Rejected: whys and can it be fixed?

1. 86

   paperfacetsposted 6 years ago

   This is the second travel/lodging Hub that has been rejected by WanderWisdom. I have some questions from the community so I can go forward.
   These are the generic reasons the editor gave.
   -is about a current event and written in a way that won't be relevant to readers in the future. Perhaps you can expand on your topic and offer historical analysis or additional insight beyond covering the facts of the story.
   -is about a very general topic that is already extensively covered on WanderWisdom or elsewhere online. Perhaps you can add a new spin on the topic to make it your own. If your article is a popular (e.g., chocolate chip cookies) recipe, adding gorgeous, original, step-by-step photos is a great way to make it stand out from the rest.
   -is unlikely to satisfy readers for some other reason. Your article might be deeply valuable to you, your friends, or your family, but not be written in a way that is useful or accessible to a wider audience. Or perhaps your article could be useful to readers, but it doesn't convey your experience or involvement with the topic.
   -is about a YMYL (Your Money, Your Life) topic. YMYL articles need to be written by a professional or expert on the topic, by someone who has had personal experience with it, or list credible, well-cited sources.
   -didn't address the changes requested by the site's editor.
   
   This one is the latest rejection: https://hubpages.com/travel/mexico-and- … el-carmen.
   
   The other rejection was about Maui. I suspect that maybe my hubs are not edgy or WanderWisdom is targeting a younger audience?  Fixing what I have created may be an option, but should I just delete from HP's and put them at another platform? I have that option.
   
   Second question: is WanderWisdom getting any Google traffic?

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   1. 80

      kenneth averyposted 6 years agoin reply to this

      I submitted a hub to WanderWisdom about a yearly event that is still happening today and told not only the origin, but shared research, highlights, talking points, names in the event, etc., and I noticed the first of your post (above) some of the reasons that MY hub was rejected. So I rewrote most of the hub, submitted it again, and HP never acknowledged the upgraded version of the hub in any way.

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2. 86

   paperfacetsposted 6 years ago

   Kenneth,
   I imagine you are still wondering what you could add to the Hub? I have come to view the generic rejection slip, as saying this vacation site Hub is not factual.
   
   This final bullet in what WanderWisdom expects is in the Editorial Policies.
   
   "Purely Personal Content: Articles should not be solely comprised of personal anecdotes, stories, or itineraries. While personal travel stories can be interesting, we are looking for pieces that will help readers who are looking to plan a trip. This means it is best when an author can strike a fine balance of concrete information and personal experience in order to help readers plan a trip and make it their own. Articles that don’t strike this balance and instead just tell a travel story are better suited for other platforms such as blogs."
   
   Okay there is a fine balance between facts and what you experienced while at a vacation site.
   
   I would have liked that above paragraph Cut and Pasted to my reject. It is more specific, isn't it?
   
   Can anyone tell me if this Hub can be upgraded and okay for WanderWisdom? or is it too much personal experience and only blog material.

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   1. 80

      kenneth averyposted 6 years agoin reply to this

      I would consider asking Christy or Matt at team@hubpages.com and I promise you that they will respond.

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3. 86

   Marisa Wrightposted 6 years ago

   It looks as though you unpublished it?

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4. 98

   Glenn Stokposted 6 years ago

   You added a period to the URL, making it a dead link. So I had to remove it to see your hub.
   
   I can see some issues with your hub that may be reasons why it was rejected:
   
   It's not clear if your hub is a personal account of your vacation, or if you are describing the area for informational purposes that would be useful for travelers. You should stay focused on one or the other. The title doesn't make that clear either, which is most important.
   
   Try to write it with the reader in mind, offering value to the reader. Maybe you I can add something important about the area that you discovered and that has not already been written about by others. That would make your hub standout as something different. You need that in order to compete in a topic, such as this, that has a lot of coverage on the Internet already.
   
   I see you tend to confuse "further" with "farther". As where you said "Go further south" should be "Go farther south".  When talking about distance, the proper word is farther. You've made that mistake in several places.
   
   You ended the hub abruptly. I think it could use a closing paragraph where you tie it all together, instead of suddenly ending with a travel warning.
   
