Suite101 Writer FAQ

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.

Membership Issues

Payment

Click Fraud

Writing Articles

Plagiarism

Google News

Copyright

Contacts

Forum Conduct

Contests

Membership Issues


How do I deactivate my account?
If you wish to leave Suite101, write a note to help@suite101.com explaining why you would like to be removed from the site.

Can I take a break from writing for Suite101?
Yes. Your account will remain active while you are away, and we’ll be happy to have you back when you are ready to write again.

If my account is deactivated, will my articles stay on the site?
Yes. Suite101.com has perpetual, non-exclusive rights to your articles, so even if you leave Suite, your articles will remain on the site. You’ll also continue to receive revenue for these articles.

If you keep my content on the site after I leave, do I still get paid?
Yes, you will still be paid for via your PayPal account whenever you reach USD$10.

I recently got married/divorced and changed my name. Can you change it on my account?
Yes. Just send a note to help@suite101.com with your name change request.

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. 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 expertise.

Can I use a pen name or my company’s name instead of my real name?
Since Suite101 does not allow promotional writing on our site, we do not allow writers to submit articles under a company name. If, however, you have concerns about your privacy, you may write under a pen name. Please ensure that it sounds like a real name: Jane Smith is okay, but Mystical Word Weaver is not.

Do I have to include a picture of myself in my writer profile?
Suite101 encourages you to include a photo of yourself in your writer profile 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. Adding a photo also helps you to establish your personal brand as a writer. Your profile picture 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.

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Payment

How much will I get paid per article?
You are not paid a flat fee for each article; rather, you are paid a share of the revenue earned from a variety of ad sources on Suite, including banner ads and Google Adsense ads. Depending on the ad, your article earns revenue when a reader clicks on an ad, when a reader views an ad, or when a reader performs some sort of action related to an ad (such as purchasing something). The rate that each ad pays is determined by the advertiser. Thus, we are unable to provide a definite figure of how much a writer will make per article.

Why doesn’t Suite pay a flat fee for every article?
Online publications that pay an upfront, per-article fee have to pay conservatively so that they can stay on the safe side of their margins. They also have to redistribute pay from highly profitable writers to subsidize inexperienced writers who aren’t yet able to attract significant revenues. When you start writing for Suite101 you might get only a few pennies per article each month. However, as both the number of articles you have published and the length of time they have been displayed increase, the amount you earn per article will also increase.

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.

How are payments sent?
Payments are sent to you through your PayPal account on a monthly basis, whenever you accrue a minimum balance of USD$10.

What topics earn the most ad revenue?
There is no firm answer as to what topics earn the most money. Certain keywords are worth more to advertisers than others, but that information is kept confidential between Google and advertisers, and between ad agencies and advertisers. Generally speaking, advertisers with larger budgets tend to pay more for ads than advertisers with smaller budgets. However, reader traffic and reader ad interest affect your earnings as much as ad price. It’s possible that an article with lower-paying ads may attract higher traffic and higher click (or ad views), and thus earn more money that an article with higher-paying ads and lower traffic.

Do articles with more pageviews make more money?
Generally speaking, yes. The more pageviews your article receives, the more likely it is that readers will click on, view, or interact with the ads in your article. That’s why it’s important that you use good keywords so your article ranks well in search engines.

My page views are up, but I still don't have revenue. Why?
Earning revenue is dependent upon people clicking, viewing, or interacting with your ads. If you’re not earning revenue, it’s because – for whatever reason – your readers are neglecting your ads, or the ads associated with your article are of particularly low value. Don’t give up! If you keep writing, you’ll eventually pen an article that’s a money-maker.

My pageviews recently declined. Why?
The number of pageviews you see in your My Suite indicates your overall pageviews for each three-month period. When a new three-month period starts, these numbers will fluctuate as they are replaced with the latest pageview data from the current three-month period.

Why are there no ads on my article?
If your article was just posted, it could be that Google has not had time to process the keywords associated with your article. If it’s been up for a while, there may be no ads because nobody has purchased the keywords associated with your article -- or that you’ve used “stop words,” words that AdSense blocks out. These “stop words” are often profanity or terms dealing with death, drugs, sex, or gambling. If none of the above could apply to your article, email help@suite101.com with full details and a link to your article.

Do you offer any bonuses?
Yes, writers who reach 50 articles will receive a 10% bonus in revenue share payments.

