Looking for opinions on possible changes needed to my article.

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   Sylvia Leongposted 4 years ago

   I've received a form email that my article was not selected for Den Garden.There's obviously something wrong, but I'm at a loss as to what it is. The form email invited me to ask for some additional opinions and perspectives in this forum.
   Thank you in advance for your constructive critiques!
   https://discover.hubpages.com/living/Th … Small-Home

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      OldRosesposted 4 years agoin reply to this

      I think part of your problem is that this is more of a blog entry than a magazine style article which is what HubPages is looking for.  Read articles already on Dengarden to get an idea of the style of writing that the editors are looking for.
      
      HubPages is not a blogging platform.  They want well-written, informative  magazine style articles.

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2. 83

   theraggededgeposted 4 years ago

   Hi there,
   
   The first thing I noticed is your use of the word 'architect' as a verb. You probably mean 'construct'?
   
   All the photos are linked to your own website - that's considered self-promotional. If the photos belong to you then just mention it in the image capsule, 'Image author's own'. However, if you are not the source of the images, you must ensure they carry a Creative Commons license and are properly credited to the source.
   
   "A Small Home is Environmental"... is not correct. You may mean 'environmentally friendly'? Or 'eco-friendly'? Or 'kind to the environment'?
   
   There may be an issue with duplicate content as you have published it elsewhere. I'm not sure though - I can see you have taken it down.
   
   Might be a good idea to remove the ancient comments
   
   Funny piece. I enjoyed it.

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3. 94

   AliciaCposted 4 years ago

   I want to reiterate a problem that theraggededge has mentioned. I’ve read two of your articles and have enjoyed both of them, but I think the multiple self-promotional links in the articles is a major problem.

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4. 84

   Sylvia Leongposted 4 years ago

   Hi theraggededge, OldRoses and AliciaC,
   
   Thank you for your comments!
   
   Just so you're aware, all my photos have links to the source (either my websites or in this case, my Instagram) and they've been accepted to niche sites. So that's not the problem.
   
   I do want to thank you for pointing out that you weren't sure if the photos were mine. Horrors! I work really hard on my photos. I've gone through all my articles now and changed the source to "Sylvia Leong" while leaving the link.
   
   As for duplicate content: it's not that, as I've received the "duplicate content form-email" for another article, ha, ha! They'd just send it again.
   
   As for the use of architect/environmental/ancient: if they didn't like this, they'd just change the words to what they wanted. Believe me, the editors love to edit out what they don't like. And I've had far more extensive edits than a few sentences, ha, ha!
   
   So that leaves me with OldRoses comment: it reads too much like a blog. I'll have to think on that and read through a few articles on Den Garden.
   
   I really wish the editors would be more forthcoming!
   
   In any case, thanks to you three for not only reading my article, but attempting to address the problems. I really appreciate your time and insight!

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5. 83

   theraggededgeposted 4 years ago

   Okay, let me explain again - you **can't link** to your own website or your Instagram, whether within the text or in the photo sources. It is clearly stated in the FAQ. Apart from the promotional aspect, writers are not permitted to link to the same domain more than twice unless the site has been whitelisted.
   
   Your use of 'architect' as a verb may have gone unnoticed previously but, because it's the first word that people see, and it is clearly incorrect, you are advised to change it. It's unprofessional. As are the other word misuses.
   
   You asked for feedback and we have offered it. They are the reasons why your article has not been accepted to Dengarden. If you don't wish to make the improvements, that's your choice

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6. 82

   Kenna McHughposted 4 years ago

   Hi Sylvia, you asked for help, and these two writers know their stuff. I recommend reading their advice and keeping your doubts to yourself. If you disagree, fine, but don't make an issue about it.

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   1. 84

      Sylvia Leongposted 4 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks Kenna McHugh,
      I do. I have removed the links in my images on all my articles whether on a niche site or not.
      I'll wait the required two weeks and submit this article once again. Fingers crossed this does the trick.

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