Frequently Asked Questions - Help - Yahoo Contributor Network - contributor.yahoo.com

USING YAHOO CONTRIBUTOR NETWORK

What is Yahoo Contributor Network?
Yahoo Contributor Network is a platform that allows you to share your voice and expertise with Yahoo's online audience of more than 600 million monthly online visitors. Once you register as a contributor, you can start submitting articles, videos, and images - on any topic you choose - and claim assignments to publish on Yahoo sites like Yahoo News, Yahoo Sports, Yahoo Finance, Yahoo Movies, Yahoo TV, omg!, Yahoo Shine, and Yahoo Voices. Better yet, you'll have the chance to earn money every time you publish, and your earnings are practically limitless with Yahoo Contributor Network.

Are there fees to join Yahoo Contributor Network?
There are no fees to join Yahoo Contributor Network. In fact, we pay you when you create valuable content! The sign-up process is easy, and you can start submitting content immediately. To learn about earning money through Yahoo Contributor Network, click here.

How do I sign up?
Click here to create a new account using your Yahoo, Facebook, or Google ID. If you don't already have a Yahoo ID, you can create a new one in minutes. Before finalizing your Yahoo Contributor Network account, you will also be asked to create a pen name and list some of your interests. These details will be included on your contributor profile.

Can I have more than one account?
No. Details are in our Master License Agreement, but the short answer is that an individual can only have one account with Yahoo Contributor Network. Opening more than one account may result in the termination of any or all account(s).

Why does Yahoo Contributor Network ask for my address and other personal information?
We collect some basic information in order to target you with specific opportunities that will match your interests, expertise, and location. The more information you provide in your profile, the more relevant the opportunities will be.

Your email address(es), date of birth, country of citizenship, street address, and zip/postal code will not be displayed to the public or shared with others. Please see our Privacy Policy for more information. After you have earned more than $500 within one year, we will request additional personal information via a signed W-9 form. This is required to keep us in compliance with IRS requirements.

I can't log in. What should I do?
Make sure you're using the Yahoo ID that is connected to your Yahoo Contributor Network profile. If you have forgotten your password, click here to retrieve it. If you still can't log in or you're not sure which Yahoo ID is connected to your account, please contact us. Be sure to include information that will help us identify your account, such your pen name or primary email address.

How can I close my account?
To close your account, please contact us. Note that any content that is online when your account is closed may remain online indefinitely. You can manually remove any Display-Only content before closing your account. If you would like to disassociate your name from the content that remains online, please change your pen name by editing your profile.

Can I republish content I find on Yahoo Voices?
If you would like to use an article found on Yahoo Voices for any of the following purposes, please email us at contributor-reprints@yahoo-inc.com. Be sure to include a link to the content you're requesting permission to use, and explain the purpose of use.

• University and academic course pack (electronic and photocopying)
• General photocopying
• Offline reprint in newsletters, flyers, and textbook use

Can I tell members of the public that I am a writer for Yahoo sites (for example, Yahoo Sports or Yahoo News)?
No. Telling people that you are a writer for a Yahoo site creates the inaccurate perception that you are an employee or part of Yahoo’s staff. When working on content for Yahoo Contributor Network, represent yourself specifically as “a freelance writer for Yahoo Contributor Network submitting content for possible publication on Yahoo websites.” You may also say that your freelance work has appeared on specific Yahoo sites.

EARNING MONEY

How can I make money through Yahoo Contributor Network and how much can I earn?
Contributors earn money via assignments with a set value, Upfront Payments on certain types of submitted content, Performance Payments on content published on select Yahoo sites, and distribution payments. For detailed information about all of these forms of payment, please visit our Earning Money page.

Who is eligible to be paid?
You must be at least 18 years old and a citizen or legal resident of the United States, with a Yahoo Contributor Network account in good standing per our Terms of Service and Master License Agreement, in order to be eligible for payment. If you are not a citizen or legal resident of the U.S., you are not eligible for payment due to U.S. tax regulations.

Once you reach $500 in earnings, you must provide Yahoo Contributor Network with a completed U.S. W-9 form before receiving further payments. You will receive an email from us with detailed instructions on submitting this form once you have passed the threshold.

If I join Yahoo Contributor Network and submit content, am I guaranteed to make money?
No. Payment depends on various factors including the quality of your content, its adherence to our Submission Guidelines, the performance of your content, and whether or not the article is eligible for Upfront Payments or Performance Payments. To read more about factors that contribute to your potential to make money, see our Earning Money page as well as our detailed Payment Policy.

I don't pay United States taxes. Can I still earn money on Yahoo Contributor Network?
No, you cannot earn money on Yahoo Contributor Network in the United States if you do not pay taxes in the United States. If you are a legal resident of Brazil or the United Kingdom, you may apply to be a contributor in those countries, where you may be eligible to be paid.

How and when are payments sent?
We pay our contributors exclusively via PayPal. If you don't already have a free personal PayPal account, sign up at www.paypal.com. Within three business days of your first acceptance of an offer, we will send you an email asking you to confirm your PayPal email address. You will be eligible to receive payments via PayPal within two business days of this confirmation.

You can also set your Yahoo Contributor Network account to automatically confirm your PayPal email address after each offer is accepted by clicking on "Auto-Confirm My Payments" from the Payments page of your account. You can always manually confirm your PayPal email address - even before receiving our confirmation email - by clicking on "Confirm Existing Payments."

Typically, Upfront Payments (including those attached to assignments) are sent daily, Monday-Friday (except for holidays). If a payment is confirmed too late to be included with a particular day's payments, it will be sent on the following business day. Performance Payments are processed monthly, typically on the second Wednesday of each month, to accounts that have an aggregate performance payment balance of at least $1.50 at the end of the previous month. So, if you had $1.50 accumulated by the last day in April, you would receive that balance on the second Wednesday in May. If you had $1.49 accumulated by the last day in April, but earned at least $0.01 in May, you would receive the balance for both April and May on the second Wednesday in June.