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Click Fraud

What is click fraud?
One of Suite101’s revenue sources is Google’s AdSense program, which uses pay-per-click advertising. Click fraud occurs when a person (or a computer program) intentionally clicks on ads to artificially elevate an article’s ad clicks. Click fraud is a serious issue for Suite101, and if writers on our site take part in it, it can jeopardize our relationship with Google. As such, Suite101 is very vigilant about monitoring for click fraud, and evidence of it occurring on your articles can result in your writer status being revoked.

How do I avoid click fraud?
To avoid click fraud, don't click on ads anywhere on the Suite101 website, don't use automated tools that click on ads on the site, and specifically tell your friends and family not to click on your ads.

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Writing Articles

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.

How do I submit an article?
Simply log into your Suite101 account, go to My Suite, and click “Start Writing!” Before you write your article, you should read through the tutorials in the Learning Hub.

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.

My article was flagged! What do I do?
When one of your articles has been flagged, it simply means that your editor has suggested some editorial changes. Read the note that they have sent you with your article (you should find this in your Suite101 inbox in My Suite), make the changes, and resubmit your article.

How long do Suite101 articles need to be?
Suite articles should be somewhere between 400 and 1000 words.

Can I write on more than one topic?
Yes, you may write on as many topics as you wish.

Can I include affiliate links in my articles?
No. Adding affiliate links to your articles is a violation of Suite101 policy.

What are keywords?
Keywords are terms that describe the content of your article. They’re also the words that people type into search engines to look for your article. Make sure to use relevant keywords in your article and its title and subtitles to ensure that people can find your article. For further research, take a peek at Google’s keyword research tool.

What is keyword stuffing?
Keyword stuffing happens when a writer uses too many keywords in an article to try to artificially elevate it in search engine rankings. An example of a sentence with keyword stuffing might be, “The best vegetarian recipes involve a balance of vegetarian-friendly proteins and carbohydrates, ensuring that vegetarians get all the nutrients they need in a vegetarian diet.” Google doesn’t look kindly on keyword stuffing, and it’s a tactic you should avoid in your articles. It’s easy to tell if your article uses too many keywords. Do you repeat a word way more than you would normally?

Someone has posted a spam comment on my article. What do I do?
Unfortunately, spammers sometimes try to post comments on Suite101 articles. However, you have the power to refuse these comments. Don’t approve the comment, and it will not appear on your article. Don’t follow any of the links in a spam comment, as they may take you to a site that could damage your computer.

Can I repost a press release as an article?
No, you may not. A press release is not original content. If you quote text or people in your article, 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 write an article promoting my company or business?
No, Suite101 articles are editorial content, and as such should never drift into the realm of advertising products or promoting businesses. Your writer profile, however, is a valid outlet for self-promotion. Let your readers (and other Suite writers) know what else you do!

Can I link to my business/personal website from my article (as a reference)?
While you may offer a credible source, Suite101 considers linking to personal websites self-promotional and is not in the best interest of the reader. It would be best to link to personal websites or blogs from your profile page in order to establish your credibility and expertise in that particular field of knowledge.

I’m just learning to write in the English language. Can Suite101 help?
Suite101 is happy to accept any writer with a good grasp of English language, grammar, and syntax. Unfortunately, we do not have the resources to teach English. If you are struggling with writing in English and receiving many flags on your articles, we suggest you practice your writing off-site and return to Suite101 when you are feeling more comfortable writing in English.

Does Suite101 offer sites in any other languages?
Yes! As well as our English-language site, Suite101 offers sites in Spanish, French, and German.

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Plagiarism

What is plagiarism?
According to dictionary.com, the definition of plagiarism is:
1. the unauthorized use or close imitation of the language and thoughts of another author and the representation of them as one's own original work.
2. something used and represented in this manner.
Therefore, if you copy all of a writer’s work, a sentence or two of another writer’s work, or paraphrase an idea from a writer’s work, it’s plagiarism.

What is Suite101’s policy regarding plagiarism?
Plagiarism is a serious breach of Suite101's editorial standards and a violation of your writer agreement. Writers who are caught plagiarizing will have their writer status revoked.

Can I rephrase content from another published source and use it for my articles?
Only if you properly cite the source the content is from. If you simply rephrase an entire article by another writer and submit that as your own article, it may be considered plagiarism. Make sure that whatever you write is in your own words and expresses your own unique ideas.

Can I republish content from print media on Suite101?
You may republish stories from print media so long as you own the rights to the stories. If you republish another writer’s stories from print media, your work will be considered plagiarized, and you will have you writer status revoked.

I found an article on Suite101 that’s been plagiarized from another source. Who do I contact?
Please send an email with “plagiarism” in the title to flags@suite101.com.

