FAQ for Suite101 Writers
Got a question? If it's one that many writers before you have asked, you'll likely find the answer here. However, if your question is more technical in nature, you're more likely to find an answer in the Writer Troubleshooting Guide.
- Can I use a pen name or my company's name instead of my real name?
- How old do I have to be to write for Suite101?
- What is my writer profile for?
- Do I have to include a picture of myself in my writer profile?
- What do you consider an "original article"?
- Can I publish the same articles on some other site after a year?
- Can I write for other websites while I'm writing for Suite101?
- Does Suite101 have a policy about link exchanges?
- Am I allowed to include affiliate links in my articles? Can I link to my own business?
- Do you assign me story ideas or do I write about what I know?
- What happens if I don't publish 10 articles every three months?
- Can I publish my first 10 articles on the last day of my three-month contract?
- Can I write more than 10 articles every three months?
- Can I write for more than one topic?
- Do I own the copyright to my work?
- If I own the electronic rights to work in print that's never been online, can I publish it on Suite101?
- What can I do if someone has published my work on another site without my permission?
- Will you just publish my article and pay me rather than hiring me on contract?
- How long will it take before I start to earn money?
- What is "revenue sharing" anyway?
- What happens if Google doesn't have any ads that match my content?
- Do I get a share of banner advertising too?
- How do I know what I'm earning?
- Do you send me a check? How often?
- If you keep my content on the site after I leave do I still get paid?
- What, exactly, is click fraud?
- How do I find out what topics have a Feature Writer opening?
- How do I get promoted to a Feature Writer, and what do I have to do if this happens?
- So experienced writers and Feature Writers receive a bonus. How does this work?
- What are the perks of the Feature Writer position?
Can I use a pen name or my company's name instead of my real name?
No. You must use your real (legal) name in your Suite101 profile. Using initials, pen names, and pseudonyms is prohibited. We believe this fundamental level of transparency engenders a legal and ethical responsibility in our writers. It also adds a degree of authenticity and credibility to Suite101 as a whole. We want our writers to stand behind what they write, and we want readers to be able to trust what we publish.
If you are presently using anything other than your real name in your profile, it must be changed immediately. Please email help@suite101.com with your proper legal name and we will change it for you.
How old do I have to be to write for Suite101?
Because we use PayPal to pay our writers, and because you must be at least 18 years old to be eligible for PayPal services, you must be at least 18 years old to write for Suite101.
What is my writer profile for?
Your writer profile is where readers can learn about your qualifications and put a face to your writing. It's also a great way for other Suite101 writers with similar interests to connect with you.
Be sure to emphasize industry and subject-specific experience, the names of publications you've written for, the number of years you've worked in the field, and your career credentials. You can also link to relevant sites on the web where your work is on view. Don't be shy – brag about awards, big names you've interviewed, contests you've judged, boards you've been on, and anything else that establishes your pedigree. The more readers know about your expertise, the more credible your articles will be.
Note: you must add a photo and a brief bio before you can publish your first article on Suite101.
Do I have to include a picture of myself in my writer profile?
Yes. Profile pictures are required for two reasons: first, we want readers to know that Suite writers are real people and second, we want readers to be able to put a face to your writing. Go ahead and promote yourself – let your readers know who you are!
Your profile picture needs to be an actual head shot of you rather than an illustration, logo, representative image, or picture of your dog. It should be 80 x 80 pixels and must be in .jpg, .gif, or .png format. Be sure to write a caption (your name) and a credit (your name if you took the photo yourself) before uploading the image.
What do you consider an "original article"?
Articles must be written wholly by you and must not appear anywhere else on the web at the time of publication. Altering a small percentage of an article that appears on another site (whether it's written by you or someone else) does not constitute original material. Recycling press releases, for example, is a completely unacceptable practice at Suite101.
If you quote text or people in your article (sourced from any/all media including but not limited to print, radio, television, websites, blogs, Twitter, etc.), you must credit the sources properly lest the material appear to be your own. This is standard journalistic practice, and Suite101 editors are wholly committed to upholding our policy in this regard.
Can I publish the same articles on some other site after a year?
Yes, that's your choice, but please credit Suite101.com as the original publisher.
Can I write for other websites while I'm writing for Suite101?
Absolutely. We realize freelance writers need to make a living, so we don't demand that you be exclusive to Suite101 – just your content, for the first year.
Does Suite101 have a policy about link exchanges?
Suite does not endorse link exchanges with other websites. See the tutorial called How to Use Links to Promote Your Articles for recommendations on the appropriate use of inbound links.
Am I allowed to include affiliate links in my articles? Can I link to my own business?
No. Adding affiliate links to your articles is a violation of Suite101 policy, as is self-promotion (e.g., linking your article to your own website, blog, or an article you've written for another site) and promoting your clients' properties.
Your writer profile, however, is a valid outlet for self-promotion. Let your readers (and other Suite writers) know what else you do!
