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Instructions, Revisions and Refusals…Oh My!

In Author Services, we receive hundreds of emails on a weekly basis, and we strive to help authors complete orders for our clients. Many of the questions we receive are about instructions, revisions and rejections. This blog will provide some useful tips and insight into how these different aspects of being a Textbroker author works so you can write as efficiently as possible.

In Author Services, we receive hundreds of emails on a weekly basis, and we strive to help authors complete orders for our clients. Many of the questions we receive are about instructions, revisions and rejections. This blog will provide some useful tips and insight into how these different aspects of being a Textbroker author works so you can write as efficiently as possible.

Instructions

Textbroker works with clients from many different industries who are trying to increase their visibility on search engines. Sometimes, they know they need content but aren’t entirely sure what they’re looking for. Over the past year, Textbroker developers have been working hard to create a new client platform that not only makes the order process easier, but they’ve implemented an instruction template to help guide clients in the right direction. You may have already noticed some of these pre-designed templates in the OpenOrder pool, and we’re constantly updating these templates to make them as useful to the authors as possible.

One of the best tips our veteran authors have to offer is that you should always find orders that you can write as efficiently as possible. This will help you increase your potential earnings. Sometimes, due to human error or occasional technological issues, links and other information may be missing or broken in the content. If you come across this type of issue, you could politely send the client a direct message to inform them of the issue and move on to another order. This way, the client has been notified, and you won’t spend too much time waiting for a response as some of our clients are located in different countries.

Revisions

Creating an article is like artwork, and sometimes the person who you’re creating this content for may want some minor changes. This is completely normal, and even our most profitable authors receive revisions on a regular basis. When you see a revision request, it’s important to keep in mind that this does not mean you did a poor job but that the client may have realized more of what they wanted after they were able to see the structure of the order and the style of your writing.

If you feel the revision request will require far too much work compared to the original instructions, you have the option of dropping the order, but it’s always in your best interest to come to an agreement with the client. You can request the client replace the order and pay you for the additional changes, or you can revise the order as requested to build a strong relationship with the client. The more clients who appreciate your hard work, the more DirectOrder opportunities you will have.

Refusals

After a client sends an author one revision, they have the option of refusing the order if the order still doesn't meet their requirements. From here, the refusal goes into a queue for our Quality Assurance department to review before the client is refunded for the order or the rejection is overturned. We approach every refused order from a neutral position, but always hope that our authors will be paid for their efforts. However, we also need to make sure the client is receiving the quality of content they paid for.

The Quality Assurance team will take the following into account:

Was the article written at the quality level that the client is paying for?

Each star level sets different expectations for a client. For example, if the client is paying for 4-star quality but there is a variety of spelling, punctuation and other grammar errors, we might side with the client. If the client paid for a 3-star quality article but requested in-depth research and no filler content and this was their reason for rejection, we might side with the author.

Did the author follow the original instructions?

This goes back to finding instructions that make sense. If the instructions are ambiguous or have contradictory information, you may want to message the client and move on to another order because this will be taken into account during the rejection process.

Did the author follow reasonable revision requests?

This is a little less concrete, but we take all of the information into account when making decisions based on revision requests. A client asking for minor changes, like the introductory sentence being restructured or adding in a minor HTML code, is a reasonable request. If the client changes their mind about what the topic of the order should be or if the client requests the author add a large amount of words to the order without paying for the words, then we would be more likely to side with the author.

It is also important to remember that although you receive a revision request, it does not supersede the original order instructions. For example, if the client requests that you write about cats and dogs but the revision requests that you add a section about birds, this does not mean you should remove one of your previous sections if you decide to complete the revision.

We hope these tips and insights can help you with your future orders, and please remember that if you ever have any questions, you can email us at [email protected] or give us a call. 


Comments

497717 21. March 2015 - 2:53

I agree with doing thorough research will resolve all temptations to use filler, however by taking one sentence at a time I believe is vital to affirming that your article is staying on track with the message you are attempting to convey.

Thanks the information is well recieved.

Reply

505821 6. April 2015 - 14:05

This article is helpful! I'm new around here. I just do my best to make the client happy. I'd rather build a bridge than a bomb. I'm not going to get in a scrap over a few dollars or worry about a client dulling my artistic edge with their revisions. I save that attitude for my creative writing, which is mine, mine, mine. The content I write for these clients is theirs and I'll write however and whatever they want. That said, I haven't had any difficult or unfair clients or experiences just yet. Though I may feel differently if a piece I've worked hard on is rejected.

Reply

505821 6. April 2015 - 15:26

I'm a newcomer and have been reluctant to apply to a team. You have encouraged me!

Reply

192677 22. April 2015 - 18:43

Thanks for the hints about 5 stars, A-481109!  I'd love to accomplish that level.

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86928 12. June 2015 - 17:24

I personally wish all my writing clients had the quality of editing that TB does. One of you should open a B2B course for other sites to send their editors to; I'm dead serious about that. I've never had an editor here act with anything but professionalism and respect, and this is a sentiment shared by most of the TB authors. It is so nice to know that you are treated as a human being who may make mistakes, but can improve with the right guidance, instead of an automaton who has to get it perfect the first time or be rejected and berated by non-professional and sometimes seemingly disturbed, troll-like editing staff. When it gets too stressful dealing with snarky and downright nasty editors elsewhere, I know I can come here and be redeemed in my own eyes.

Thanks for clarifying the process, and we do appreciate you for all you do.

Reply

343181 12. July 2015 - 5:11

I am going to follow your instructions. My research takes too long and sometimes I become disgusted quickly with the results of my search.

 

Thank you

 

 

Reply

umer javed 19. October 2018 - 8:24

how to remove the error you_must_first_receive_a_textbroker_evaluation_before_you_can_start_writing_articles_
and
You do not have the necessary rights to access the OpenOrder list.

Reply

Cody Christensen 22. October 2018 - 20:05

Hello,

Thank you for your comment. You’re receiving that message due to an unverified account. A selfie style color photo of you holding your valid government-issued photo ID is required to verify your account and evaluate your writing sample. Please send a digital color photo of yourself holding a driver’s license, state ID card, signed US passport, military ID, or permanent resident card for this step. Additionally, we recommend that you include a photo of just the ID so that it is clear and readable. We must be able to verify your full name, DOB, expiration date, photo, and the issuing state. You will be unable to log into your account until your writing sample is received, and your ID is verified. Please allow up to fifteen business days for verification.

Send this to [email protected]. Please let us know if you need anything else. Thank you for using Textbroker!

Reply

Jessie 21. October 2019 - 5:49

Thanks for this article.

It would be helpful if there was a blog article about revisions due to HTML errors and how to correct them.

I have had one order that had a revision request because the “?” symbol appeared in the text on the client’s side only.

I’ve also received a request to revise just this evening because my client’s view shows L Sep characters all throughout the article. I’d never even heard of L Sep prior to today. I think I’ve figure out what it is, but I don’t know how to find the errors to correct them.

I’ll call author’s services on the morning but was hoping to find info by browsing the blog. Unfortunately I can’t find anything beyond entry-level HTML formatting tips and basic, surface level information pertaining to the technical aspects of formatting. Please consider adding articles with more complex issues.

Thank you.

Reply

TB Staff 22. October 2019 - 10:26

Hi Jessie!
Thank you for your feedback! We will keep this in mind for a future blog post.

Reply

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