What is Articles for Creation (AfC)?
Short answer
Wikipedia’s review queue, where a draft is assessed by an independent volunteer before it can go live in the main encyclopedia.
Anyone with a conflict of interest — including anyone paid to write — is expected to use AfC rather than publishing directly.
Reviewers check notability, sourcing, tone and conflict-of-interest disclosure. Queues run from days to months depending on backlog.
Why it matters
An article created directly in mainspace by a paid editor is likely to be deleted and will attract scrutiny of the subject. The slower route is the one that survives.