Hi all,
I just registered here because I just finished About.com prep last week. Essentially, here was my process:
I applied for the topic back in late September/early October. Didn't get accepted to prep until early/mid January. So, for anyone out there wondering if it can take a while before you hear anything, it can.
As for prep itself, I got an email from About telling me I had been accepted. I was instructed to write three articles based on topics they gave me in the email (each of which needed to be a minimum of 600 words,) as well as one or two blog posts. This all had to be done in a week.
So, I wrote the three articles and two blog posts and submitted them. I got them back with a few minor edits, and then moved on to the second phase of prep. This phase is two weeks long and includes you uploading your sample material from week one to a mock site using About's tools.
This second part was a tad trickier than I thought it would be. I assumed, "hey, I can figure out internet stuff rather quickly, I've built and run websites before." The thing is, the tools are not the most intuitive things in the world. Beyond that, there is also a lag in uploading, so it may take some time before your material shows up (in the meantime, you just get frustrated and repeat the same process over and over.)
Anyway, I got my site done, everything was uploaded, all SEO/metadata filled in, and then I wait. Everything had to be done by last Friday (which was five days ago,) and I was told it may take up to a week before they make a decision.
Now, I never counted on getting the position in the first place, so if I didn't get it, no big deal, right? Well, as Monday came and went, and still no decision, I admit, I started getting antsy. Then all day yesterday )Tuesday,) every time my phone chirped with a new email, I got a bit of a rush...but alas, no news.
So, finally, today (Wednesday,) I get the email...aaaaaaaannnnndddd.....
I didn't get the position.
BUT, I enjoyed the experience and it was pretty cool to even be selected for prep, and then to make it into the second round. My editor was very nice, professional and polite (of course I got the standard "this was a very tough decision to make" and "It's no fun for us to turn away writers with great experience",) and answered any questions I had.
So, just to sum up...
-It can be months before you hear back from About.com.
-Prep currently consists of writing three articles and one or two blog posts, and then uploading them and building a mock site.
-You won't know who you're up against or how many.