing might inspire writers.
If I understand you correctly, you're assuming that the only way the lists could be influential is if a writer from one of the lists were selected for a private request. I maintain that as buyers shop the many submissions to their requests, they can consider the names on the list as a "recommendation," and that's an advantage that other writers, most significantly newer writers, don't have AND PROBABLY NEVER WILL HAVE.
The message that comes across is certainly not that CC values quality, or newer writers would be on equal footing with the firmly established writers. This is not to say that those longer-term writers don't produce quality work: some do and some don't. But the same is true for newer writers.
What I want is for CC to settle on a hierarchy of values, then convey it to writers and buyers alike. That means CC has to decide if length of time spent working here is higher on the list of qualifications than the quality of writing that can be found here by shoppers, because that's the message I picked up the first time I ever laid eyes on the page.
The message that comes across is certainly not that CC values quality, or newer writers would be on equal footing with the firmly established writers. This is not to say that those longer-term writers don't produce quality work: some do and some don't. But the same is true for newer writers.
What I want is for CC to settle on a hierarchy of values, then convey it to writers and buyers alike. That means CC has to decide if length of time spent working here is higher on the list of qualifications than the quality of writing that can be found here by shoppers, because that's the message I picked up the first time I ever laid eyes on the page.
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Celeste Stewart
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I don't know, Grouchy. Most of the top sellers rarely write to the public requests so it's not like their articles are being highlighted over everyone else's. Also, a good portion of the top writers aren't active at all.
Plus, the requester SEES the writing when writers submit to them. The customer can judge the quality for themselves. Did the writer adequately fullfil their request? Is the article too flowery? Too vague? Or is it excellent? Beyond their expecations? I always loved that we don't need to have masters degrees in English in order to succeed here, nor do we need to sell ourselves. We just write.
Hmmn, also length of time writing with CC and other measurable successes do have merit. We all started out as newbies, including the top sellers. Shoot, one of the top sellers has been here maybe five or six months. The veterans that have made it work must be doing something right. They must have a clue about Web content writing, keywords, SEO, marketing, research, grammar, punctuation, word choice, nuance, and so forth. Plus, they understand other strategies that help their articles stand out (like posting the entire article, asking appropriate questions when appropriate, pricing fairly, providing timely responses etc....).
I don't think the top sellers' successes are related to "the list." Maybe here and there, one or two customers may have been swayed by it but I'm not even convinced of that. The list is nice for recognition but there's a lot of hard work behind getting there. If the top sellers get a thrown a bone here and there, you know what? They could very well deserve it.
Plus, the requester SEES the writing when writers submit to them. The customer can judge the quality for themselves. Did the writer adequately fullfil their request? Is the article too flowery? Too vague? Or is it excellent? Beyond their expecations? I always loved that we don't need to have masters degrees in English in order to succeed here, nor do we need to sell ourselves. We just write.
Hmmn, also length of time writing with CC and other measurable successes do have merit. We all started out as newbies, including the top sellers. Shoot, one of the top sellers has been here maybe five or six months. The veterans that have made it work must be doing something right. They must have a clue about Web content writing, keywords, SEO, marketing, research, grammar, punctuation, word choice, nuance, and so forth. Plus, they understand other strategies that help their articles stand out (like posting the entire article, asking appropriate questions when appropriate, pricing fairly, providing timely responses etc....).
I don't think the top sellers' successes are related to "the list." Maybe here and there, one or two customers may have been swayed by it but I'm not even convinced of that. The list is nice for recognition but there's a lot of hard work behind getting there. If the top sellers get a thrown a bone here and there, you know what? They could very well deserve it.
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Word Gypsy
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Just a few thoughts as one of the authors who have the distinction of being on both top ten lists. Since the most prolific author list does not list the number of unsold articles, but rather, it lists the number of articles that are available for purchase, it is a tool more than anything else. It showcases which authors have varied content to offer. I doubt very much that the original intent of this list was to reward the authors with the most unsold content (to paraphrase from an earlier discussion) or to praise quantity over quality.
While quality is preferred over quantity in many cases, a need for both exists. I haven’t met a customer on this site who is willing to pay me 60 cents per word. Have you? Getting our work past the editor (who we all love very much) is no easy task. This process leads to the high quality of work that is showcased on cc.
Plus, it’s not a bad aspect for anyone to be on the most prolific list. After all, if I were to go into a bookstore to make a purchase and only 23 books were available, I would more than likely visit a different store. The fact that I have so many articles for customers to consider is a plus for me as well as a plus for any customer who is in the market for articles on lots of topics. They can readily peruse a great deal of varied content without having to change article category every two minutes.
Since more than 200 of my articles are listed for usage rights only as I have posted them elsewhere, I am going to remain on that list for a very long time unless the list is discontinued, which I believe would be a disservice to the customers. Plus, it took me a long time to arrive there, so it is possible for others to do the same.
Most of my private requests over the last two years have come as a result of my stockpile of articles. A customer reads one of my articles on a similar topic to the one that they need, tell me the name of the article, and next thing I know, I have a private request. This might not be the case all of the time, but it certainly has been for the majority of my requests. In some cases, I might have written a trial piece for a request and then gotten the gig. In every case, however, the customer has the option to select my work for purchase or to change his mind. I highly doubt that someone would purchase an article without reading it and being entirely happy with it- even if it was written by Word Gypsy.
I find that I am getting private requests because of the topics that I have chosen to write, not because of the number of articles that I have sold or written and not because I am listed on one of those top ten lists. Some of my customers have mentioned specific articles that I have written and asked for something similar. Other customers have stated that they liked my writing style.