If you are a contributor based outside of the United States and have fulfilled all necessary requirements to receive payments, you will receive your Performance Payments when the total has reached or exceeded the $100 threshold.

Why should I set my account to auto-confirm my PayPal email address?
After verifying your account, we'll then ask you to confirm your PayPal email address. You have 90 days from the time the payment enters your payment queue to verify your account and confirm your PayPal address. Payments left unconfirmed will expire after 90 days. If you choose the auto-confirm option, your PayPal email address will be confirmed as soon as the payment is put into your Payment queue, and you won't be asked to manually confirm this address each time a new payment is added. Your payments will then be automatically transferred within two business days. We suggest you successfully receive one payment before turning on this feature.

What is the Performance Payments program?
Performance Payments are payments based on how many people view your content, meaning you can earn unlimited cash from your text, video, slideshow, and audio submissions on participating Yahoo sites long after they have been published. You will earn a fixed amount per every thousand page views your content generates (PPM^? rate). The baseline PPM^? rate varies by site. Click here to see which Yahoo sites currently offer Performance Payments, along with current rates

What is an Upfront Payment?
An Upfront Payment is a payment for your content, offered before it is published. Many assignments come with an Upfront Payment and some content can be submitted for Upfront Payment consideration. Any Upfront Payments earned are in addition to any Peformance Payments your content may be eligible for. Click here to learn more about submitting content for Upfront Payment.

My content has been published. Why haven't I been paid?
If you're expecting payment from Yahoo Contributor Network and you have not been paid, it's probably because:

1. You haven't verified your account or confirmed your PayPal email address. Please confirm your PayPal email address manually by clicking on "Confirm All Payments" from the Payment page in your Yahoo Contributor Network account. If you haven't verified your account yet, you can do that by clicking here. All payments expire after 90 days if you do not verify your account and provide us with a confirmed and accurate PayPal email address.
2. Your payments have been frozen because you've been sent an IRS W-9 request. We typically send W-9 requests when our system has flagged your account for a possible Terms of Service violation. If a W-9 is requested, you must submit the form with Yahoo Contributor Network to resume receiving payments. Download the form at http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/fw9.pdf and fax it to 1-866-202-0306, or scan it and attach it in an email to contributor-verify@yahoo-inc.com. If your account has been flagged for a Terms of Service violation, please contact us with any questions. Note that you will not be paid for any content that contains infringing material, and if we discover such infringement, your account may be terminated immediately.
3. Your content has not received enough page views to trigger a payment or is not otherwise eligible for payment.
4. You have not logged in to Yahoo Contributor Network for 90 days or more. In order for your account - and payments - to remain active, you must log in at least once every 90 days.

If you have not received payment and have ruled out all of these possibilities, please contact us.

I had an Upfront Payment offer on my content, but it's not there anymore. What happened?
In order to receive payments from Yahoo Contributor Network, you must have a verified account. If within 90 days of receiving an Upfront Payment offer you still have not verified your account, the offer will be revoked and the content license on the affected piece(s) will be changed to Display-Only. You can check the status of all of your payments here.

My Performance Payments balance was reduced. Why haven't I been paid?
If you have at least $1.50 in your aggregate Performance Payments balance at the end of the month, you will receive payment. Payments are not immediately sent, however. When your performance balance updates on your account page, your payment(s) will show as "pending." If the payment is manually or automatically confirmed by you, it will soon switch over to "paid," and it will appear in your PayPal account within 48 hours. Click here to verify your account now.

On my payments page, what does unpaid/confirmed and unpaid/unconfirmed mean?
If your payment has a status of unpaid/confirmed, you have confirmed your PayPal email address and your payment will be sent within two business days. If the status is unpaid/unconfirmed, you still need to confirm your PayPal email address before your payment will be sent. Simply verify that the email address listed on your Payment page is accurate and click on the "Confirm Existing Payments" button on the Payment page. You can change your PayPal email address from that same page.

How can I see how much money I've been paid?
Click on the Payments section of your Account page to see your payment history. Or, you can get a snapshot of your payment history from the quick stats on your Account dashboard.

Will I receive tax information from Yahoo Contributor Network at the end of the year?
It is your responsibility to report your income to the Internal Revenue Service. For more information, please visit their FAQ at http://www.irs.gov/faqs/index.html. If you meet certain income criteria, you may receive IRS Form 1099-K from PayPal, our payments processor. However, you will not receive tax information directly from Yahoo Contributor Network.

This policy was revised in December, 2013, for the 2013 tax year and beyond, due to a change in guidance from the IRS for payers who use payment processors like PayPal. This policy is subject to change if the IRS's policy is revised to indicate that payers like YCN should return to issuing form 1099-MISC, but until further notice YCN will no longer issue 1099-MISC forms at the end of the year.

If I publish a review of a product, service, or event, what are my responsibilities under the new "Blogger Guidelines"?
On December 1, 2009, the new "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising" issued by the Federal Trade Commission took effect. These FTC guidelines specifically address online content and may affect Yahoo contributors who review any products or services, including but not limited to consumer products, movies, restaurants, and hotels. The most important change to these guidelines is the mandatory disclosure of any relationship the contributor may have to the manufacturer, producer, or marketing firm promoting the product or service. For example:

• If you received a product or service for free - such as movie tickets or a subscription to an online music service - and you write a review of that product or service, you must disclose that fact within your review.
• If you are an employee of the marketing firm promoting the product or company that makes it, you must disclose that.
• If you have any financial relationship or arrangement with the marketing firm, manufacturer, or other entity related to the product or service in the review, you must disclose it.

