Questions and answers about Columnist

Below are answers to the questions that most often arise before a first publication in Columnist. The service is built for external authors who want to publish their own columns in Mosaic publications without seeking editorial approval for every text.

Quick checklist before your first column

If any of these points is unclear, fix it before publication. Automated checks catch some technical violations, but they do not rewrite style, verify facts, or repair weak argumentation for the author.

How to use this FAQ

If your question is about registration, the profile, or the first publication, start with article No. 26, “How to publish a column in Mosaic”. For author approval and choosing a topic, article No. 27, “Who can become a columnist and what to write about”, is useful. Automated rejection reasons are explained in article No. 30, and image rules in article No. 31.

This FAQ is designed to answer one specific question quickly. It does not replace the step-by-step instructions when you are going through the process for the first time.

Three questions worth answering in advance

Before registering, decide what you are prepared to write your first column about, who the reader is, and what experience allows you to discuss the subject specifically rather than in generalities. The service solves the publication path; it does not invent the topic for you. The more specific your first idea is, the easier it is to choose a publication, section, and cover image.

If the topic still sounds like “I want to write about life,” narrow it to one observable question. For example: “why small sports clubs lose volunteers after the first season” or “which mistakes parents repeat when choosing an after-school activity.” A question like that can already become a useful article and can be checked for advertising, facts, and length.

If your first topic is related to your profession, separate experience from promotion in advance. A useful test is this: would the text still be worth reading for someone who will never buy your service? If yes, it may work as an independent column. If the whole point is to attract a client, the idea needs to change.

If the doubt concerns a specific rule, open the relevant help section before preparing the cover and final version. It saves corrections at the publication stage.

Is it free?

For the author, publishing a column through Columnist is not paid placement. The network does not sell space in columns and does not accept advertising through this dashboard. A direct advertising text does not fit the model even if its author is willing to pay.

Do you pay authors for columns?

No. Columnist is not a job marketplace and does not hire authors. It provides a technical route for an external author to publish a signed column in a publication. If you earn money by writing for clients, payment for your work happens separately and does not turn the publication into paid placement.

Who owns the text after publication?

The rights remain with the author. The publication receives a non-exclusive right to display the column, keep it in its archive and feeds, and translate the headline and lead for its own navigation. Publication does not transfer full exclusive rights in the text to the network.

Can I republish the column on my own blog?

Yes. The right granted to the publication is non-exclusive. But two identical full pages may compete with each other in search. In practice, it is usually better to publish a teaser, summary, or follow-up on your blog rather than a word-for-word copy of the whole column.

Can I write under a pseudonym?

Yes. The byline is a separate profile field and does not have to match the name on the account. Fully anonymous publication is not available: every column has a visible author, even if that author uses a consistent pseudonym.

Do I need a journalism degree?

No. A degree and previous professional experience are not required for author approval. You need a subject you understand and a willingness to take responsibility for your own text. Publication does not grant professional status, a job title, or a press card.

How long does first approval take?

Approval is granted manually by the network owner. There is no guaranteed automatic time limit, so the service does not promise a specific number of hours or days. While the request is being reviewed, you can complete your profile and prepare your first column and cover image.

Do I need to wait for an editor before every later publication?

No. Author approval happens once. After that, a column is published without a prior editorial decision if it passes the platform’s automated checks. This reduces waiting, but responsibility for style, facts, and wording remains with the author.

How many columns can I publish per day?

Up to three per author. This is the maximum daily limit, not an editorial recommendation for how often you should write. If you are building a regular column, a rhythm you can maintain for months is more useful than using the maximum every day.

Why can’t I add links?

External addresses are not allowed in the body. The platform removes them, which can leave a sentence broken. Name the source in words instead: the organisation, publication, study, or author of the document. The service address itself is written as plain text in the final line.

Can I write about my own company?

You can write about professional experience, industry problems, and practical knowledge. You cannot turn the column into an advertisement for the company. A simple test is whether the text remains useful to someone who will never buy your service.

