Any interest in a new Suite101 thread here? - Page 3

[wookie]

Yay, I just posted asking around for you guys and now I've found you! It's late here and I'm practically dizzy from sleep so I will come back and read this thread tomorrow. Either way, I'm joining you guys now and hope to learn a lot about web writing from you experienced mamas.

[wookie]

so it looks like most of you with lots of posts in the original S101 thread are now not writing much there? have you moved on to "real" writing jobs then? maybe we new ones could carry your tradition on i hope this thread revives..that other one was a trasure cove of info!

[Smokering]

I'm still writing for Suite, just doing the bare minimum. I'm considering giving myself a challenge - one article a day for a week or something, to get me back in the swing of things.

[Round2]

I'm struggling to meet the bare minimum! I need to figure out how to increase my motivation...

[wallabi]

I`m a newish writier over there (been there for about 6 months and just shy of 30 articles) and I will happily join you in reviving this thread.

What are you/is everyone/anyone working on these days? I am trying to find the motivation and time to finish up a batch of articles on staying gluten free in Japan, and then am on to a few I have started on green living/appropriate technology topics.

[proudmamanow]

I am thinking about applying for Suite101--I'm easing myself back into writing full-time and want to get some experience & build up a portfolio. Does anyone have any tips for making a Suite101 application? What are they looking for in the sample articles? Do you know if they accept applications from outside of the US (I'm in Canada)?
I will look through some of the old Suite threads to, so my apologies if I'm asking something that's already been answered.

[lisarussell]

Originally Posted by proudmamanow

I am thinking about applying for Suite101--I'm easing myself back into writing full-time and want to get some experience & build up a portfolio. Does anyone have any tips for making a Suite101 application? What are they looking for in the sample articles? Do you know if they accept applications from outside of the US (I'm in Canada)?
I will look through some of the old Suite threads to, so my apologies if I'm asking something that's already been answered.

Definitely check over the previous thread, there's so much good stuff in there.
In your sample article, be sure it's well written, in third person. They're a Canadian company, Vancouver BC, they definitely accept Canadian writers

good luck

[jtbuko]

I came across Suite101 today and came running to MDC for feedback which was very helpful - THANKS! Just subbing for now while I ponder whether or not I want to write for them, but will probably be back soon.

[Violet2]

I am over at Suite, but struggling with the quota. The format is not my favorite and while I haven't had any serious editing problems, every section has different quirks which is annoying. There's a lot of detail to absorb to write for them and I am still kind of navigating it at the 2 month mark.

Right now I'm working on articles about our visit to Mammoth Caves in KY. And I've been writing some low carb stuff. I really write about anything!

V

[evies_mom]

Originally Posted by wookie

so it looks like most of you with lots of posts in the original S101 thread are now not writing much there? have you moved on to "real" writing jobs then? maybe we new ones could carry your tradition on i hope this thread revives..that other one was a trasure cove of info!

I don't write for S101 more, but consider it to the stepping stone that led me to bigger and better jobs. It's a great site that will help educate on web-writing - if you are willing to accept the insights.

I guess I wrote for S101 for a year and a half or so? Still earn money on it which is cool too.

[MyTwoAs]

I pretty much ditto what evies_mom said. S101 provided me with web writing knowledge and I've used it as a springboard to new opportunities.

[wookie]

it's great to nknow s101 can be a springboard to the future. i've just started writing so have a long ways to go but i see it as starting to at least get back into the swing of writing after a huge, long, childbearing break.

i'm still at only my 10th article but i haven't had any feedback since my first got approved. is that how things go? also, i'm hanging onto the hope you guys provided in the old thread that traffic and $$ pick up after 20. i really do hope it;s true since right now all i'm counting is pennies :P

[Violet2]

Yes they just let you publish. Unless there's a major issue then you'll hear from an editor.

I am trucking along. Earnings are decent, about $1 a day with only 20 articles so not horrid. I need to get to at least 100 articles ime to get steady three figure earnings. Interim goal is to get to 50 articles.

I've had good luck rewriting my eHow stuff for Suite. Those go very fast and I know how well the keywords work or don't.

I'm glad to see they removed the quota requirement as of yesterday. I mean, I think it would be okay to require 10 articles a year, but life can make it hard to 10 a quarter with their tighter editing requirements, especially if you have other projects going and a family. I also spend a lot of time on my Suite articles.