Please note: You personally (and not Yahoo Contributor Network) are responsible for making this disclosure. However, we have made disclosure easy by building a new disclosure section specifically for product reviews into every submission template. This will serve as a reminder each time you publish a review.

For more information on these FTC guidelines, visit the FTC's website or download the complete guidelines.

Can I pay for "hits" or "traffic" to my content?
No. Paying for traffic is prohibited by our payment policies. Our advertisers pay us for the opportunity to present their products on pages visited by potential customers. That money is what allows us to pay bonuses based on the performance of your content. Paying for traffic results in fraudulent "views" from automated programs or people who are being paid fractions of a cent to click links. This is not the kind of traffic our advertisers pay for, nor is it traffic we will pay for. If our proprietary validation technology detects fraudulent traffic directed toward your content, we may at our sole discretion terminate your account privileges and cancel all pending payments to you.

FEATURED CONTRIBUTORS

What happened to the Featured Contributor Program?
The Featured Contributor Program is ending at the end of 2012. For more information, please review the Featured Contributor Program Sunset FAQ.

SUBMITTING CONTENT

What can I submit to Yahoo Contributor Network?
You can submit articles on just about any topic. We encourage you to submit unique and compelling content on topics you're passionate about - from guides to your favorite local restaurants to product reviews to op-eds about political issues that affect you directly.

If you're looking for ideas, review and claim one of our assignments, available on your Account dashboard.

See our Submission Guidelines for more information about what we allow - and what we don't allow - on Yahoo Contributor Network.

What types of content are forbidden?
Yahoo Contributor Network does not accept adult content, advertisements, classifieds, or content that is offensive, defamatory, or otherwise in violation of our Terms of Service. See our Submission Guidelines for more details.

What kinds of content have a greater chance of receiving an Upfront Payment?
Please click here to see the section of our Submission Guidelines devoted to content submitted for Upfront payment.

What are the rules of publishing with Yahoo Contributor Network?
We do not believe in suppressing the unique voices of our contributors. However, we reserve the right to reject or remove content that fails to comply with our Terms of Service or Submission Guidelines before or after publication. Additionally, content titles and article bodies may be edited to optimize the content for online publication.

What is Yahoo Voices?
Yahoo Voices is the official digital library of Yahoo Contributor Network. Much of the content you submit through Yahoo Contributor Network will be published on Yahoo Voices, where it will earn money based on the amount of traffic it receives.

How do the "Blogger Guidelines" affect social media (Twitter, Facebook, etc.) and SMS messages promoting my product, service, or event review content?
The "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising" issued by the Federal Trade Commission do not make a distinction between content published in a website and other new media. So, you will need to disclose whether you have a relationship with the marketer, manufacturer, or service provider. This disclosure should be done within the message. Check out http://CMP.ly for more information.

What's the difference between Exclusive, Non-Exclusive, and Display-Only rights?
If you submit as Exclusive, you give Yahoo Contributor Network the Exclusive right to publish your original content. Exclusive is the best option to select during the submission process if you don't plan to publish the content elsewhere, and want to maximize your potential for Upfront Payment and distribution. Exclusive licenses are frequently used on the assignments offered by Yahoo Contributor Network.

Exclusive content...

• cannot have been previously published
• cannot be republished elsewhere by you, if the byline matches your Yahoo Contributor Network pen name
• cannot be removed from the Yahoo Network (or other sites where the content may have been distributed) by you
• typically attracts higher Upfront Payments
• is automatically eligible for Performance Payments
• may be republished to any Yahoo sites that have Performance Payments enabled
• is automatically eligible for distribution with Yahoo Contributor Network partners as well as Yahoo sites that do not have Performance Payments enabled

If you submit as Non-Exclusive, you give Yahoo Contributor Network limited rights to publish your original content. Non-Exclusive is the best option if you want to republish this content elsewhere, but still want it to have potential to earn Upfront Payments and distribution through Yahoo Contributor Network.

Non-Exclusive content...

• cannot have been previously published
• can be republished elsewhere by you, using exactly the same byline you use on Yahoo Contributor Network
• cannot be removed from the Yahoo Network (or other sites where the content may have been distributed) by you
• is eligible for Upfront Payment
• is automatically eligible for Performance Payments
• may be republished to any Yahoo sites that have Performance Payments enabled
• is eligible for opt-in distribution with Yahoo Contributor Network partners as well as Yahoo sites that do not have Performance Payments enabled

If you submit as Display-Only, you give Yahoo Contributor Network only the right to display your original content. Display-Only is the best option if you want maximum control over this content, with at least a minimum opportunity for payments and distribution.

Display-Only content...

• may have been previously published
• can be republished elsewhere by you, if the byline matches your Yahoo Contributor Network pen name
• can be edited or removed from the Yahoo Network by you
• is not eligible for Upfront Payment
• is automatically eligible for Performance Payments
• may be republished to any Yahoo sites that have Performance Payments enabled
• is not eligible for distribution with Yahoo Contributor Network partners as well as Yahoo sites that do not have Performance Payments enabled

This is an explanation of the license types available under the Master License Agreement. If you published previously under an older Associated Content license, you can review the Independent Contractor/License Agreement.

How do I resubmit my content for review?
To resubmit content that has been declined for edits, click on the "View Feedback" button on that submission (accessible from the Content page) and then click on the "Edit and Resubmit" button from the action panel that will display at the bottom. Click through each step in the submission template, including the "Submit" button on the preview page, to resubmit.

If an Upfront Payment offer was made, but you want to make changes and resubmit, you will need to first click on the "Accept/Decline Offer" button, then select the decline offer option in the action panel at the bottom and click the "Respond" button, before you can access your content to resubmit.