Do you assign me story ideas or do I write about what I know?
You have the complete freedom to choose what you write about, which is one of the biggest perks of writing for Suite.
What happens if I don't publish 10 articles every three months?
Suite writers are expected to write 10 articles every three months, as this is the minimum level of activity required to generate significant revenue. We'll send you reminders in the weeks leading up to your three-month deadline to help you stay on track, but if you don't deliver your articles on time we'll revoke your writer status.
If you can't make up your article deficit on time and would like a short extension to complete your quota, please email extensions@suite101.com and explain your circumstances.
Can I publish my first 10 articles on the last day of my three-month contract?
No. You can't leave all of your work until the last moment. As part of the one-on-one training that Suite offers, your first article undergoes a thorough review by one of our section editors before it is published. This review normally occurs within 24 to 48 hours of submission, at which time the editor will decide that it is ready to be published or that it requires improvements. As you can't publish the rest of your articles until this first article has been approved and published, we recommend that you submit it as early as possible.
Can I write more than 10 articles every three months?
Our top-earning writers regularly exceed their minimum quota. If you want to write additional articles we'll cheer you on!
Can I write for more than one topic?
Contributing Writers can write articles in any of our 400 topics and 3,000 categories. Feature Writers must submit one article per week in their own topic but can post as many articles as they want in other topics as well.
Do I own the copyright to my work?
Yes, the copyright always remains with the writer. You own the electronic rights but you grant Suite101.com the exclusive rights to it for one year so that we can publish it on our site. After one year, you can post the same material elsewhere (i.e., Suite101.com has non-exclusive rights to it) but please credit Suite101.com as the original publisher.
If I own the electronic rights to work in print that's never been published online, can I publish it on Suite101?
Yes, as long as you edit the work so that it is suitable for online publication: good titles/subtitles, short paragraphs, subheadings, short lists, links, photos, 400 to 800 words. See the tutorial called The Elements of an Article for more information.
What can I do if someone has published my work on another site without my permission?
Unfortunately we occasionally discover instances where third-party websites violate our writers' copyright. It is your responsibility to protect your copyrighted work, but we will assist regarding large-scale copyright infringement incidents. Here's some practical advice on how to fight back:
- Regularly search the internet (e.g., perform a Google search for unique phrases from your articles, using quotation marks to search for exact matches) to identify sites that have reproduced your work without your authorization.
- Directly approach publishers and hosting sites who violate your copyright. If email addresses are unavailable on the offending website, you can search the webmaster's contact information (including name, phone number, mailing address and e-mail address) via Network Solutions' WHOIS database.
Especially for infringing parties based in the United States, we advise you to follow the U.S. Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) framework. The DMCA is directed at publishers who want to avoid liability for copyright infringements. For more details, see Limitations on liability relating to material online. - Publishers often outline methods of contacting the DMCA for their website in their terms and policy statement, including how to contact the website operator in accordance with the DMCA. You should read this information before contacting the website operator(s).
- Contact the Suite101 Help Desk or your section editor for a Cease and Desist (C&D) template letter, which might help you get publishers to remove infringing content. Please note the C&D form letter may not be sufficient to get your content removed, depending on specific legal circumstances and/or the cooperativeness of other, especially foreign-owned and -managed, websites.
- If you suspect other writers' copyrights might be violated, inform them of your suspicions by using their direct contact forms on their profile pages.
- If you detect massive, systematic infringement of your copyright for material that is less than one year old, for which Suite101.com remains the exclusive licensee, contact the Suite101 Help Desk directly. Please provide the following information – which is required in detail – in your email:
- the URLs of your original Suite101.com articles
- the URLs where you see the infringing content
- any contact information you have for the infringing site and copies of any correspondence you had with the site regarding this infringement
- your stated declaration that the infringing sites were not authorized by you nor by your representatives to display this content
- your stated permission that Suite101.com's staff is authorized to act on your behalf and request removal of the infringing content
- If you have any questions or comments about our copyright infringement policy, please contact the Suite101 Help Desk.
Will you just publish my article and pay me rather than hiring me on contract?
We don't accept single article submissions. We're interested in developing an ongoing relationship with our writers rather than a one-time deal.
How long will it take before I start to earn money?
You start earning and accruing money right away, but how much you can earn from your writing depends on many factors including (but not limited to): the popularity of your articles (are you writing on topics that people are interested in reading?); the number of articles you have posted; the keywords you use in your titles, subtitles, subheadings, and body text; the value of the keywords to advertisers; the length of time each article has been displayed; and the speed at which search engines index and rank your articles.
Every month you are paid a share of the advertising revenue related to your writing. Don't expect very high revenues for the first three to five months when you are learning the ropes – writing for Suite101 is a long-term game. Remember that everything you write for Suite101.com earns revenue for every day it's available on our site.
What is "revenue sharing" anyway?
