How do you feel about editors adding content to your work?

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   Carola Finchposted 5 years ago

   One of my articles on an HP niche site recently underwent the Premium Pro editing process.  The editor decided to add about 800 words of her own research to supposedly "improve" my article.  Personally, I hated the addition.  I do not feel comfortable including other people's content in articles that are published under my name so I deleted it.  I have been writing for HubPages and quite a number of other similar websites, and no editor has ever put their own content on my article.  I am being told that I should just accept it so I can increase my views.  What do you writers think?

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      theraggededgeposted 5 years agoin reply to this

      It would be deleted, pronto

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         Shesabutterflyposted 5 years agoin reply to this

         +1
         
         I've had one editor add their own content without asking me. I removed the content as it was not something that I even agreed with and therefore would never put in an article. I was also never told content was going to be added. I deleted everything that was not my own content and my article is still on the niche site months later. I do not believe that article was edited through hub pro premium though. However, I will admit I'm not sure what all the different types of editing processes are.

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         lisavollrathposted 5 years agoin reply to this

         +1. If I didn't write it, it's out.

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      Jean Bakulaposted 5 years agoin reply to this

      Can you think of enough of your own material to make the article the same length? I would delete hers, and rewrite it with more of my own content. Especially if you do not agree with what she added. They seem to be complaining about the length.
      
      I argue these things all the time.

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         Carola Finchposted 5 years agoin reply to this

         Thanks for the suggestion, but I already have revised the article myself.

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            Marketing Meritposted 5 years agoin reply to this

            I think that's the best way forward. I would feel uncomfortable about it also. Nonetheless, I think it's important to evaluate what content has been added and redraft it as you deem appropriate.
            Good luck!

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   Stacie Lposted 5 years ago

   I had not noticed any more additions to my own but maybe I will  now check.
   I would not like that amount of "improvements" on any of my hubs and perhaps the editor should have let you know beforehand.

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      Carola Finchposted 5 years agoin reply to this

      In the email I received, the editor said that she might add "a little" content.  I took that to mean adding a heading to a paragraph or a minor phrase to clarify something.  I did not expect 800 words of her own content to be added to my article.

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      Carola Finchposted 5 years agoin reply to this

      The editor did notify me that they were going to edit my article and might add a "little" content.  I thought that meant  maybe adding a phrase or a heading here and there, not 800 words.

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   Robinposted 5 years ago

   We want to work with authors on adding content.  We email you twice before we begin Premium editing telling you that we would love collaboration.  You are the expert on the topic, and we recognize that your input is important and extremely valuable.  We are happy to give you the topic areas of content that we think should be added and for you to write the copy.  However, if you don't email us back, it is hard for this collaboration to happen.
   
   That being said, adding content is a necessary part of HubPro Premium.  We do extensive research and spend a significant amount of time finding out what readers want from an article.  All of the articles that we are currently editing in HubPro Premium have content added, and it's important for authors to understand that this is a part of being on a Network Site.  We recognize that this isn't for everyone, and if you do not want content added, then we can leave your articles on HubPages or we suggest writing on your own blog where you have complete control.

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      Carola Finchposted 5 years agoin reply to this

      So if I understand correctly, if I don't allow editors to add their own content to my articles through Premium Pro, my articles will be removed from the niche site and put back on the main HubPages site.  This is something new I have not heard before.

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         DrMark1961posted 5 years agoin reply to this

         This is not something new. It has been made clear for a long time.
         If you do not like the changes that HP makes, you can delete them. If they do not like your article after their changes have been removed, they have the option of moving the article back to the HP site.
         As Robin pointed out, you have the option of not publishing the article here. They also have the option of not putting the article on their site.

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            Carola Finchposted 5 years agoin reply to this

            I know that. Yes, HubPages can move our articles to niche sites or leave them on the main site.  It is the fact that I need to allow them to add their own content to be on a niche site that is new to me.  I have had a lot of my articles moved to niche sites without editors adding their own content.

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   Kenna McHughposted 5 years ago

   Interesting. Sounds more like a complete rewrite. I don't think I would like that at all. I would rather have the editor get in touch with me 1st, and then we can discuss it. And after we discuss it, I would decide whether or not I wanted to add 800 more words. How many words was the original article?