I don't want to accept my Upfront Payment offer. What can I do?
You can choose to decline the Upfront Payment offer by clicking on the "Accept/Decline Offer" button on that submission (accessible from the Content page), selecting "Decline Offer" in the action panel near the bottom, and clicking the "Respond" button.

I submitted content. How long will it take to be reviewed?
Each piece of content submitted for Upfront Payment is read and reviewed by a trained editor. Because our review process is dependent upon human editors rather than automated processes, the time between submission and publication varies depending on the number of submissions we receive. Content is generally reviewed within ten business days of submission, but often the wait is much shorter.

What is the review process for content?
A trained editor will read and review content for subject matter, clarity, and adherence to our Submission Guidelines. Depending on the quality of the topic and content, the editor may decide to make an Upfront Payment offer based on the projected number of page views the piece will receive as well as the shelf life of the topic. Each piece is also scanned by specialized programs to detect plagiarism and copyright infringement.

How often are page views updated?
The page view data on your Account and Content pages is updated daily. Page view updates typically occur in the evening, and reflect page views through the previous day. For example, an update on Wednesday evening will show page views through Tuesday.

Can I change the rights I selected for a submission?
If the status of your content is "submitted" you can change the rights type by clicking on to the left of the title from the Content page. Make any changes and be sure to proceed all the way through the submission process.

However, if you originally selected Display-Only, you cannot change the rights type. You must delete the content by clicking on to the left of the title from the Content page.

What happened to Associated Content?
Associated Content was an independent publishing platform and online content destination that was acquired by Yahoo in 2010. In November 2010, the Associated Content publishing platform became Yahoo Contributor Network and expanded its focus to start supplying original, user-generated content to a variety of Yahoo websites. In 2011, the Associated Content library moved onto a Yahoo domain and changed its name to Yahoo Voices. Associated Content no longer exists, but its spirit lives on under Yahoo and much of its original team continues to focus on Yahoo Contributor Network and Yahoo Voices.

I'm a professional writer. Can I submit content on behalf of my clients?
No. Yahoo Contributor Network is proud to publish individuals' authentic, expert perspectives on the topics important to them. This is not a publishing platform for paid content marketing, SEO, article marketing, or any similar practices. You may not submit any content to us that you were paid by anyone other than us to submit. If you are paid by someone else to submit content to us, your account may be suspended or closed. You may help other individuals create their own accounts and submit content they wrote themselves, but all contributors must submit their own work and adhere to our Terms of Service.

Can I accept perqs, like free travel or sample items, in exchange for submitting content?
You may accept a sample of an item for review, but you may not promise that your review of the item will be published on any Yahoo site. We generally do not pay up-front for product reviews, and may not publish them at all if they appear to be advertorial or inauthentic. Please make sure that any person sending you a product sample is aware that your review will be published at Yahoo Contributor Network editors' discretion and must abide by our Submission Guidelines. According to FTC rules, you also must disclose that you received a free sample in order to review a product or service.

You may not accept perqs as in-kind compensation for publishing content that is not a review of the item or service you received. For instance, you could accept a free flight from an airline that hopes you'll review their new in-flight WiFi service, but you couldn't accept a free flight voucher from a friend as compensation for writing an article about your friend's new massage therapy business.

When in doubt, please contact us with the exact details of anything you are offered in connection with your use of Yahoo Contributor Network.

How can I contact the editor who reviewed my content?
In general, you will not be in touch directly with editors. Your content will not always be reviewed by the same person. If you have a question regarding editorial feedback you received, please contact the YCN community team at contributor-community@yahoo-inc.com. Be sure to include the title of the piece, a detailed description of your situation, the text of any feedback you received, such as a decline notice (ideally, please forward the feedback email), and a link to your contributor profile.

Can I get press credentials or other privileged access by writing for Yahoo Contributor Network?
We are not able to provide assistance with obtaining press credentials. If you wish, you may request credentials as “a freelance writer for Yahoo Contributor Network submitting content for possible publication on Yahoo websites.” However, you must CC contributor-community@yahoo-inc.com on your correspondence with the credentialing authority. We may reject content that appears to have been created using access limited to individuals holding press credentials if we were not CCed on your initial correspondence with publicists and/or event organizers.

MANAGING MY CONTENT

Why was the title of my content changed?
Titles may be edited to make content more discoverable via online search. The single most important component of making your content discoverable is writing direct, concise titles including specific keywords that accurately describe your content.

Why was my content removed from the site?
Yahoo Contributor Network reserves the right to remove any content from a Yahoo Network website, either before or after publication, if it does not adhere to our Submission Guidelines or Terms of Service. Common reasons for content removal include:

• Inclusion of affiliate links
• Overtly promotional content or links
• Sexually explicit or inappropriate content
• Plagiarism or copyright infringement
• Images that do not follow our guidelines
• Poor quality (poor grammar, spelling, or keyword overuse )
• Formatting (content not broken into paragraphs; overuse of bullets, underlining, bold, italics; inclusion of byline or title within the content)
• Publishing feedback for Yahoo Contributor Network as content

Why was an image I attached to my submission not published?
Blurry or irrelevant images (including author portraits) or images that are not from a Yahoo Contributor Network-approved source can be deleted without notification. Please read the Image Submission Guidelines for more information. Important: copyright infringement is grounds for deleting your content or terminating your account altogether. This includes the unauthorized use of photographs.

Can I edit or remove my content after it's been submitted or published?
If the status of your content is "submitted" you can edit it by clicking on the to the left of the title from the Content page. Make any changes and be sure to click through all of the steps.

