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Why a column may be rejected
The exact automatic rejection reasons: length, cover, section, limit, addresses, duplicate text, language and advertising. What to fix in each case, with practical steps and examples.
After an author is approved, Columnist does not send every new column to an editor. That does not mean publication is rule-free. Eight automatic checks run before a piece goes live. Most rejections can be fixed in a few minutes when you understand exactly what the system is checking.
1. Fewer than 120 words
The minimum length is 120 words. A short note, a photo caption or a few sentences do not count as a full column. The solution is not to pad the text with empty phrases, but to add the missing argument, example or explanation.
2. No cover image or no rights declaration
A cover image is mandatory. The author must state the basis on which the image may be used. An image downloaded from search results does not become free to use. Use your own photograph, an image with an appropriate licence, or a photograph for which you have permission.
3. No section selected
Every column must belong to a section of the publication. Select a section before publishing. If the topic sits between two sections, choose the one that describes the main question of the text more precisely.
4. The daily limit of three columns has been reached
One author may publish no more than three columns in a day. A fourth must remain as a draft until the next day. The limit protects publication feeds from being flooded by one profile.
5. An external address was found in the text
External addresses are not allowed. The platform may remove them in a way that leaves a sentence broken, so the system searches for addresses before saving. Name the source in words: the organisation, publication, study or document author. Do not insert a URL even as a “reference” line.
6. The text duplicates another of your columns
The same material cannot be republished in another publication. If you want to continue the topic, write a new text around a different question and argument. Moving two paragraphs around does not turn a copy into a new column.
7. The language does not match
The language of the text must match the selected publication. An author's profile may be set to one language while an individual column uses another; that is allowed. The error occurs when the selected publication and the actual language of the text do not match.
8. The text reads like advertising
The system rejects promotion of a product, service, company or person as a supplier. Euphemisms do not solve the problem. If a useful explanation ends with “we can solve this for you”, a price, a phone number or an invitation to order a service, the purpose of the text has become promotional.
A useful test is this: would the material still help someone who will never buy anything from the author? If yes, it may be a genuine expert column. If not, rewrite the premise rather than only the final paragraph.
Separately: the section does not match
This is not a hard rejection. The system issues a warning, but the author can continue publishing. The warning is still worth taking seriously: a wrong section harms navigation and sends the text to the wrong reader.
Quick correction table
| Reason | What to do |
|---|---|
| Too few words | add a meaningful argument or example |
| No cover | upload an image you may legally use and state the rights basis |
| No section | choose a section |
| Daily limit | wait until the next day |
| Address found | remove it and name the source in words |
| Duplicate | write a new piece |
| Language mismatch | choose the correct publication or language |
| Advertising | rebuild the text around the reader's question |
What is not a reason for automatic rejection
The system does not block an unpopular opinion simply because it is controversial. It does not judge literary elegance and does not require agreement with an editorial position. A factual mistake can also pass the automatic checks, which is why responsibility for fact-checking remains with the author.
Columnist is available at columnist.mib.news.
Read a rejection as an instruction for correction
An automatic rejection is useful only if you change its cause instead of rewriting the whole text at random. If the system found an address, do not rewrite the entire column: remove the address and repair the sentence so it reads naturally without it. If the language does not match, check the selected publication and the text itself, not just the headline. If the advertising filter is triggered, do not hunt for a single “forbidden word”; ask what the paragraph is trying to do. Is it selling a service, or answering the reader?
After making a correction, reread the surrounding paragraph. Automatic removal of an address can leave a phrase such as “read more at”, so the technical problem disappears while the sentence remains broken. A proper correction restores meaning, not merely compliance.
Quick sequence
1. read the exact rejection reason; 2. find the fragment that caused it; 3. correct the cause without unnecessary changes; 4. reread the whole paragraph; 5. check the other mandatory conditions again.
FAQ
I was told the section does not fit. Is the column blocked?
No. A section mismatch produces a warning. You can continue publishing, although it is better to review your choice of section.
Why can I not include the source address?
That is how the platform works: external addresses are not used in the body. Name the source in words so the reader can understand where the information comes from.
If I shortened an old text, can I publish it again?
If it is essentially the same material, the system may treat it as a duplicate. It is better to write a separate column around a different question.
Who decides whether a text is advertising?
Before publication, an automatic model assesses the content. A publication may also remove an already published column later if advertising is discovered.
Reading is half of it. The other half is a column with your name on it, in a real publication.
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