The following are common issues regarding AFC submissions and new articles in general to some extent. Please read the comments left on your submission/talk page as well as the following before asking questions about why your article was declined. If you can't find your issue listed or you have other doubts, don't hesitate to leave a message in my talk page.
Sourcing and notability
edit- If your article has been declined due to lack of reliable sources:
- Your article does not have any sources.
- Your article has sources, but all or most of them are:
- Blogs, other Wikis, forums, sources affiliated with the subject, social networks (Facebook, Linked-in, Myspace, etc.), sources that are local news media (without indication of widespread notability), sources are op-eds, etc.
You should: find extensive independent, third-party, reliable sources to establish the subject's notability and then resubmit article for review.
- Your article has been declined due to not being notable.
- It might be that you haven't provided appropriate sourcing as explained above, although I will usually check for notability myself, so this is usually not the case. In the case sources are missing I will let you know this aspect needs improvement, but it shouldn't hamper the article's chances of being accepted.
- It could also be that the article's subject is simply non-notable and will not be accepted on Wikipedia at this time.
- Books, films, actors, etc. might be notable at a later date.
Style
edit- Your submission was declined because it reads like an essay or is non-neutral.
- Rewrite your article with an encyclopedic, neutral tone, using a lead paragraph, and then separating information into relevant headings. Add an infobox if applicable.
- Your submission reads like an advertisement.
- Remove promotional material. Wikipedia is not a means of promotion. Make sure you read WP:COI.
- Submission fails WP:NOT.
- Your submission falls into something Wikipedia is not. Go check out that policy for advice on how to fix it.
Major Issues (these usually get deleted pretty quickly)
edit- Submission fails BLP policy.
- Solution: Read WP:BLP.
- Submission is an attack page.
- Your page has been blanked. You will be warned.
- Submission is a joke.
- None. You will be warned, page deleted.
- Submission is a copyright violation.
- Solution: Do not copy-paste. Rewrite in your own words if notable topic.
- Submission is a news report.
- Solution: Go to WikiNews or rewrite with encyclopedic tone if deemed encyclopaedic. Make sure it's notable and doesn't fall under WP:WI1E.