Writer FAQs – Please Read

• What is the Non-Compete Clause/Confidentiality Agreement?
• How much does QualityGal.com pay for articles and when is it paid?
• I recently moved, how can I be certain that I receive my payments?
• How do I get started?
• Are test assignments paid?
• What if I am not accepted to write for QualityGal?
• What is the test article process like?
• Why wasn’t my article returned to me for editing before it was graded?
• What if I do not agree with my Grade?
• What is a Probationary Status?
• How do I claim an article that is available?
• What are ‘special projects’, and how do I gain access to them?
• Why can’t I claim any more articles?
• How do deadlines work?
• What should I do if my article(s) was released?
• How does QualityGal deal with plagiarism?
• How do I hyperlink?
• How do I get paid for my articles?
• When will I get paid?
• What if I have a problem with my invoice(s)?
• What if my password does not work?
• When will my e-mail(s) be answered?
• What internet browser works best with QualityGal?
• What program should I use to compose my articles?
• How do I request an article extension?
• What do I do if my account is deactivated?
• Is there anything I need to do if I’m going on vacation?
• What is a text heavy article?

If you have any questions that are not addressed in the following, please contact QualityGal.

What is the Non-Compete Clause/Confidentiality Agreement?

Please do not let this scare you; we do NOT bar any freelancer from writing for other companies. Simply put, we do not want a freelancer to write for our clients directly, instead of going through QG Staff. Generally, we will never expose our clients. However, if we do disclose our clients we want to protect their confidentiality.

This agreement will not affect any writer who wants to work for QG Staff while working for other freelance companies.

How much does QualityGal.com pay for articles and when is it paid?
QualityGal pays an average pay of $18 per article. The amount we pay depends on a number of factors including complexity of the article, number of links in the article and suggested minimum word count. Payment for completed and accepted articles is made each Friday through PayPal or by check.

I recently moved, how can I be certain that I receive my payments?

There are two ways that you can be paid for work completed for Quality Gal, one approach is payment through PayPal, and the other way is to receive your payment by check. The PayPal process doesn’t require you to change your records with QG in order to continue to receive payment.

If you opt for payment by check, consequently by mail, and you move to a new location, please update your address in your writer profile. Please then email the Quality Gal Staff at staff@qualitygal.com notifying us of the change. This will ensure that your account has been properly updated and that your payment will be shipped to the correct location!

How do I get started?
To apply for a writer position with QualityGal, applicants MUST submit the form found on the link below:

http://writing.qualitygal.com/index.php?action=account&op=signup

Along with signing up we will also need applicants to send over a copy of a W9 form as well as a photo ID as proof of residency and identity

http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/fw9.pdf

***Please note that applications cannot be processed until we receive all required paperwork***

Are test assignments paid?
QualityGal does not pay for test assignments.

What if I am not accepted to write for QualityGal?

If your sample is not accepted, you are welcome to reapply to become a QualityGal writer six months from the date your sample was rejected.

What is the test article process like?
When you fill out the form to write for QualityGal you will be asked to complete a 500+ word assignment that will gauge your writing skill, style, and flow. If you have them available we also request that you include samples of work that has been published online. For applicants who successfully submit the writer panel signup application, photo ID, and W9, the application will be reviewed the following business day and you will receive an email with a final decision.

*Please note that writing samples will not be used in any form by Qualitygal.*

Why wasn’t my article returned to me for editing before it was graded?

Every once in a while an article will be returned to your account so edits can be made before a final grade is assigned. If an article is returned to your account, you will have two days to make edits and resubmit the article.

 

*Please note that articles are rarely returned for edits, please be sure to carefully read the instructions the first time to ensure the article is being done correctly.*
What if I do not agree with my Grade?
Please email the QG staff at staff@qualitygal.com. We will review the article(s) in question. Staff@qualitygal.com is the primary contact for all writer questions or concerns.

What is a Probationary Status?
Every writer accepted into the QualityGal writing team is placed on a minimum 30-day probationary period; which may be extended at the discretion of QualityGal. During this time, the writer’s progress will be monitored to make sure that QualityGal is a good match for the writer and vice versa. We want to ensure that all writers are comfortable and are successfully completing any/all assignments on schedule, and are in compliance with all guidelines.

