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As I understand it, when applying to be an editor the procedure is to drill down, find the bottom-most category that needs an editor, and apply for that. I believe it's also appropriate to apply for only one, and then in time, add others.
Here's the question: A scenario where there are two categories a person would like to apply for, and one is chosen to start with. The person applies, and waits for a reply.
If the person receives a response and is turned down, for whatever reason. I suppose they could then apply for the other. Here's where the problem arises.
Are people always notified of acceptance or denial? And if so, what is usually the time span between applying and being notified? Also, are they given, if refused, any reason?
If no answer is received, the person might wait a LONG time before being certain whether it was appropiate to apply for a second category.
Is there an appropriate waiting period, or proper procedure to follow?
Generally speaking, if you don't hear back within 2-3 weeks, you are probably denied and it would be OK to submit again to another category. Keep trying though. It took me about 5 tries to get accepted.
An answer to your question as far as time is pretty subjective, so I would agree with the good Doctor again and say after 4-5 weeks of nada in your 'Inbox', fire off another app, check your spelling, insure that you are supplying 3 fantastic sites with fantastic edits, and then pray. You also might want to correspond with the editor above the cat you are trying to get into for some inside information. Like 'never use !! or 'and more', steer away from deeplinks, mirror sites, and redirects, and whatever you do, DO NOT feed the bears! Good luck.
CoastalEditor
BTW, what cat are you gunning for?
That would be my advice as well. I would emphasize checking your spelling and grammar, as there is little to go by other than that and your samples.
Some metas send an email when they reject, others do not. Sometimes, it depends upon the impression an applicant has left. If, for instance, a meta somehow gets the impression that you're a looney-tune, you will likely not get a response. And some are just gun-shy after bad experiences.
One of the reasons I got the mosthatedwomenontheweb.com address was due to the hate mail that resulted when I sent rejection emails. Other metas have had sites dedicated to them for the same reason.
The form emails provided for rejection are not very exact, either, which is itself perceived as an insult by some people.
>You also might want to correspond with the editor above the cat you are trying to get into for some inside information.
For the most part, this would do you no good. Non-metas would not be able to give you the reasoning behind a meta decision, and in fact, one meta would probably not be able to give you the reasoning. Each application is evaluated by a meta on its own merits and no record is available of it. So, if you applied and were rejected, it is doubtful that whoever considered it would even remember it. :(
Totally agree Laisha, and in the midst of my sarcasm my point was lost; for that I apologize. I think that it is a good idea to contact a parent cat editor to learn more about the cat being applied for. What is some helpful advice as far as what the cat is specifically tailored towards. What should a 'good' description look like in this cat? Now, the first attack to this is 'read the cat. description and look at the sites that are already listed'. Sound advice, but not always practical. I have seen several site descriptions, and I know Laisha has seen even more, that are not exactly up to par to be listed in the directory, let alone be submitted on an app. And of couse, not all cats have cat. descriptions. (unless you check out the parent cat. which may be a little general for a deep cat). Of course some editors would not want to be bothered, but I wouldn't mind having someone ask me for some help...as limited as that may be.
CoastalEditor
CoastalEditor, there are a couple I have particular interest in. One is the arts/crafts area which is pretty well covered, with a few exceptions. The reason is that I'm aware of the uphill struggle Mom 'n Pop crafters and artisans have in the face of the influx of imports competing with them in their usual venues, and they're a source of wonderful, original work. Some purely informational categories, however, are open.
The other is on a local level. Having made a few long distance moves, I used the Yellow Pages to make contacts in new locations to help integrate within the community, make social contacts, and become familiar with my new surroundings. I see the local categories as a contribution not only to the directory, but to the local community and those relocating as well. This is pretty much my first inclination, and it's virtually void of entries.
However, this is where I believe I'll be refused. The specific area within the local has no editors, all the way upward, and drilling down to the lowest possible level, which would be a local small part of Greater Los Angeles, there would only EVER be a possible total of 6 or 7 entries within the area - that's all there are. I know because it's my neighborhood.
Next step up would be all of Los Angeles, a big chunk, and I would be refused because of it not being the lowest down. Considering the size of L.A. it's amazing that these categories have so few entries.
This is why I've wondered about the time span.
There are also one or two others of interest, but these are the ones I've pretty much narrowed it down to.
Added: The local is paralleled in the religion/spirituality area, again void of possible entries at the bottom level except for a few.
If you're rejected, try again. No need to wait, imho.
There is a backlog of applications, and some do sit a good while, depending on the category applied for.