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Google News

What is Google News?
Google News is Google’s news aggregator. It provides a separate index within the search engine for news stories. You can find stories from Google News at news.google.com, as well as within Google’s general search results.

How do I apply to write for Google News?
Simply read through our tutorial on Google News and then click “Get Accredited!”

What kind of articles qualify as news, according to Google?
Articles suitable for inclusion in the Google News index are “articles that provide timely reporting on recent events.” Articles must reference, by date, events that have recently occurred or are about to occur. It must be something that has occurred within the past 72 hours or that will occur within the next seven days. Be careful to only tag things that really are news as news, since Suite101's accreditation depends on our writers delivering appropriate news content.

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Copyright

Who owns the copyright on my articles?
You do! The copyright to articles on Suite101 always remains with the writer. However, contractually, you grant Suite101.com the exclusive rights to your articles for one year from the date of publication. After one year, Suite101.com has perpetual non-exclusive rights to your articles, meaning you can post the same material elsewhere (but it will remain on Suite101). If you publish elsewhere, 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.

If I own the electronic rights to work in print that's never been online, can I publish it on Suite101?
Absolutely. Please note that in doing so, you grant Suite101.com exclusive electronic publication rights for one year from the publication date, as well as perpetual non-exclusive rights. As well, ensure that you edit the work so that it is suitable for online publication: good titles, subheadings, links, photos, 400 to 1000 words.

Can I publish my Suite101 articles in print?
Yes, you may. Suite101’s rights only cover online publication.

Can I publish my Suite101 articles elsewhere on the web?
If it has been less than a year, Suite101.com still has exclusive online publication rights to your article, so you may not publish it elsewhere. If it has been more than a year since you originally published the article, yes, you may. Please credit Suite101.com as the original publisher.

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:

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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).
  4. 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.
  5. If you suspect other writers' copyrights might be violated, inform them of your suspicions by using their direct contact forms on their profile pages.
  6. 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
  7. If you have any questions or comments about our copyright infringement policy, please contact the Suite101 Help Desk.
Note: Suite101.com section editor Mia Carter provides useful comments about copyright infringement in her articles How to Handle Plagiarism, Content Theft Online and How to Stop Web Plagiarism and Content Theft.

Can I republish articles I find on other sites under my own name on Suite101?
No, you may not. This constitutes plagiarism. Please see the section on plagiarism for more information.

I found an article on Suite101.com that I would like to republish on my website. Can I do that?
If it’s been more than a year since the article was published, you’ll need to ask the article’s author. To write them a letter, simply go to their writer profile by clicking on their name, and then click on the mailbox icon beside their name.

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Contacts

How do I contact a writer on your site?
If you click on any writer’s name, you will be taken to their writer profile page. On that page, you should see a small mail envelope icon beside the writer’s name. Click on that, and you can send them an email through the site.

How do I contact an editor on your site?
The same way you’d contact a writer. Click on their name and you will be taken to their profile page. On that page, you should see a small mailbox icon beside their name. Click on that, and you can send them an email through the site. You can find a list of our editors here.

For a more detailed list of contacts, see our Contact Us page.

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Forum Conduct

What are the Suite101 forums for?
The Suite101 forums are a place for you to network with other writers, ask writer-to-writer questions about the Suite101 experience, and further develop your knowledge of freelance writing through interactions with other writers.

Who reads the forums on Suite101?
Writers, as well as Suite101’s editors and administrators, all read the forum. However, editors and administrators generally don’t involve themselves in the conversation -- above all, this is your space to talk to your fellow writers.

What sort of behaviour is not allowed in the Suite101 forums?
Abusive or inflammatory behaviour is forbidden in Suite101’s forums. It’s okay to express your opinions, but make sure you do so in a respectful manner.

Another writer is harassing me, yelling at me, or saying nasty things about me in one of the forums. What do I do?
Please email the Managing Editor at managing.editor@suite101.com regarding your issue, and she will take appropriate action. Please do not take it upon yourself to yell back at the other writer or reciprocate their harassment, as by doing so you become part of the problem yourself.

Am I allowed to joke around in Suite forums?
Sure. Be careful not to offend other people, though; sometimes humour doesn’t translate well over the web.

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Contests

Why are contests restricted to residents of the USA, Canada (except Quebec), and the UK?
While we would love to accept contest entries from other countries, Suite101’s legal team limits eligibility based on contest rules in those countries and territories. We know that we’re missing out on a lot of excellent entries because of this; have no doubts, we don’t think good writing is determined by your country of residence.

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