Guide To Quality Writing

Please note that we are only approving writers from the US, UK and Canada at this time.

I have noticed several key areas in which many writers fail to meet our requirements. To help give writers a better idea of what is expected of them I have decided to write this guide.


Good English

It is required that you have good skills with the English language. Your spelling and grammar should be excellent with very few (if any) errors. One of the top things we look for in a writer is elegant speech. You should sound intelligent, thought-provoking, and clear-headed. Your posts should be well structured and easy to follow.


Post Length

Many writers don't post enough content. This is probably the most common downfall. You should always post at least 3 - 4 sentences. If you post lots of quality content then it's ok to make a short post every once and a while but it shouldn't happen often. Here is an example of the average post length that we expect...

You are not required to post like that all of the time but that's how your writing should look on average. If you write a bunch of 1 - 2 line posts then you will NOT be approved. Keep this in mind.


Capital Letters

This is another common mistake. You should always capitalize the first letter in each sentence. For example...

Correct: You are the one.

Incorrect: you are the one.

You should also always capitalize the pronoun "I". Example...

Correct: The hardest game that I can remember is World's Hardest Game.

Incorrect: The hardest game that i can remember is World's Hardest Game.

Please keep these capitalization tips in mind while posting.


Correct Formatting

Even if you make a post with good grammar and quality content it can still look ugly if formatted improperly.

The first common formatting mistake is to divide paragraphs in the wrong places. Example...

The proper way to format the above post is as follows...

Another common formatting error is to break paragraphs only once. Consider the following...

The above post should be formatted like this...

User Interaction

It's very important to interact with other users while posting. Don't just post general replies to a thread. Take the time to read the discussion and reply in sync. Quote posts and reply to people directly. Mention other people in posts and address the points they've made. Ask questions to help stir discussion and keep threads going.


Thread To Post Ratio

As a writer you will need to post a decent number of new threads as well as posts. A good rule of thumb is no less than 1 thread to 9 posts and no more than 1 thread to 1 post. Remember that too many threads isn't good either. It looks unnatural. The ideal ratio that I look for in a writer is 1 thread for every 4 posts. This basically means that 1 out of 5 posts should be a new thread. Some sites require more, some require less. However, 1 out of 5 is the ideal ratio that I expect here at the Gateway.


Avatar

Uploading an avatar is always a bonus. It sets you apart from all the faceless accounts and gives you more individuality within the community. It is a good rule of thumb to always upload an avatar to your account upon registration. This goes for both the Gateway and the forums in our list. Doing so will get you better ratings, and therefore higher pay.