If we have sent you an offer, you will need to decline our offer in order to edit it. Click through all of the steps and your submission will be resubmitted for review.

Once your content is published, you can only edit it if it was submitted as Display-Only. Contact us to request any changes to Exclusive or Non-Exclusive submissions.

You can remove content once it's been published if you submitted it as Display-Only. Simply click on the to the left of the title of the content on the Content page.

You cannot remove content that has been published as Exclusive or Non-Exclusive.

Can I delete an uploaded image that is attached to a text submission?
Before your content is published, you can delete or reorder images attached to any text submission by editing your submission. On step 1 of the article submission process, scroll down to the images and click on the X in the corner of the image you want to remove from the submission. To reorder the images click on the > or < icons.

You can only delete or reorder images on published content submitted as Display-Only. To address any images attached to published content submitted for Non-Exclusive or Exclusive rights, please contact us. Include the specific changes you are requesting and why. We will take your request into consideration, but we make changes to published work at our sole discretion.

What does "Block All Comments" do?
You can turn off the commenting section on any piece of content you publish to Yahoo Voices. Make sure you sign in to Yahoo Voices using the link at the top of the page, and then click "Block All Comments." When you do that, the commenting section of your content will no longer be visible. If you'd like to restore the commenting section, click "Unblock All Comments." When you unblock, all previously posted comments will re-appear.

A comment was visible on my content, or I got a comment notification by email, but now I can't find the comment. Where did it go?
Comments are moderated by both an automatic filtering tool and human moderators. A comment might not be posted if it is considered to be an advertisement; contains vulgar language; is threatening or otherwise in violation of our Terms of Service; includes a link or mention of any website; or is a direct attack on the author. No comments with links or mentions of websites (such as "http://yahoo.com" or "yahoo.com") will be posted at all.

How do I delete a comment on my content?
All Yahoo Contributor Network content uses the same commenting system as most Yahoo sites, which does not provide functionality for content creators to delete comments. If you receive egregiously abusive and/or threatening comments, please report them using the procedure outlined in this forum thread.

Why can I flag my Yahoo Voices content for "retirement," and what does that option do?
After updating our Submission Guidelines with the launch of Yahoo Voices, we added a new option to the content flag menu, which allows Yahoo contributors to flag content for "retirement." Retirement means you can remove a piece of content from Yahoo Voices without losing page views or pending Performance Payments for that piece. If you have published content on Yahoo Voices that you no longer feel is your best work or which you feel may not be entirely aligned with our Submission Guidelines, please go to the live content, click the flag tool, and select "Flagging my own content for retirement." We will review your flag and, if your flagged content is eligible for retirement, an editor will change the content's status to "retired." At our discretion, we may honor retirement requests for reasons other than content quality and/or alignment with our Submission Guidelines.

Why can I flag my Yahoo Voices content "for edits," and what does that option do?
The option "Flagging my own content for edits" in the content flag menu on Yahoo Voices allows you to request that we return your content to you for editing. This option can help you update old content to meet our updated Submission Guidelines or to fix typos and errors you've noticed after publishing. Please use a Display-Only license for content that you plan to update frequently with new information. Editors will review your "return for edits" requests and return your content by "declining" it, just like content submitting for publication might be "declined edits" before publication. You'll receive a decline message saying we've returned your content for editing at your request.

MANAGING MY ACCOUNT

How do I update my profile?
To update your profile, click on the Edit Profile section of your Account page. From this page you can change your pen name, contact email address, PayPal email address, and all of the information that appears on your public profile.

Tip: By creating a professional profile, you can increase your chance of receiving special opportunities to create content for a variety of Yahoo websites and partner websites. You will also ensure that the opportunities you receive are as relevant as possible to your personal background.

I need to edit my real name, birth date, or country of citizenship. How do I do this?
If an error was made entering any of these fields upon registration (or if your legal name has changed), please contact us to have them updated.

I don't want my real name to be visible to the public. Can I hide my identity or use a pen name?
Yes, you can use a pen name of your choosing. Keep in mind that your pen name is subject to our Terms of Service, so please don't choose a name that you don't have the right to use or which is otherwise objectionable. Impersonating someone else or using an inappropriate name could result in the closure of your account.

To create a pen name, click on the Edit Profile section of your Account page. Your new pen name will replace your real name on all publicly viewable pages on the Yahoo Network (the byline of your published content, your profile page, and its URL). Your displayed name will be updated on your profile and previously published content immediately, and in URLs within 24 hours.

I added a pen name. Why do I still see my real name in results at search engines like Yahoo and Google?
Search engines may retain cached versions of your content in their results. We can't control what is displayed on websites outside of Yahoo Contributor Network - including Yahoo Search - but as soon as these search engines' crawlers revisit your content, the cached version will be replaced with a new version that includes your updated pen name. This usually happens within a few weeks. In general, it will happen sooner if you publish new content, because that may trigger search engine crawlers to revisit your refreshed profile and re-index all of your content.

I closed my Yahoo Contributor Network account, but my name and profile still come up in search results at sites like Yahoo and Google. Why?
Search engines may retain cached versions of your content and profile page in their results. We have no control over these websites, including Yahoo Search. You can try contacting the website directly to ask them to remove your content and profile from their results.

How can I select the email notifications I would like to receive or stop receiving from Yahoo Contributor Network?
To select the email alerts you would like to receive or to stop receiving emails from Yahoo Contributor Network all together, visit the Email Preferences section of the Account page.

What is the Clout program?
Clout is the scale we use to measure a contributor's success on Yahoo Voices - the digital library of Yahoo Contributor Network. You begin your Yahoo Contributor Network career at Clout 1, and climb the Clout ladder gradually based on the amount of content you publish and the amount of page views your Yahoo Voices work receives. Starting at Clout 7, your Yahoo Voices Performance Payments rate incrementally increases until you reach the highest PPM (payment per thousand views), at Clout 10. See all the details here.