   All in all, it's an interesting article. I'm sure, with a little work, you can get it moved to WanderWisdom.

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   1. 97

      theraggededgeposted 6 years agoin reply to this

      In UK English or Australian English, 'further' is correct We don't use 'farther' very often.

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      1. 98

         Glenn Stokposted 6 years agoin reply to this

         You are right. Things have a way of becoming standard acceptable usage.  While ‘farther’ may be more commonly used to denote distance in North American English, either one is correct usage according to Marriam-Webster.
         
         I found an interesting discussion of this at http://langblog.englishplus.com/?p=207 :
         
         In the U.K. farther is almost unheard of, and Australians find it hard to say it without sounding like father.
         
         We can go further into this discussion but I'm farther from the U.K. than you are. Sorry, I couldn't resist.

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         1. 97

            theraggededgeposted 6 years agoin reply to this

            

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5. 86

   paperfacetsposted 6 years ago

   For those that are interested the link is https://hubpages.com/travel/mexico-and-playa-del-carmen
   
   Thanks Glenn,
   Yesterday I removed all mention of experience and My husband to get out of the personal experience category because of this requirement. on WanderWisdom  policies.
   
   "Purely Personal Content: Articles should not be solely comprised of personal anecdotes, stories, or itineraries. While personal travel stories can be interesting, we are looking for pieces that will help readers who are looking to plan a trip. This means it is best when an author can strike a fine balance of concrete information and personal experience in order to help readers plan a trip and make it their own. Articles that don’t strike this balance and instead just tell a travel story are better suited for other platforms such as blogs."
   
   The gray area is my question. This gray area has my anxiety cutting whole paragraphs to make it seem more factual than being there. I took out the personal take on the place.
   
   Thank you for the further/farther. I would not have caught that mistake in a million rereads.

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   1. 93

      Sherry Hewinsposted 6 years agoin reply to this

      I didn't see your article before you changed it, but I think it lacks the personal touch as it is now. It reads like an advertisement. I don't know why they'd think it wasn't useful to someone planning a trip. I think it's quite informative, but I'd rather have more personal experience in the mix.

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      1. 86

         paperfacetsposted 6 years agoin reply to this

         Well, see! Thank you Sherry. That is what my gripe is in the beginning. I just got the generic reject. I am guessing here and there on what's the problem. Had no concrete info. I am thinking they rejected it out of hand, for no reason!
         
         Now I am making changes and are they for the better?

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   2. 86

      Marisa Wrightposted 6 years agoin reply to this

      You'll notice they say you need to strike a balance. Removing all personal experience is obviously not balanced, is it?
      
      However, what they actually mean is, they don't want PURELY personal stories, e.g. what Johnnie had for breakfast or how funny it was when Jenny fell in the water. They DO want your personal opinions of whether a particular attraction is worth visiting or your favourite places to see.

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6. 86

   paperfacetsposted 6 years ago

   I added the all important "10 Reasons..." list and rewrote the first paragraph and other sentences in piece.

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7. 86

   paperfacetsposted 6 years ago

   I guess I will use farther.
   
   Any other suggestions, would be appreciated.

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8. 86

   paperfacetsposted 6 years ago

   Marisa,
   What do you think should do to this Hub? I already had another travel Hub rejected. I am moving that one because it was about Maui and thought it fell into "is about a very general topic that is already extensively covered on WanderWisdom or elsewhere online."
   
   I am trying to solve this because I do think this Mexican Riviera Hub offers some info many people do not know about. Plus the photos are interesting to my eyes anyway.

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   1. 86

      Marisa Wrightposted 6 years agoin reply to this

      The way to approach it is to ask yourself, What lessons did I learn from my own visit that aren't well known to the average tourist?  If you take a look at my Tasmania Hub you'll get the idea, it was moved recently.

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      1. 86

         paperfacetsposted 6 years agoin reply to this

         Marisa,
         The formatting and narrative you created is enlightening. Thank you. My biggest lesson with this four day frustration experience is ignore ignore the rejection email and just come to the unpaid community for tips and advice.
         
         I'll give it another try.
         Sherry

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9. 86

   Marisa Wrightposted 6 years ago

   I agree, from what I have seen, the rejection email often hinders more than it helps! Good luck with it.

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