Reaching Level 4: Eye on the Prize
by Keira, Editorial Services Manager
For some, level 4 may seem like a fabled oasis beyond a harsh and inhospitable landscape. You know that you too could drink from those waters if only the oppressive heat of comma usage and awkward phrasing would stop beating down on you. Why can't a cloud ever push that heat away and let your message stand alone for what it is? Who cares about commas anyway?
The fact is that punctuation is the compass in your sentence. It guides your reader through the article, and if it's lacking, your reader may be left wandering forever. What makes sense to you does not always make sense to your reader, and that is why we have standard rules for how to break up units of thought into commonly accepted patterns.
It's true that some clients may only care about your message, but many others do care about grammar. Poor grammar can weaken your authority, and why should someone continue reading from a debatable source? Clients are looking to be viewed as experts and may reject your work if they find your authority lacking. If the work really does conflict with our published standards, we have no choice but to uphold the rejection.
We give feedback in the hopes that authors improve in future articles because we genuinely want our authors to succeed, but maybe that feedback isn't enough. For those who truly struggle with reaching level 4, I've compiled a list of the most common mistakes that keep authors at 3 stars.
Master Your Punctuation
If you're struggling with commas, try learning one rule at a time. When you've mastered that rule, move on to the next. If you try to learn everything at once, you may get confused and develop bad habits. Textbroker already has a number of blogs on this subject where the rules have been broken down into everyday language:
Compound predicates/coordinating conjunctions:
Commas and Coordinating Conjunctions (FANBOYS)
Adverbial clauses/conditional clauses:
Clauses, and We Don't Mean Santa
Comma splices and nonessential/essential clauses:
Comma Trauma
Possessive/Plural:
Apostrophes: You Asked, We Answered
Semicolons:
The Semicolon: Not a Fancy Comma
Eliminate Filler
Filler text is any text that does not contribute to your argument. Filler text is often off-topic or only tangentially related to the topic, and it comes across as if the writer is just trying to meet the word count. Just as fiddling with the margins and increasing the font half a point in an academic essay to meet a page requirement would be frowned upon by an instructor, this kind of writing leaves a bitter taste in the mouth of your reader. Circuitous writing might get you to the submit button, but it won't get you to 4 stars.
If you have trouble staying on-topic, consider writing your conclusion first. Once you've determined your finish, you can start from the beginning and work up to that point. Use active voice wherever possible, and keep your sentences concise. When you develop a style that says more with less, clients notice.
Keep It Consistent
If you're going to do anything in writing, be consistent. When writing is inconsistent, it forces readers to double back. If readers have to do this too often, they will lose interest. Reading your work aloud may help you to avoid inconsistencies, and it will also help you to catch awkward phrasing. This is akin to practicing good hygiene. Consistent brushing and flossing guarantees an impressive smile; consistent polishing of pronouns and narrative guarantees an impressive prose.
Proofread
There is no substitute for human review. Embrace that philosophy if you want to make it to level 4 and stay there. Proofreading your work will ensure that your word choices are appropriate, that doubled words are singled out and that the mechanical villain code-named AutoCorrect has not turned your work into another statistic. If you have time, set aside your article for a bit, even if it's just for a few minutes. Proofread out loud with a fresh mind. As you develop this skill, you will find yourself revising more as you write instead of after, catching mistakes sooner rather than later or not at all.
Read Your Feedback
We leave feedback for your benefit, and it's tailored to your writing style. Take advantage of that fact, and look into the problems we've highlighted. If you've done your research and you still don't understand the correction, contact us. We're always happy to point you in the right direction when your compass gets foggy.
As always, please feel free to email us at mail@textbroker.com if you have any questions at all. We sincerely appreciate all that you do. Have an outstanding weekend, and thank you for sharing your talents at Textbroker!
posted on 06/01/2012 - 06.15 | grammar and style | comments: 21
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Going to checklist each of those with each piece. I was a 4 star for the longest time and was deranked to a 3 star this week.added by: author A-002515 on 06/01/2012 - 09.35
Very nice, I enjoyed reading this post. Thanks for your tips.added by: author Your Write on 06/02/2012 - 08.49
This is the only site where writers are kept at low rankings. I have been a 2 star for about 2 years. I make a living from Freelance writing, so I go where I can make decent income. I use this site as a filler when I am bored and have nothing to do.added by: author linsm on 06/02/2012 - 10.20
Thanks for the tips. I will use this to see if it can help me reach 4 stars!added by: author A-027258 on 06/02/2012 - 02.45
I've been a three and four star author for a while, so I don't know why someone would be a two star for two years. What I really want is five star rating. To me, THAT'S the mystery!added by: author The Kurgan on 06/02/2012 - 03.55
Keira, you have never given me anything but very good advice. This article is helpful and I am quilty of comma misuse, or lack of use. I will work hard at following you advise and I hope you see the results. I want to be a level 4 author when I achieve the qualifications. I see no reason why you nwould not want level 4 writers because Textbroker makes more money just as we do. You have done me favor and I sure like your writing style. I may never see level 4 but I would at least like to be a great level 3.