V

[lisarussell]

I'm not too sure I like the new guidelines, I'm afraid quality will go down, we don't need that. I hope they will be unveiling a system to deal with the quality.

i absolutely LOVE the new tool for generating ideas- with the earnings potential vs the competition- wooHOO- I love it!

[evies_mom]

Well, I just published a few S101 articles after nearly a year's hiatus. I am hoping to have a bit more time to write for other sites. We are planning a big vacation in a couple of months and looking for some quick cash.

BTW- anyone of you ladies have any experiencing with Scrapbooking and or ways to commerate milestones in baby's first year? I know of a position coming up at About.com for a Contributing Writer (this is different than a Guide but still earns decent cash) and actually will help on the decision making with hiring. Can be a great foot in the door for About, if you are interested.

Feel free to email me and I can get you more details. [e-mail]

[beanma]

Hey y'all!

I was just poking around tonight and thought about this thread. I haven't written for Suite for almost a year, but we're almost done with our kitchen remodel and the kids are back in school and it seems like my life might be slowing back down enough that I can concentrate on writing an article or two. Glad to see they dropped the quota since I missed that about 9 months ago!

I really like writing for Suite. My degree is in Journalism—although I never did much with it—and I like the mostly third person, more newsy style. I'm a little too self conscious to blog or write much in first person. The closest I come to blogging is posts here (and those I sometimes regret). I don't even update my facebook status weekly!

Anyway, hope to get going again and see y'all around.

[Round2]

Ahhh.. So glad they dropped the quota. Wait, will I ever write again if I am not being forced???

[ammiga]

Thinking of starting with s101, but I'm wondering about a few rules.

What kind of sites can I link to? For instance, if I write about cloth diapers, can I link to a diaper website that sells diapers? What kind of citations do they require?

Can an article be edited once posted? I'm thinking that search terms might change, so it would be nice to just adjust an existing article rather than rewrite a similar one. Or if I write a second article related to an earlier one and want to link to the second within the first article.

thanks!

[beanma]

ammiga, it's been awhile since I have written for S101. Hoping to get back into it once we finish this kitchen remodel. I'm not a a great multi-tasker. They've changed (mostly relaxed, from what I can gather) some of the editorial guidelines since I was writing there more regularly. I think you can link to a cloth diaper website if it's not gratuitous. If you're writing an article about where to find cloth diapers then it would make perfect sense. I think you can't link to it if it's your own cloth diaper website.

Citations vary by editor and the nature of your article. If you're writing more of a review then citations don't have to be many if any, but if you're writing a more scientific piece the editor will look for something to back up your claims. There are different editors for different topics, too, and what they require varies to some extent.

Yes, you can go back and edit once an article is posted. I'm not sure on how many times this is allowed, but I think I recall that refreshing keyword terms was recommended. I don't have a really clear understanding of how the system works as far as notification of the editors. I know that when you're fixing a flagged article, for instance, the editors ask you to not resubmit until you fix all the flags because each time you resubmit they get a notification. I don't know if that's just for flagged articles or not, though.

Does that help? They recently relaxed the quota (used to be 10 articles in 90 days) so you could always submit an application and if it's not for you it's not a big deal. You're not obligated to produce any set number as far as I know. That would be in your contract, though. All your questions could be answered on the S101 forums, but I don't think you can see those until you're hired.

[major_mama11]

Hi everyone, I have been lurking in these threads for months, but I haven't ever posted here before.

I have always enjoyed writing, and did well with writing all my research papers for my degree. It never occurred to me to write for pay until this past summer (well, other than the fiction that I sometimes dabble in). I started writing a couple of articles for AC, but soon lost motivation due to exhaustion from my current job. I work in a high-stress healthcare job, and let's just say I'm ready to switch to something completely different. I know myself well enough to see that I'm not enough of an adrenaline junkie to stay in my current position long-term. 

Obviously I wasn't motivated enough last summer, but due to my job situation, my motivation level to put in the effort and make this work is much higher than it was six months ago!  Very soon, I am cutting down to PRN status at my regular job, so hope to have a bit more time available for writing.

I've never published anything online before, so I joined associated content and plan to write 2 or 3 articles there to use as writing samples when I apply at S101 and Demand Studios, and then focus my energies at those two places.

Anyone else here who has a background in something totally unrelated to writing? I have experience with several specialties within healthcare, so I hope to be able to write some articles regarding these.

Now I'm off to check out the older thread! :)