All writers should strive to comply with the following QualityGal guidelines:

• Follow the style assigned to any/all article
• Spell check all assignments before submitting them to be edited
• Make sure all articles are original content. All articles are run through Copyscape, a plagiarism checker.
• Follow all directions as explained in the Instructions of each assignment.
• Meet all deadlines. If there are extenuating circumstances, and deadlines cannot be met, please contact QualityGal.
• If an article is returned to a writer by an editor, the deadline for the edits is always 48 hours. If edits are not completed on time, the article will be released back into the panel and the writer will not be paid for the article that was returned.
• Refrain from dropping/releasing any article(s) that has been claimed, especially urgent articles as this can negatively affect your account.
• Please be forthcoming with any payment information that should be changed by QualityGal. For example, if an article calls for 30 links and pays out $18, but the writer only includes 29 links, which pays out $15, please email QualityGal to alert them of the change.
• Double check all links before submitting any/all articles to make sure that the article does not contain any broken or competitor links.
• As always, please free to contact us at any time with questions or concerns. We also welcome any input from our writers.

How do I claim an article that is available?
Click the “Writing Projects” tab and select “View Claimable Writing Projects.” Select “More Details”, select “Claim.” Once you have claimed an article, double check that it went has registered in your account. All claimed projects will populate under “Your Writing Projects” on the “Your Account” page in the Writer Panel.

If you took an article in error, please enter an explanation of why you are dropping it into the “drop article” box and click on the “drop article” button to release it back into the panel for another writer to pick up.

What are special projects, and how do I gain access to them?

Quality Gal offers a wide variety of projects to our freelancers based upon our clients’ needs. Occasionally, we receive content requests that are unique to a work order, and may require specialized expertise to complete. In some cases these special projects may pay more than traditional projects, especially if they require more work. If you would like to be considered for these projects there are a couple of things you can do to be added to our special orders contact list.

• Notify the QG staff about any professional or military training you have received, degrees earned, work experience, etc. For example: QG receives an order for articles to be written about electricity, if you are an electrician or used to be, and you have informed us of this we may email the project request to you. Even if we contact you for a special project, you are not required to accept the project, however please respond to our email so that we may continue our search. If you do accept a special project, you cannot drop the project- doing so will ban you from special projects in the future.
• Maintain an ‘A’ average, this will demonstrate your ability to write well, adhere to project requirements and consistently deliver quality work. You must also complete all the work that you claim.  You will not be considered if you drop articles. If you believe you have had extenuating circumstances that caused you to drop an article in the past, please contact us for further consideration.

Take constructive critiques from the editors respectfully and work to improve problem areas. Specialized projects often require quick turnaround time and unique instructions. Communicating effectively will increase the success of these projects, and adjusting to the critiques will better prepare you for the project’s demands.

Why can’t I claim any more articles?
Writers can only work on five (5) articles at a time; this does not include articles already submitted to an editor. If you have five articles in progress, you will not be able to work on another article until the status changes to being edited, or graded. After proving yourself as a reliable member of the QualityGal Team, you may apply to have the restriction lifted at which time your account will be reviewed for consideration. Should your account have the limit increased, you will be free to claim as many articles as you can handle. Email: staff@qualitygal.com for consideration.

How do deadlines work?
Meeting the deadlines is extremely important and all deadlines must be adhered to.

An automatic release tool will remove any/all overdue assignments from you if not completed by the due date at 3:00 PM (EST); this includes any/all rewrites, which MUST be completed within 48 hours.
If you are in need of an extension, please notify QG. If one can be granted, every effort will be made to do so. If not, the article will need to be released to the panel for another writer to complete.

Between 8:00AM EST and 5:00PM EST, please contact staff@qualitygal.com. Emails requesting assistance after 3pm on Friday and throughout the weekend, will receive a response on Monday morning.

If a writer fails to meet these guidelines, the article will be removed and released to the article pool for other writers to claim. If an article is released, all pay is automatically forfeited.

Again, if an extension is needed, please notify QG.