Thanks again
Gerry A.added by: author G. Adcock on 06/02/2012 - 08.35
My problem is commas and I'm hoping the above tips will help me. The last rating by TB gave me no comments to let me know what I am doing wrong. I welcome those comments and wish there would have been some.added by: author debbieh13 on 06/02/2012 - 08.40
Honestly, it was like you were pointing out my mistakes. I always tried to learn all the comma rules at once and that got me nowhere. Once the comma confusion is out of the way, I may be lucky enough to rise from the 3 stars.
I'd be happy to have some 4-star and 5-star authors share how they managed to rise to the top.
Anyway, thanks for the post.added by: author Gary on 06/03/2012 - 02.48
Thank you Keira for a blog post that will be extremely helpful to me. I think that your advice about learning one rule at a time is perfect. It is nice to have one convenient place to find a little help with commas/punctuation and phrasing.added by: author A-076832 on 06/03/2012 - 02.53
Right now there do not seem to be any three or two star orders to work on. I had a four star rating and got lazy. Hopefully there will be work soon so that I can get my rating back up.added by: author A-004290 on 06/03/2012 - 03.16
I felt as if this message was written just for me. The idea of a re-read after a short break,for me, is crucial. Comfortable phrasing has also hurt my progress, however,
I do think that I've actually improved in my overall readability over the period to time I've been struggling with punctuation.
I wouldn't mind hearing thoughts about what kind of volume, number of articles, you think is too much or not enough.
Appreciative as always, Big Joeadded by: author BigJoe on 06/03/2012 - 04.27
Thanks for the info but my last 4 articles were rated with a "3" and I was given no feedback. I paid attention to commas, used spellcheck, and reread all the articles. I'm not sure why I'm still getting "3"s. Can I get more feedback?added by: author NomadNikki on 06/03/2012 - 10.31
Thank you for taking the time to read and comment on our blog post. We are so glad that it has been helpful. We are always happy to help you with any challenges that you are experiencing or to answer any questions that you have, but we cannot answer these individual questions in a public forum such as this one. If you are experiencing an issue, please send us an email to mail@textbroker.com, and we will be happy to look into your account to see what happened. Thank you for your contributions to our author community and for sharing your talents at Textbroker!
Best Regards,
Melissa, Manager of Author Services
Textbroker International LLCadded by: Textbroker on 06/04/2012 - 07.41
Thank you for the tips. All of the material has been printed, and I am working on improving my skills every day. After writing 50 articles, I am hopeful my work will be rated soon. Without your creative criticism, I am unable to tell if you think I am getting better.added by: author Demi on 06/11/2012 - 01.37
Thank you, Keira. I have just joined textbroker this week. Of course I was disappointed to start off with a rating of 3; I know I can write at a 5-star level, and I could sure use the raise in cents-per-word. But with the help of your excellent article I know I can reach my goal of an improved rating very soon.added by: author A-158821 on 06/26/2012 - 01.41
Thank you so much. I now have a 3x5 index card that I plan to keep VEry handy especially while proofreading before hitting submit. Hey, I just noticed something nobody else has commented about. Even with the new article box, the first tab says "preview and submit." DUH! isn't preview is another word for proofread?
I have received a few 4's along the way, but in the last month I received a couple 2's that appear to be a blessing in disguise letting me know I was headed in the WRong direction. I won't make L4 before Independence Day, but hopefully I will have a new appreciation for Labor Day 2012.added by: author benson13 on 06/30/2012 - 11.04
I've now read this whole thing for the second time, hoping I would find something that helps me. I also was initially a 4 demoted to a 3. All the comments were about punctuation (I was not trained in the AP Style). I bought the AP Style computer program and, before I submit an article, I do Word's spell and punctuation check, then the AP Style check, then submit to Paperrater, as they also note some errors. I'm wondering how I'll be rated next time.
I'd like to see Textbroker add in a new category or two when giving evaluations, giving credit for compositional excellence achieved.added by: author JudyMac on 09/22/2012 - 07.21
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