I updated my pen name. Why is my old pen name still on some published content?
You may be unable to update your pen name on previously published content for some Yahoo sites. Updating your pen name will instantly change it on your profile and on Yahoo Voices content. Any content you publish after changing your pen name will carry the new, updated pen name. The old pen name, if displayed on older articles, will still link to your profile, where visitors will be able to see your new name. For this and other reasons, we encourage contributors to create content under their legal names or using a permanent, legally registered "doing business as" name.

Where are the "feature" buttons next to my articles?
Your profile is now sorted by "all content" in the default view. This means content on every Yahoo site will appear on your profile by default. To feature Yahoo Voices content on your profile, use the drop-down menu to sort your profile by Yahoo Voices content only. This will cause the featuring tools to appear next to your Yahoo Voices articles. In the future, we hope to allow you to feature content from any Yahoo site on your profile.

ASSIGNMENT DESK

What are assignments?
Assignments are (often paid) content ideas created by Yahoo Contributor Network to fill certain content needs. Every day you'll see new content assignments based on programming and site partner needs as well as online trends. In many cases, the subjects you see have been selected specifically with you in mind - your location, your background, and your content history (among other factors).

Claim one or more of the assignments you see, follow any instructions displayed in the assignment details, and get cracking! Once your content is submitted, your submission will be reviewed against the assignment requirements. Read more about our Assignment Desk policies here.

How do I claim and submit an assignment?
Think of the Assignment Desk as a catalog for content creation. There are a limited number of items (assignments) that can be purchased (claimed). Once you have claimed a subject, it gets moved into a shopping cart (claimed list). By claiming an assignment, you commit to creating content on that given subject according to the advertised details and assignment due date. Some assignments can only be claimed by a small group (or even one contributor!), so act fast and check the list of opportunities often!

Why does my friend see different assignments than me and how can I receive more assignments?
While some assignments are available to all contributors, many are targeted to specific contributors or groups of contributors based on their submission history, quality, location, interests, and more. To increase the number of assignments you receive, make sure you complete your profile, submit on the assignments you claim, and stay active on Yahoo Contributor Network! To maximize your opportunities of receiving exclusive, high-paying assignments, make sure your profile includes:

• A pen name that adheres to our professional pen name guidelines,
• A professional-looking profile image (nothing animated, no default images or anything inappropriate; a headshot of you is best)
• A biography that is filled out with your academic, professional and/or hands-on experience that pertains most to your published content.

What does "Payment: By Review" mean?
Assignments listed with a payment of "By Review" will follow the standard review process. An Upfront Payment will be offered if your content is accepted. There is no guaranteed payment amount.

What is a partner assignment and how do they work?
At times we may advertise custom content assignments offering opportunities to produce content for some of our partners. Check back often to see a refreshed partner list. The content you produce for these assignments will most likely not be published on the Yahoo Network and will not earn additional Performance Payments if accepted by the partner sites. If the content is not accepted by the partner, the content may be published on the Yahoo Network, where it will become eligible for Performance Payments if it's published to one of the Yahoo sites with Performance Payments enabled.

Why didn't I receive the advertised payment for content I submitted in response to an assignment?
In order for any stated Upfront Payment to be honored, all claimed assignments must be submitted by clicking on "Submit" to the right of the claimed assignment from the Assignment Desk section of your Content page or Account Dashboard. Do not submit your assignment by clicking on the "Article" button next to "Create Content" on the Content page or Account Dashboard. If you select a template this way, your submission will not be honored as a response to that specific assignment and you will not receive the appropriate payment.

What are Work for Hire rights?
You will only be asked to submit your content under Work for Hire rights when submitting certain content via the Assignment Desk, and it will be clearly marked within the assignment details. Under Work for Hire rights, the hiring party (either Yahoo Contributor Network or one of our partners) steps into the shoes of the writer/creator and becomes the author of the work for copyright purposes. All of the attributes of copyright ownership - including credit and control - vest in the hiring party, not the creator. The copyright only transfers to the hiring party upon payment of the writer/creator. These rights are similar to Exclusive rights, except that instead of an exclusive license to the content, Yahoo Contributor Network will actually own the copyright so that we can more easily pass these rights to our content partners as applicable. This type of agreement is very common between freelance writers and magazines or other compilation or collective work.

What is a "beat assignment?"
Beat assignments are recurring assignments that are generally issued for a 90-day period. Beats may be renewed at their 90-day expiration date, or may be allowed to expire. Beats may offer any number of submission opportunities per day, per week, or per month. If you receive a beat assignment, read the guidelines attached to the assignment carefully and contact us with any questions. Beats may be removed before their 90-day review date if content submitted does not meet Submission Guidelines or Assignment Guidelines.

COMMUNITY RESOURCES

What's the best way to stay updated on news and developments at Yahoo Contributor Network?
Check out our official blog, and click "Subscribe" to start receiving email alerts each time there's a new post. Follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook to receive exclusive assignment opportunities and frequent updates.

How do I use the Contributor Forum?
The Contributor Forum is a place where you can connect with other contributors to find answers to your questions and share your experiences using our platform. You might want to get started by introducing yourself in the Welcome section. Be sure to read our Forum Rules & Guidelines before getting started.

If you're a published contributor, check out the Writer's Workshop section of the forum to get feedback on your content, or the How to Promote your Content section for tips on expanding the reach of your content.

Are there any resources to help me improve my content and earning potential?
Our Tutorials page provides many great tips for succeeding on our platform. The Yahoo Style Guide is chock full of great information about writing for the Web and optimizing your content for online audiences. If you have specific questions, visit our Forum and chat with some of our experienced contributors.

