Writelink is a very busy site with most people repeatedly asking the same questions over and over again so please check the FAQs listed below before contacting Writelink for help!
Why do I have to create an account?
Writelink is a community website that encourages a lot of interactivity from
members. Almost every page allows postings of one sort or another. Our readers
and writers come from all sections of the community and span a diverse age range.
We pride ourselves on providing a safe environment for everyone to enjoy the
benefits of Writelink. Insisting on account creation means that we have the
means of preventing undesirable members from accessing the site and causing
offence to others.
What is the difference between joining as
a Reader or a Writer?
Joining as a Reader is free and allows you to read almost every page of the
site. To contribute to any area of the site apart from Advertising you must
upgrade to a Writer.
Why do I have to pay a subscription fee
to upgrade to Writer?
Writelink’s main revenue stream is through paid subscriptions. These are
used to fund web hosting fees, freelance payments for articles submitted to
the Resource section, guest editor fees, competition judges fees and writing
ebook commissions. Without subscription fees Writelink would not exist.
What are the Resources?
The Resources are writing columns which are updated every month. They currently
consist of paying Markets, Competitions, Events Diary, Writing Articles including
Photojournalism, a Fiction slot and a Poetry Column plus a Review column. All
spotlight writers are welcome to contribute to these and if their submission
is accepted, they are paid for each piece published.
How much do you pay for contributions to
the Resources?
We currently pay £20 for each accepted submission.
How do I submit work to the Resources?
Go to My Writing Desk. Choose Publish then publish to Resources. This will only
be active to Spotlight writers.
How do I become a Spotlight Writer?
If you are a published author with more than five pieces of work that you have
received payment for then you can email details to sue@writelink.co.uk If not
you can submit work to the Arena. You are allowed a maximum of 10 reviews from
your peers. They will rate your work through a star rating system. The maximum
you can get is 50 stars. If you obtain 40 stars your work will be spotlighted
on the opening page of the Arena and your status will upgrade to Spotlight author.
This then enables you to submit to the Resources and earn the chance of being
paid for your work.
What is the Arena?
The Arena allows you to post up short stories, poems, articles and novel excerpts
for peer criticism. It is a way of gaining valuable feedback on your work.
What if my work doesn’t gain Spotlight
status?
You are free to rework and resubmit. In fact you are encouraged to do this as
the whole idea is to use the comments of your peers to improve your efforts.
What is My Portfolio?
Your portfolio consists of your Stories, Poems, Articles and Book Chapters.
You should use this for backing up your work and publishing to the Resources,
(if applicable) or the Arena. Please note: If you do not renew your account
at the end of your subscription year, your account will revert to Reader status
and your work deleted so make sure you keep a copy of everything you include
in your portfolio.
What is Private Messaging?
Private messaging is the facility to send messages to other Writelink members
through email. These messages are only seen by the two parties.
How do I send a Private Message?
Go to My Writing Desk and choose Private Messaging.
How do I become a Writelink Editor?
Editor jobs are usually offered on a 3 month basis. Positions are advertised
in the monthly newsletter and on the site. If you have the necessary qualifications
you will be added to our list and selected in turn. Your account will be modified
to reflect your status which will allow you to login to the site’s Admin
panel for the page you have been made editor of.
I can’t login to my account.
First ensure that you are using the correct Username and password. If you can’t
remember your password then enter your Username and click the Forgot password
link.
I have the correct Username and password
but still can’t login.
It is highly probable that your computer has cached previous error pages which
could be causing the trouble. To force a fresh page to load from the web hold
down the Ctl key and at the say time click the Refresh button at the top of
your browser window. (It looks like two arrows circling in opposite directions).
What are the statistics and symbols
that appear besides my Username and my Forums postings?
These show your status and how active you are in the community.
Spotlight Writer = symbolised by a spotlight. If active it shows you are
qualified to submit to resources. If you hold your cursor over this it will
also tell you how many stories/poems/articles you have had spotlighted.
Power Pen = symbolised by a pen nib. Hold your cursor over this and it will
show you how many items you have submitted to the arena.
Reviewer = symbolised by a pair of glasses. Hold your cursor over this and
you will see how many stories/poems/articles you have reviewed.
Forum Postings wallflower 0 Chatterbox 1-9 Speakeasy 10-19 Inkling 20-49
Wordweaver 50-199 Talespinner 200-499 Raconteur 500-999 Orator 1000 -
Can I upload my own Avatar, (picture),
instead of the default ones included with my account?
Yes please do! We much prefer everyone to use a current photograph as it helps
everyone to know each other better. Go to My Writing Desk/Personal Profile.
Scroll to the page bottom and you will see available Avatars. Click the Browse
button to upload your own.
How do I upload my photograph or avatar?
Go to My Writing Desk and choose My Profile.
Can I link to my own website?
Yes. Go to My Writing Desk and choose My Profile.
Can I advertise my services?
Yes. You can do this through My Writing Desk and choosing My Profile.
Is there anywhere else I can advertise
my services?
Yes. Through the Market place which is free to members and through the 50 for
5 site advertising. (Not yet available)
What is 50 for 5?
50 for 5 is a pay for clicks advertising programme. You set up and account,
construct your advert and decide which pages you would like it to show on. You
then prime your account with £5 which is debited by 5p every time someone
clicks on your advert. This means 50 people are driven to your site for every
£5 you spend.
I am suddenly having problems viewing some
pages of the site even though it has been working fine previously.
Writelink is continually undergoing refinements and new additions. If you are
experiencing display errors when previously the display has been O.K. it maybe
that your computer is loading cached pages. (Outdated pages).
I have just registered with the site and
find that some of the pages on the Arena and Resources appear as blank, green
spaces.
This is usually a browser/operating system/resolution problem. The site works
best with later versions of Internet Explorer and Firefox with a screen
resolution of 1024 X 768.
You are strongly recommended to download the latest version of Firefox for
all your web browsing as this is a much better browser than Internet Explorer
with far less security risks. You can get the latest version here:
http://www.mozilla.com/firefox/
