A story coming back for edits isn't a rejection - it's part of the process. It means the content is close, but needs some specific changes to meet our Community Guidelines before it can go live.
How to find out what needs to change
Check your email. When a story is sent back, we send an email to the address on your account that gives you a general idea of what guideline needs attention.
Open your draft. You'll see a black "Not approved" bar at the top of your story in the editor. Click it - it expands to show you the moderation team's specific notes: exactly what to fix and why.
Read those notes carefully. The more precisely you address what's flagged, the smoother the re-review goes.
After you make the edits
Make your edits (the editor auto-saves as you work) and resubmit. The story goes back into the review queue and our team will look at it again within 24 hours.
Common reasons stories get sent back
Missing or insufficient subtitle
Featured image missing or violates guidelines (no watermarks, no heavily branded images)
Content that doesn't meet the minimum word count requirement
Story placed in a community that doesn't fit the content
Content that doesn't comply with a specific guideline (such as religious content, graphic material, or misinformation)
If you're unsure why something was flagged or the notes aren't clear, open the Messenger on Vocal or the Help Center and submit a ticket. Our team replies by email, not live chat, and we'll walk you through it.