What does clicking on "Report Abuse" from next to a comment do?
If you believe a comment left on Yahoo Voices is abusive, obscene, defamatory, or otherwise in violation of Yahoo Contributor Network's Terms of Service, click "Report Abuse" to flag the comment for review by Yahoo Customer Care. If the comment is determined to be in violation of our guidelines and policies, it will be removed from the site.

COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT

What do I do if I find any of my content, including Exclusive content, published outside of Yahoo network and I suspect copyright infringement?
Your Exclusive or Non-Exclusive content may have been republished on an approved partner's website. Click here for our current list of approved partners. In most cases, content distributed to our partners will include your author attribution and Yahoo Contributor Network branding (for example: "Provided by Yahoo Contributor Network"). You will also be paid a distribution bonus of $2 or more if your content was distributed. If you do not see the website's name on our current partners list, please contact us to see if it's an approved partner.

If your content is not on the list above, or is not eligible for distribution, we recommend that you first contact the infringing website directly and ask that they use only the first paragraph of your content and then link back to your original piece on Yahoo. If that does not work, or you do not want for your content to appear on that site at all, you should feel free to send a cease and desist letter directly to the site that published your content. Our Master License Agreement is drafted so that you retain the copyright and therefore the right to enforce it against non-authorized users. You may do so only on your own behalf; do not represent in any way that you are acting on behalf of Yahoo or Yahoo Contributor Network. For help in drafting a cease and desist letter or a DMCA notice, click here.

Note that if you've submitted your content to Yahoo Contributor Network subject to a Work for Hire agreement, you no longer own the copyright to this work and do not have the right to enforce this copyright against any third party.

Can I ask an infringing third party to pay me for using my content without permission?
Yes, but only if you have licensed this content to Yahoo Contributor Network under a non-exclusive or Display-Only license and you do not breach the terms of the Terms of Service or other agreements in doing so.

PARTNERING WITH YAHOO CONTRIBUTOR NETWORK

How do I advertise with Yahoo Contributor Network?
Content produced by Yahoo Contributor Network appears on Yahoo's broad portfolio of sites. Please click here for more information on advertising on those sites.

Can I license or buy content produced by Yahoo Contributor Network?
Yahoo Contributor Network partners with brands and major media companies to provide licensed and exclusive content from our community. For more information, please contact us at contributor-partner@yahoo-inc.com.

Can I republish content I find on Yahoo Voices - the digital library of Yahoo Contributor Network?
If you would like to use an article found on Yahoo Voices for any of the following purposes, please email us at contributor-reprints@yahoo-inc.com. Be sure to include a link to the content you're requesting permission to use, and explain the purpose of use.

• University and academic course pack (electronic and photocopying)
• General photocopying
• Offline reprint in newsletters, flyers, and textbook use

IRS W-9 FORMS

How do I submit a W-9 form?
If you are asked to send us an IRS W-9 form, it's simple to do.

Download the form at http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/fw9.pdf and fax it to 1-866-202-0306, or scan it and attach it in an email to contributor-verify@yahoo-inc.com.

Why does Yahoo Contributor Network ask for W-9s?
Yahoo Contributor Network asks for W-9 forms to verify accounts. Our system constantly scans content and contributors for violations of our Terms of Service, Submission Guidelines, and Master License Agreement. If an account is flagged for a potential violation, a W-9 request may be sent to verify the account. Once a request for a W-9 has been issued, Yahoo Contributor Network stops all payments to the contributor and prevents the contributor from logging in to his or her account. All payments resume and the account is reactivated once the W-9 is on file. Emails of this nature usually come from contributor-verify@yahoo-inc.com. You may confirm that an email you have received requesting a W9 is legitimate by sending us an email at the same address.

What does Yahoo Contributor Network do with the personal information provided on the W-9 form?
Yahoo Contributor Network takes the privacy of contributors very seriously. All W-9 forms are filed securely. Yahoo Contributor Network only uses the personal information provided on the form to verify accounts. This information will never be shared with any third party, except for the United States Internal Revenue Service. Please see our Privacy Policy for more information.

Is it a crime to provide false information on a W-9 form?
When submitting a W-9 form, please ensure that the information appears exactly as it would appear on your tax return. If the information submitted by you on the W-9 form does not match up with the IRS database, Yahoo Contributor Network will be notified in writing by the IRS. At this point, we will contact you and require you to submit another W-9 form.

Civil and criminal penalties may be imposed by the IRS for falsifying information on the W-9 form. For more information, please read the "Penalties" section on page two of the W-9 form.

Can I provide my business information on my W-9 form or must it be my personal information?
Yahoo Contributor Network will accept a W-9 form with the name of your business along with the corresponding Employer Identification Number issued by the IRS as long as the following conditions are met:

1. You must submit a copy of the original letter sent to you from the IRS, which states that your business has been assigned an Employer Identification Number.
2. You must also submit proof that you are in fact the owner of the business. This information can be obtained from the IRS.

If the information submitted by you on the W-9 form does not match up with the IRS database, we will be notified in writing by the IRS. At this point we will contact you and require you to submit another W-9 form.

Can I get copies of past 1099 forms?
We no longer issue 1099 forms, but we may be able to provide you with the information from your most recently issued 1099. Please Contact Us if you would like us to send you your 1099 information.