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      Carola Finchposted 5 years agoin reply to this

      The original article was around 1300 words.  I recently updated it with two new references, so it comes to about 1600 words without the additional 800 words the editor wants me to leave in.

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   agvulpesposted 5 years ago

   Carola have a look at the faq section 36 and see what they say about added content? Here is a link to help you !
   https://hubpages.com/faq/#HubPro-details

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      Carola Finchposted 5 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks so much for sharing this.  Unless I missed something, it says nothing about editors writing their own content and adding it to the article.  I quote: "Do I still own the rights to my article after it is edited? Yes, absolutely. You still retain the rights to your articles after they are edited and editors will not make significant changes to your content without asking for permission first."
      
      It also says "In HubPro Premium, editors will make every attempt to collaborate with you before adding significant information to your articles. They may add supplementary enhancement capsules (e.g., polls, videos, tables) and photos or illustrations, but will be very careful before adding additional written content. Please keep in mind that you are free to edit an article to your liking once it has been unlocked."

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   HoneyBBposted 5 years ago

   I think it would be great if they added content that helped my article obtain more traffic; (although, I hope they would start with the ones that are getting no traffic) however, I would have to review it and see if I agree with what was added and if it flows nicely with my original work. If it didn't seem to be a good fit I would see if I could reword what the editor wrote to fit my style and tone.

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      Carola Finchposted 5 years agoin reply to this

      Premium Pro is only for articles that are doing well on niche sites, I believe.

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         Carola Finchposted 5 years agoin reply to this

         If you want some views, I suggest you establish a presence on social media and post there.  I get a lot of traffic from Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, Google+, Pinterest, Flipboard, and a few other websites.

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            Jean Bakulaposted 5 years agoin reply to this

            Adding your own content was the best way to go. It's not easy to get in touch with these editors either. Once or twice I had a box that came up so I could correspond with one, but I only know to write to team@hubpages.com. I guess the individual editors don't want mail. But that makes it hard to communicate.
            
            It may take time before the piece gets "rediscovered", but it does happen.

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            theraggededgeposted 5 years agoin reply to this

            Too much work. Would rather spend the time writing stuff that people are searching for. I let other people do the social media sharing thing with my hubs

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               Carola Finchposted 5 years agoin reply to this

               It only takes me five minutes to post links on all those social media sites.  I seem to get the most views from Twitter and Reddit.

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   dredcuanposted 5 years ago

   First of all, at least they must inform you before it so.  Second, 800 words is not a simple editing of contents.  Its as if they want to change the whole idea of your article.  Third, they might be right that the number of page views may increase because of the addition.  However, how can a writer like you feel comfortable that somebody's partially used your name because of that instance.

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      Carola Finchposted 5 years agoin reply to this

      I check my stats every day.  When the editors added "My Struggles and" and put up the new article up my views dropped by a third after doing well for many months.  My article was deleted for a few hours one day but overall, since I put up my own revised article, my views are back up to normal.  Go figure.

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         dredcuanposted 5 years agoin reply to this

         That's the problem when somebody changes your article, if things go wrong after those changes. Of course, you can't blame yourself alone.  It's a good thing though that you're article is back on track.  At least you're getting the same views again, just like before.

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   Jacqueline4390posted 5 years ago

   I feel that no one knows what I want to say better than I do. Unless the error is in grammar or word usage, I prefer it not be done.

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      Carola Finchposted 5 years agoin reply to this

      I agree.  I am willing to make major changes that are requested by an editor and accept minor editorial changes.  Since my articles are published under my name and my copyright, I want to write the content myself.

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   Rochelle Frankposted 5 years ago

   In general, I agree. I had an editor change a paragraph in a way that made it say exactly the opposite of the point I was making. No big deal. I changed it back.

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    Carola Finchposted 5 years ago

    I was just informed that the article I discussed was reviewed and will continue to be posted on the niche site it was on before.  Looking back at the whole process, I am actually grateful that the editors are willing to be helpful to the extreme, even though in this case, I think it went too far. Premium Pro editing is certainly intense to go through.  I have given the editors lots of feedback so lets see what happens.  I am optimistic that all will be well.