We are in partnership with Google to display advertising on the Suite101.com website. Google supplies ads to our site based on inventory matching the keywords (purchased by advertisers) that appear in your material. This program is called Google AdSense and it "delivers relevant text and image ads that are precisely targeted to your site and your site content. The ads are related to what your visitors are looking for on your site or matched to the characteristics and interests of the visitors your content attracts."
Only Google knows how much revenue the ads generate when a visitor clicks on a link, but you get a share of the revenue whenever that activity happens. Google tracks every ad click and adds it to your balance. The more pages you have, the more ads appear and the more chances readers will click on them to earn you revenue. Some of our top writers earn $2,000 per month (every month!) by publishing hundreds of articles on our site.
See the tutorial called Where Revenue Comes From for more information.
What happens if Google doesn't have any ads that match my content?
This is a rare occurrence and often a temporary situation, but Google reserves the right to filter content for words that may not appeal to advertisers. If they don't have ad inventory, it won't be long until they do.
Do I get a share of banner advertising too?
Banner advertising is less prominent on Suite101, and its revenues are a lot lower than those we generate with the Google AdSense program. As we sell more banner advertising space on Suite101, we are able to offer even more competitive revenue sharing for all writers.
How do I know what I'm earning?
Suite101 has a statistics program that you can access from your My Suite page. You can keep an eye on your revenues, page views, visitor numbers, keywords, and referring sites that deliver traffic to your articles.
Do you send me a check? How often?
No. You must register with PayPal using your email address and your bank information. You are emailed notice from PayPal every month when the money is sent to your account. It's automatically transferred to your bank account when you accept the notice from PayPal. We can't send you a check or pay you any other way.
Please note PayPal is currently not offering full service to a few countries. If you live outside the USA, the European Union, Canada or Australia, please ensure that you can receive funds via PayPal.
If you keep my content on the site after I leave, do I still get paid?
Absolutely. We continue to track and accrue revenues earned, and we continue to pay you monthly. See the tutorial called Where Revenue Comes From for more information.
What, exactly, is click fraud?
Here's what the terms in your agreement concerning click fraud boil down to:
- Don't click on ads anywhere on the Suite101 website.
- Don’t ask or cause others, including your readers, to click on ads on the site.
- Don’t use automated tools that click on ads on the site.
How do I find out what topics have a Feature Writer opening?
Go to the Sections and Topics page and click Show All (at the bottom of the Sections list). Any topic that doesn't have a start beside it has an available FW position.
How do I get promoted to a Feature Writer, and what do I have to do if this happens?
As a Contributing Writer (CW), you've published at least 10 consistently engaging, factually correct, and SEO-optimized articles; the topic that interests you has a Feature Writer (FW) opening; and your section editor thinks you are a stellar candidate.
If all these conditions apply, email your section editor with your topic preference and he/she will verify that your work is suitably professional to be eligible. To qualify as an FW, you need to display expertise in the subject as well as a passion and commitment to write about it long term.
Once you assume the FW position, you must post a minimum of one article per week in your topic (i.e., 52 articles per year versus 40 for a CW). On top of that quota, you can post as many articles as you want in other topics.
Experienced writers and Feature Writers receive a bonus. How does this work?
Contributing Writers receive a 10% bonus on each day's earnings after they have published 50 articles (e.g., if daily earnings are $2.00, the bonus is an additional 20 cents).
Feature Writers receive a 20% bonus on each day's earnings (e.g., if daily earnings are $2.00, the bonus is an additional 40 cents). Once they have published 100 articles, they receive an additional 10% (e.g., if daily earnings are $2.00, the bonus is an additional 60 cents).
What are the perks of the Feature Writer position?
You get a 20% bonus on each day's earnings (and an extra 10% once you have published 100 articles), a Suite101 email address, blog space, business cards, the ability to request review press materials, access to special/promotional events, a chance to be a spokesperson for Suite101, a star icon next to your byline, a letter of reference and, of course, our hearty congratulations!
FW Blog - Rules and Guidelines
Feature Writers are welcome to post opinion pieces on blogs hosted by Suite101 but they must not violate our rules of professional conduct:
By using the Suite101 blog service you understand that posted content is publicly viewable and reproducible. Suite101 retains the right to reproduce all posted content in any and all media. You agree that you will not post, distribute or facilitate distribution of any content—including text, communications, software, images, sounds, or data—that:
- is unlawful, threatening, abusive, harassing, defamatory, libelous, deceptive, fraudulent, invasive of privacy, tortious, sexual in nature, or otherwise violates Suite101’s rules or policies
- victimizes, harasses, degrades, or intimidates an individual or group
- infringes on any patent, trademark, trade secret, copyright, right of publicity, or other proprietary right
- constitutes advertising, junk or bulk e-mail (also known as "spamming"), chain letters, any form of solicitation, or any form of lottery or gambling
- contains software viruses or any other computer codes, files, or programs or
- impersonates any person or entity, including any employee or representative of Suite101, or disguises the origin of the posting.