YAHOO VOICES

What is Yahoo Voices?
Yahoo Voices is where your expertise and perspectives take center stage! On Yahoo Voices, the official digital library of Yahoo Contributor Network, you will find millions of articles, videos and slideshows on every topic - published by Yahoo users, just like you. Join Yahoo Contributor Network to share your voice on Yahoo

What happened to Associated Content?
Associated Content was an independent publishing platform and online content destination that was acquired by Yahoo in 2010. In November 2010, the Associated Content publishing platform became Yahoo Contributor Network and expanded its focus to start supplying original, user-generated content to a variety of Yahoo websites. In 2011, the Associated Content library moved onto a Yahoo domain and changed its name to Yahoo Voices. Associated Content no longer exists, but its spirit lives on under Yahoo and much of its original team continues to focus on Yahoo Contributor Network and Yahoo Voices.

What does "Block All Comments" do?
You can turn off the commenting section on any piece of content you publish to Yahoo Voices. Make sure you sign in to Yahoo Voices using the link at the top of the page, and then click "Block All Comments." When you do that, the commenting section of your content will no longer be visible. If you'd like to restore the commenting section, click "Unblock All Comments." When you unblock, all previously posted comments will re-appear.

What does clicking on 'Report Abuse' from next to a comment do?
If you believe a comment left on Yahoo Voices is abusive, obscene, defamatory, or otherwise in violation of Yahoo Contributor Network's Terms of Service, click "Report Abuse" to flag the comment for review by Yahoo Customer Care. If the comment is determined to be in violation of our guidelines and policies, it will be removed from the site.

CONTACTING US

What's the best way to contact YCN?
For most inquiries, our Contact Us form is the best way to get in touch with Yahoo Contributor Network. This form automatically captures information that helps us help you, such as your Web browser and operating system. This information isn't automatically included when you contact us in ways other than the Contact Us Form.

How can I help you answer my question more quickly?
Great question! Before contacting us, log in to your YCN account so we can capture your account information automatically through the Web form. Please make sure that you include the title and/or URL of any specific piece(s) of content you're contacting us about. If you've contacted us previously about the same issue, please reply to the most recent email you received from YCN in response, rather than filling out the Contact Us form again. Every time you fill out the form, it creates a new ticket, rather than sending an update to the representative who is already working with you.

I really want to know what's happening with my issue. Can I contact you again for an update?
Although you may be very frustrated with an issue you're experiencing, please don't contact us to ask the same question multiple times if you've already received a response. YCN's support resources are limited, and it's not fair to make other people wait longer for a reply to their issue by submitting yours multiple times.

I know which staff member I'd like an answer from. Can I just send them a private message?
Private messages aren't an ideal way to send your question to a staff member. Most staff members get too many private messages to respond to all of them, and a vast majority of these are questions that our Customer Care team could have answered through the Contact Us form. Your question will get a better, faster reply if sent in through Contact Us.

Editorial instructions can override this: If someone asks you to send them a private message, you certainly should!

SHUTTING DOWN YAHOO VOICES AND YAHOO CONTRIBUTOR NETWORK

Questions on the shut down of voices.yahoo.com and contributor.yahoo.com
Can I publish to Voices during the month of July? No. Because the sites are closing, we are no longer accepting submissions starting immediately. Content currently submitted and awaiting review will be declined.

Are both Contributor.Yahoo.com and Voices.Yahoo.com shutting down? Yes, both sites will be shut down. Yahoo Voices will be closed beginning at 11:38 p.m. on July 30. Yahoo Contributor Network will be closed by the end of August.

What will happen to content I published through Yahoo Contributor Network (or previously Associated Content)? Whether your content was published on Voices, Yahoo News, Yahoo Sports, or another Yahoo property, it will be removed from the web. Articles published under the Work For Hire license, or for which Yahoo may make a separate arrangement with you, may still continue to appear on Yahoo.

Why is my Work For Hire content staying up? Per the terms of the Work For Hire license, Yahoo owns that content completely and may continue to use that content as long as it wishes to do so. (This holds true for content created for partner sites over the years under the Work For Hire license; in such cases, the partner owns the rights to the content.) Per our original FAQ: Under Work for Hire rights, the hiring party (either Yahoo Contributor Network or one of our partners) steps into the shoes of the writer/creator and becomes the author of the work for copyright purposes. All of the attributes of copyright ownership - including credit and control - vest in the hiring party, not the creator.

How do I find out if my content was Work For Hire? Sign into the site and click the Content tab. For each published article, click its title and you’ll be able to see which license type it was published under.

How do I get my Yahoo Contributor Network articles? You can download your articles by going to the Content tab, clicking a headline, and hitting the "Download" button that appears in the descriptive overlay to the right.

When will I receive my last Performance Payment? Unless Yahoo has notified you differently, you will receive your last Performance Payment in mid August for page views through July 31, 2014. You must confirm your payment by August 14, 2014 at 12amPST.

What happens to my content after the sites are shut down? Unless you and Yahoo have a separate arrangement, or your content is Work for Hire, then beginning July 31, 2014 at 12amPT, you will retain ownership of your content and may republish your content wherever you wish.

What if I want to keep writing for Yahoo? You are encouraged to publish via Tumblr, though please realize the Yahoo Contributor Network publishing and payment platform is not being replaced within the company.

What if I don’t have a chance to confirm my payments by August 14, 2014 at 12amPT. Any payments that you do not confirm by August 14, 2014 at 12amPST, will be forfeited.

How can I save my performance, payment, and other data, such as the information contained within the Content menu and Payments tab? As always, this information can be saved to your system by scrolling down to the bottom of those respective tabs and clicking on the Excel or CSV links. This needs to be completed by August 14, 2014 at 12amPST.

How can I use my work history at Yahoo Contributor Network as a reference for future work? As a freelancer, you will need to keep your own accurate records of this information. You may state you published at Yahoo Contributor Network as a freelancer, just as you normally would. However, there will no longer be links to reference. As such, it is advised that you collect all of the information you need prior to August 1, 2014. As always, there will not be staff available to make statements about your work.