Articles are tracked through many different steps of the claiming/submission process. It is important that writers do not habitually drop articles; and to drop an urgent article is extremely frowned upon. Please consider your ability to complete any assignment within its given time frame before claiming the assignment. The excessive release of articles will not be tolerated. If you feel that you do need to release an article, please contact QG with a reasonable explanation for the release.

Please understand that emailing the QG staff does not guarantee that an extension will be granted, the Content Team cannot be on call 24/7, and may not have access to their QG email. When in doubt, please do the best you can and submit the article. Please leave notes to the editor in the article stating any difficulties.

The habitual dropping/releasing of article reflects poorly on the writer’s ability to work within the set deadlines and may result in termination of the writer’s account.

All articles are due their respective due date by 3pm EST. At 3pm EST any articles due that day that have not been submitted to the editor will be automatically dropped from the writer’s account and all payment is forfeited.

For additional information on deadlines, please see Meeting Deadlines

What should I do if my article(s) was released?
If an article is released from your account, please email the QualityGal staff with a brief explanation of why you are unable to complete the article. Habitual releasing of articles reflects poorly on the writer’s ability to work within the set deadlines and may result in termination of the writer’s account.

You may also email staff@qualitygal.com to see if the article can be returned to your account. A writer cannot automatically reclaim any project that has been released from their account.

Note: all article(s) will be released on their due date at 3:00 PM (EST) if not submitted to editor.

How does QualityGal deal with plagiarism?
We have ZERO tolerance for plagiarized content. If your article(s) is returned as Flagged, the article(s) has been refused due to plagiarized content. If an article is flagged as plagiarized, the article will be failed and payment will be forfeited.

How do I hyperlink?
To Hyperlink in Microsoft Word follow these 4 easy steps:

• Highlight the text you want to link.
• Right click and click on hyperlink.
• Paste the URL into the box “address” or “type the file or webpage name.”
• Click “OK”

You will now see the text you hyperlinked highlighted in blue and underlined.

How do I get paid for my articles?
To get paid for any graded articles, a writer must submit an invoice. Once your article status changes from Being Edited to Graded, you can submit an invoice. Invoices can be submitted as often as you like. Click on the “Your Account” tab and select “Send an Invoice.” Select the “Send Invoice” button at the very bottom of the screen. Make sure all invoices are submitted every week by Thursday at 3:00 PM (EST) to receive payment on Friday. If you have any questions about your grade, you can always e-mail staff@qualitygal.com for additional feedback.

When will I get paid?
Payments are processed weekly on Friday through PayPal, providing that you have submitted an invoice by 3:00 PM (EST) Thursday.

If a holiday should fall on a Friday, you will be paid the following Monday.

What if I have a problem with my invoice(s)?
Please e-mail staff@qualitygal.com.

What if my password does not work?
Please E-mail staff@qualitygal.com.

When will my e-mail(s) be answered?
Generally speaking, e-mails are answered within 24 hours during regular business hours of Monday – Friday between 9 AM – 5 PM – this excludes weekends and holidays.  If an email is sent after 5pm or before 8am EST, if will be answered the following business day. We appreciate your patience and understanding.

What internet browser works best with QualityGal?

Firefox.

What program should I use to compose my articles?

Microsoft Word or OpenOffice (a free downloadable word processor).

How do I request an article extension?

If you need an article extension, please send an email to Katie Support@QualityGal.com no later than 1:00pm (EST). If you do not receive a response within 30 minutes, please email staff@QualityGal.com

*Remember we cannot always give extensions but will do so when possible.*

What do I do if my account is deactivated?

If you are not active for a while, your account will be deactivated. Accounts are considered inactive after 30 days of inactivity. If this happens, please email Staff@qualitygal.com to have it reactivated. If your account has been inactive for 6 months or more you will need to reapply to QualityGal and complete all of the required paperwork.

Is there anything I need to do if I’m going on vacation?

If you are going on vacation, please just claim less work and if you are going to be gone for more than 30 days, please notify Staff@qualitygal.com.

What is a text heavy article?

A text heavy article is one that has a word count above the normal minimum of 750. Text heavy articles should have at least 900 words.