Frequently Asked Questions
- Can anyone join?
- No. We have set the standard of acceptance intentionally high so as to preserve the quality standards of SMW. Although we encourage all members to post reviews in the reviews section and Q&A in the forums, we are committed to very high quality standards within the travel guides and travel articles sections of the site.
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- How does the revenue share work?
- We are determined that the articles submitted by a writer will be supported by relevant advertising. This will be what is known as ‘Pay Per Action’ advertising; in other words the page user has to click on the ad and then also purchase a product or service from the advertiser in order to generate revenue. This revenue will be shared between SMW and the writer of the page on which the ad was placed.
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- So I could get all my friends to click on the ads on the page, right?
- Wrong. Because there have been problems with this kind of thing in the past, we have decided not to go for an advertising system where people get paid for every click (known as ‘Pay Per Click’). We take any kind of advertising fraud very seriously, and people found to be trying to manipulate their earnings in any way will be immediately removed from the TWC. Sorry about that, but we take this very seriously as do advertisers.
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- What percentage of the revenue will I get as the writer?
- Writers are paid on a sliding scale of between 50 and 60% of the revenues. All of our focus will be on getting the revenues higher by selecting the right kind of advertising relationships and getting as much traffic as possible to your pages in order to increase those conversions and revenues. This leaves you to focus on quality travel writing knowing that you are making an investment for the future.
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- Why not just pay me for my writing?
- At So Much World, we are very proud of the fact that we pay such a high percentage of our total revenue to travel writers. Over the last 12 months, we have spent many thousands of dollars directly commissioning content from professional travel writers. We don’t believe there is another website as committed to rewarding travel writing excellence, but the fact is that SMW is run as a business and we need to become profitable in order to grow. On this basis we think the fairest way forward at the moment is to develop a successful ‘win-win’ formula. In other words, if we do well so do you.
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- What will So Much World do to promote my work?
- Our policy is to publicize and market SMW to a wide audience. Combining this with a focus on quality will enable us to achieve a massive, loyal website user base. Through focusing on great usability and search technology we want users to be able to find the specific information they are looking for. By keeping your articles specific, relevant, helpful and of great quality, the easier it will be for people to find them and the more likely they will bookmark your pages and return again and again. As a TWC member, you will also be able to link to your articles from within the SMW forums and reviews sections.
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- If I’m accepted, will it be complicated for me to set up and use?
- In terms of posting your articles on the website, we are working on a user interface which will make it very easy for you to post your articles.
In terms of advertising revenues, you will need to register for a Google Adsense account. This is very easy and takes about two minutes.
Rest assured we will be here to help you with any queries or technical problems that you have.
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- What kind of articles will I be expected to write?
- By articles, we mean specific pieces of between 500-700 words, which provide valuable information and are enjoyable for the website reader. The information contained must be accurate, reliable and up-to-date. If your article is longer than the word limit above, then you can split it into two or three shorter articles.
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- Can I write about any country?
- No. Initially, we ask you to nominate a particular country in which you have spent a lot of time, or where you may be based currently. Once you have built up a portfolio of quality of work on the site, you will then be able to post articles on any destination.
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- Can I write articles about any travel subject?
- Yes, so long as they meet the following three criteria:
- Written within the context of your chosen country, e.g. wine tasting in Umbria, Italy,
- do not infringe on any of the Terms & Conditions, and
- are relevant, accurate, up-to-date and of great value to the reader.
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- Who will own the articles I submit?
- All material submitted will become the property of So Much World. This means that we are free to edit and change material as we see fit. For the foreseeable future, it is likely that editing will be kept to a minimum, so we ask you to ensure that articles are in a ‘finished’ state when submitting.
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- Can I republish these articles elsewhere?
- No. Anything you submit must be unique to So Much World, and must not have been published previously elsewhere or be published elsewhere in future. If accepted into the So Much World Travel Writing Community, we will send you full details of our Terms and Conditions.
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- How will people know that I wrote the article?
- Every article you write will be credited to you at the bottom of the page with a link to your bio. Your bio can include any or all of the following: name, contact details, photograph, specialities, further information and a link to your blog or website.
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- How do I apply?
- You will need to fill in our online Application Form.
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- Who decides if I will be accepted?
- Our team of senior writers and editors. They will be able to decide if your work will be a good fit for So Much World.
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- When will you get back to me?
- We really appreciate the time it takes you to apply and we want to contact you as soon as possible. We acknowledge all applications immediately, and our commitment is to let you know our decision within two weeks but hopefully faster. We will contact you whether the answer is yes or no.
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- If I’m unsuccessful can I re-apply in future?
- Yes, it will be possible for you to re-apply at a later date. Unfortunately we cannot promise you any kind of individual feedback due to limited resources and anticipated volume of responses.
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- English is not my first language. Can I still apply?
- Yes, as long as your command of written English is of a suitably high standard.
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- How many people will be accepted?
- We are limiting our initial intake of writers and as we said earlier our standards are very high. That said, if you feel this sounds like something you are interested in, we would love to receive your application.
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- Will I be employed by So Much World?
- No. Like the majority of freelance writers you will be self-employed and responsible for your own tax etc. That said, we work with a great many freelance writers, web programmers, designers etc and all of them will tell you that So Much World is a great team to be a part of.
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