What counts as advertising?

Promotion of a product, service, company, or person as a supplier; prices, discounts, contact details, calls to order or visit a site; or a press release disguised as opinion. A column answers a reader’s question. Advertising solves the advertiser’s task.

What language should I write in?

Write in the language of the selected publication. The profile language only pre-fills the form and does not lock the author into one language. Before publication, the system checks whether the text language matches the publication.

Can I write in several languages?

Yes. The language is selected separately for each new column. An author may publish independent texts in several languages if they know those languages well enough to produce good material.

Can I publish one text in two publications?

No. One text is published in only one publication. A duplicate of your own column is detected before publication. If another publication also fits, prepare a separate article on a related question rather than copying the same text.

Which publications are available?

Mosaic includes 61 publications in 11 languages across 14 countries. The author first selects a language, then sees the available publications in that language and their descriptions. The network includes general news, business, regional, lifestyle, sports, and popular-science publications.

What if I am not a strong writer?

An editor will not rewrite your text before publication. Start with a simple structure: one thesis, two or three arguments, a concrete example, and a conclusion. Check the facts, remove empty introductory phrases, and read the text aloud. Clarity matters more than literary effect.

Who will correct my mistakes?

Automated checks are not a copy editor or a fact-checker. The author is responsible for spelling, figures, quotations, and meaning. A published column can be reopened in the editor, corrected, and saved again.

What checks does a column pass?

The system checks for at least 120 words, a mandatory cover image, a selected section, the three-column daily limit, absence of external addresses and duplicate text, language match, and absence of direct advertising. A mismatch with the selected section produces a warning rather than a block.

Can I use someone else’s photo?

Only if you have a lawful basis: an appropriate licence or permission from the rights holder. An image found in search results is not automatically reusable. When uploading a cover, the author declares the rights and remains responsible for that declaration.

Is there view statistics?

No. The dashboard does not provide separate view statistics. It contains drafts and published columns. Do not promise yourself or a client a metric that the service does not display.

Will my column appear in Google News?

The network’s publications operate as independent media, and some are included in Google News, but the service does not promise that any specific column will appear in an aggregator or search result. Indexing and distribution depend on external systems.

Can I edit a column after publication?

Yes. The author opens the published material in the same editor, changes it, and saves it. The same checks on length, language, and external addresses apply to an edit as to the first publication.

Can I remove a column?

Yes, with one action in the dashboard. The public page closes and the previous public address stops showing the text. The record remains in the author’s dashboard so the author’s own archive is not lost.

Can the publication remove my column?

Yes. The publication retains the right to remove a column and notify the author. Specifically named reasons include advertising disguised as an author column and unlawful content. The absence of prior editorial approval does not remove the publication’s rules after release.

How do I delete my account?

A Columnist account is based on a Chakloon Passport account, the network’s single sign-on. Account deletion is handled there. There is no separate account-deletion button in the columnist dashboard; after Passport is deleted, access to the dashboard is closed.

What happens to my author page?

After you publish in a particular publication, your texts are collected on a separate author page and your name appears in the publication’s author list. A removed column stops being public. The author page shows the publication’s active texts by that author.

Can I use Columnist for a press release?

No. A press release serves an organisation’s communication task and is a different genre. Rewriting it in the first person is not enough. Columnist requires an independent author text that answers a reader’s question and does not promote a company.

What do I get after publication?

The column appears with the selected publication’s header and layout, date, section, and author card. You get an author page in that publication. You can add photos with captions, edit the published text, and remove it when necessary.

What does the service not provide?

It does not pay fees, provide a job, position, press card, or profession. It does not publish direct advertising, does not allow external addresses, and does not promise academic peer review. The same text cannot be published simultaneously in several publications.

Where should I start?

Choose a subject that can sustain at least ten independent columns, complete your profile, and prepare the first text. One clear thesis plus real experience or verifiable facts is enough to begin. After approval, choose a publication in your language and the appropriate section.

Columnist is available at columnist.mib.news.

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