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       dredcuanposted 5 years agoin reply to this

       Good to know that they're more than willing to settle the issue with regards to your article.  Goodluck!

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    Daniel Mollatposted 5 years ago

    We write articles because we want to impart our knowledge and/or experience about certain topics to the audience at large. We feel good when we see our article gain footage in terms of views. Sometimes the subject being written about is good but somehow the writer does not put forward a good enough presentation. This is when HP editors come in and help out by adding editorial content or making changes to make the article more appealing to the reading public. If the editor gets carried away in writing new content to the point where it appears to be too much, what's wrong with that? If it meets the objective of making the article more interesting and consequently bringing in more views to that article, shouldn't the original writer be pleased? After all, if the editor deviates too far away from the main subject of the article the writer can always contact the editor and make corrections as needed.
    
    Just my two cents worth.

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    Carola Finchposted 5 years ago

    Thanks Daniel, and to everyone who contributed to this topic.  I do appreciate that the editors are willing to put time and effort into editing and improving my work so I can get more views.  In all, I think that is great.  I am willing to make major changes based on their helpful advice if I think it is warranted and am grateful for the freedom to accept or reject changes they make.  They do have a lot of knowledge to share.
    
    The problem I have is publishing other people's content in work that is going out under my name and copyright.  I feel that the work under my name should be my expertise and research, not someone else's.  I have found that content injected by editors reflects their style and manner of expression and is not necessarily compatible with mine, possibly causing a lack of continuity and repetition in the flow of the article.  Editors may also lack the expertise that I have in the topic. To me, adding 800 words of someone else's content and claiming it is mine in a byline is a misrepresentation of who actually wrote the article.
    
    I just want articles that appear under my name to be written by me and not someone else.  According to the feedback I have received and what I have read on similar forums, many writers feel the same way I do.  That is my two cents.

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    simplehealthtipsposted 5 years ago

    Is the true....I never found this type of discussions about HP. I think we did not notice it before. Thanks for your suggestions.

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    D33PTHINK3Rposted 5 years ago

    Well I am fairly new here. In my opinion though, it depends on what you are here for. If you are here because you love to write and want "your" content out there then no. To keep your articles all written by you, I would have deleted it also.  If you are here for earnings though, maybe it's a good option. They do know the most about what articles make the most. I would say for a beginner her they probably should keep it. But if you are already doing great on your own then it doesn't make sense why it was even added.

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    ReViewMeMediaposted 5 years ago

    I had someone rewrite big portions of my most popular review and they rewrote it in such a way that it didn't even look like my own writing style.  It made me very angry, while I did like some of their edits, they wrote in a style that was completely different from my own, fortunately, I keep all my reviews and articles on my hard drive so I copy-pasted what I wanted to be in my article and left them some very angry feedback.
    
    Fortunately, no one has ever gone and hacked up my reviews that much ever again so I think they got the message.  This is why you need to have your first draft saved on your computer that way if the editors change your article so much you don't like it, you can always revert it back to the way you want it.

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       HoneyBBposted 5 years agoin reply to this

       The Hubpage team keeps your original version so there's no need to get angry. They allow you to go back to the original or make any changes if you want with the possibility of it still being featured if it continues or gains a passing quality assessment grade. The edits they do are there but they're basically suggestions that you can accept by doing nothing or not accept by reverting to the original or making additional changes.

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          Carola Finchposted 5 years agoin reply to this

          I am aware that I can change it back and risk having it moved off a niche site.  I am talking about Premium Pro, where I am locked out of changing my article for weeks while editors make changes to my article.  I have revised my article and it is doing well.

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             theraggededgeposted 5 years agoin reply to this

             Carola, you might want to click on 'Chronological' top right. HoneyBB was responding to ReViewMeMedia.

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                Carola Finchposted 5 years agoin reply to this

                Thanks

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       Carola Finchposted 5 years agoin reply to this

       I always do my work in Word first and save it. Then I paste it into Notepad to remove any codes and paste into HubPages.  One thing I noticed, when you click on the green HubPro button, It brings up a page that gives you various viewing options.  The last option is to look at the original.  If I can't find my original on Word, I cut and paste from that page.

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