Why Was My Article Rejected

Article marketing has become a massive trend in Internet marketing today. Many marketers use articles as their primary, and even sole, a form of traffic generation and search engine optimization. However, some marketers lament that article marketing doesn't seem to work for them, especially as their article submissions are often rejected.

I own and maintain three article directories. One is a general directory, and two are niche directories. I receive hundreds of article submissions every day, and I reject dozens. When I first started, I would carefully include a specific reason for each rejection, but now submissions are so high it is all I can do to keep my head above water. Frankly, I feel it is more critical to turn articles around as quickly as possible, so I am all about speed now (and am still weeks behind with my general directory).

However, I can share these tips in an open letter to article marketers who do not understand why their papers are rejected by my directories -- and likely other article directories.

The primary reasons articles are rejected by me include:

Reason 1: Active links in the body of the article. The author resource box is the only place I want to see an active connection. This is pretty standard with most article directories.

Reason 2: The article does not belong in this directory. Usually, this is true of a large percentage of my niche directory rejections. If the manual is about Internet promotion, don't submit your articles about breast augmentation!

Reason 3: The article was not submitted to the correct category. If I'm in an excellent mood or interested in the article, I might recategorize it. If I recognize an author who regularly delivers quality content, I might recategorize it. I might move it to a more specific subcategory if it is in the right broad category. However, I will most likely reject it if it was submitted with no apparent thought or effort. If the author can't be bothered to select the right category, why should I take the time?

Reason 4: Substandard English. If there are typos or poor grammar in the headline or summary, I am not impressed and will most likely reject the submission.

Reason 5: Subject spamming. I will suspect article spamming if I receive several articles on the same subject and by the same author with similar titles and summaries. Rather than sort out which articles might offer quality, unique content, I reject them all.

Reason 6: Obscure topics. If I don't think your article about New Jersey Divorce Lawyers will add anything to my directory, then I might choose to reject it. Similarly, if I can't tell what your article is about from the title, summary, or first paragraphs, then I'm not going to read any further.

Reason 7: Blatant advertising. These are article directories, so I don't want press releases or straight advertisements. Articles should include information about something other than whatever business you are trying to promote.

The simple fact is that these are my directories, so I use my editorial judgment about the appropriate content. I use the feeds and articles from my guides on my websites and in my blogs, and my bottom line is that the report should offer exciting and appealing information to the target audience. If it isn't an article I want to see on my site, I choose to reject it.