Also, I have to agree with Celeste since I believe the customers pay much less attention to these lists than the authors do. They are here to look for specific content and that is probably their first stop. Plus, if they did select work from the top ten authors over other authors, then I shouldn’t have so many articles for sale should I?
BTW, Celeste, from your lips to the customers’ ears…can I have all those private requests???? Wouldn’t it be nice!
As far as cutting active authors off at 30 days or some other random number, I think that would discourage those authors who write specifically to requests that interest them or during vacation from school or their other jobs. I know several younger authors who typically write only during the summer months.
While quality is preferred over quantity in many cases, a need for both exists. I haven’t met a customer on this site who is willing to pay me 60 cents per word. Have you? Getting our work past the editor (who we all love very much) is no easy task. This process leads to the high quality of work that is showcased on cc.
Plus, it’s not a bad aspect for anyone to be on the most prolific list. After all, if I were to go into a bookstore to make a purchase and only 23 books were available, I would more than likely visit a different store. The fact that I have so many articles for customers to consider is a plus for me as well as a plus for any customer who is in the market for articles on lots of topics. They can readily peruse a great deal of varied content without having to change article category every two minutes.
Since more than 200 of my articles are listed for usage rights only as I have posted them elsewhere, I am going to remain on that list for a very long time unless the list is discontinued, which I believe would be a disservice to the customers. Plus, it took me a long time to arrive there, so it is possible for others to do the same.
Most of my private requests over the last two years have come as a result of my stockpile of articles. A customer reads one of my articles on a similar topic to the one that they need, tell me the name of the article, and next thing I know, I have a private request. This might not be the case all of the time, but it certainly has been for the majority of my requests. In some cases, I might have written a trial piece for a request and then gotten the gig. In every case, however, the customer has the option to select my work for purchase or to change his mind. I highly doubt that someone would purchase an article without reading it and being entirely happy with it- even if it was written by Word Gypsy.
I find that I am getting private requests because of the topics that I have chosen to write, not because of the number of articles that I have sold or written and not because I am listed on one of those top ten lists. Some of my customers have mentioned specific articles that I have written and asked for something similar. Other customers have stated that they liked my writing style.
Also, I have to agree with Celeste since I believe the customers pay much less attention to these lists than the authors do. They are here to look for specific content and that is probably their first stop. Plus, if they did select work from the top ten authors over other authors, then I shouldn’t have so many articles for sale should I?
BTW, Celeste, from your lips to the customers’ ears…can I have all those private requests???? Wouldn’t it be nice!
As far as cutting active authors off at 30 days or some other random number, I think that would discourage those authors who write specifically to requests that interest them or during vacation from school or their other jobs. I know several younger authors who typically write only during the summer months.
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Elizabeth Ann West
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I find value in some type of active icon or list for a few reasons:
1) New writers would be able to make an "Active list," thus helping to solve some of the issues about new writers being able to make any kind of list.
2) Obtaining "active" status, or maintaining it would require authors to be more consistent in submitting well-written articles. Active would not depend upon submission, but approval.
3) With more submittals and approvals of quality content, the buyers have more to choose from, and C-C as a whole grows.
4) This benefits the authors because it brings more business to C-C, and hopefully more buyers since there is more revenue for advertising.
I think a lot of gains have been made by bringing profiles to authors etc. However, the Authors page as a whole is a little weak in terms of engaging the buyer I think... First, the long list on the right is too cumbersome, and difficult for me to find my own name, let alone someone else find it! Second, the Top Ten lists are a bit misleading.. depending on how you look at it. The Most Prolific Writers is the list I think we all raise an eyebrow at because it is just the Authors with the most amount of unsold content. As an author, that sounds terrible. To a buyer, it means "Hey, this person has a bunch of content available I can buy."
Either way, I think the active icon will encourage more participation. Hanging around here awhile, it's easy to see who is a regular submitter, and who isn't.
I do think the Author page needs to be revamped. Even if there is just a random "Author highlight" or a better way to categorize the authors, anything would be an improvement over the current situation. However, if I get a vote, I would rather see the public request section helped first and foremost....
1) New writers would be able to make an "Active list," thus helping to solve some of the issues about new writers being able to make any kind of list.
2) Obtaining "active" status, or maintaining it would require authors to be more consistent in submitting well-written articles. Active would not depend upon submission, but approval.
3) With more submittals and approvals of quality content, the buyers have more to choose from, and C-C as a whole grows.
4) This benefits the authors because it brings more business to C-C, and hopefully more buyers since there is more revenue for advertising.
I think a lot of gains have been made by bringing profiles to authors etc. However, the Authors page as a whole is a little weak in terms of engaging the buyer I think... First, the long list on the right is too cumbersome, and difficult for me to find my own name, let alone someone else find it! Second, the Top Ten lists are a bit misleading.. depending on how you look at it. The Most Prolific Writers is the list I think we all raise an eyebrow at because it is just the Authors with the most amount of unsold content. As an author, that sounds terrible. To a buyer, it means "Hey, this person has a bunch of content available I can buy."
Either way, I think the active icon will encourage more participation. Hanging around here awhile, it's easy to see who is a regular submitter, and who isn't.
I do think the Author page needs to be revamped. Even if there is just a random "Author highlight" or a better way to categorize the authors, anything would be an improvement over the current situation. However, if I get a vote, I would rather see the public request section helped first and foremost....