Do You Write For You Or Do You Write To Make Money?

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  1. crazyhorsesghost profile image70
    crazyhorsesghostposted 12 years ago

    I answered a question a few minutes ago and it got me to thinking about this. Do you write for you or do you write to make money. Below is a list of some of the more popular issues that you can write on that will make you money. And you can drill down in these niches and find some real gem niches.

    A lot of people write hub pages on a niche that may have a few people looking for that niche but not many. If you do hub pages on hand painting sea shells you may get a few hits from time to time. But if you do a hub page on how to provide your strawberry hermit crab with new sea shells when it needs a new home I bet you'll have a lot of  visitors and it will be an ever green hub meaning that people will keep showing up over the years to come looking for how to give their strawberry hermit crab a new home.

    If your going to make it and make any real money your going to have to write on what people are looking for. You may not know anything about a particular niche but you can do research, make notes, and write articles that will have people coming back to your hub page for years to come.


    1. Recipes, Cooking, and Food
    2. Nutrition and Sports
    3. Health and related issues , home remedies for health is popular
    4. Weight Loss
    5. Technology
    6. Cars and Related Motoring Issues
    8. Pets and related issues
    9. How to Make Money Online
    10. Movies and Games

    If you can drill these niches down and find the sub niches you can do well. Its kind of like if you lived out on a busy road and set up a sea shell shop you might well have a few customers stop by and buy a few sea shells but if you put up a cheese burger shop you would have a lot more customers.

    You have a choice to make. Do you write to make money or do you write for you. It's as simple as that.

    I will tell you this. Here at Hub Pages I average around 12.000 page views a day. At Blogger I average around 200.000 page views a day. Plus I have around another 300.000 views a day at other sites around the web. And you can do the same thing if you do the research and write long term ever green content.

    If anyone has related questions I will be back and try to answer them for you. Hope you have a great day with a lot of page views and clicks.

    1. Xenonlit profile image60
      Xenonlitposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I love to write in about 5 areas. My favorite is breaking down tech, news and science issues for the busy lay person.

      I don't make much money, but I have started with pings and feedshark, plus Twitter and other junk. Still don't make much, though. I will try some of those hotter topics.

      My biggest money actually comes from upfront payments at other sites.

    2. jfay2011 profile image59
      jfay2011posted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I really like to write fiction and poetry.  Those would be my favorite things, but I am branching out and am writing about popular stuff too as I would also like to make some money.  And if it brings them also to my favorite stuff, cool.

    3. David 470 profile image81
      David 470posted 12 years agoin reply to this

      When you say 12,000 views, you mean your 60%, or total?

      1. crazyhorsesghost profile image70
        crazyhorsesghostposted 12 years agoin reply to this

        My share

    4. Barbara Kay profile image73
      Barbara Kayposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I write because I enjoy researching and learning. I like the money too. Thanks for offering some help.

    5. FatFreddysCat profile image94
      FatFreddysCatposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I write mainly for me, though making some money would be nice, of course. smile

      Thus far I have earned a grand total of 6 bucks and change via AdSense and 19 cents (!) via Amazon so I guess it's a good thing that I'm doing it for fun rather than $$

    6. tobey100 profile image60
      tobey100posted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I write for me which is a good thing I guess 'cause I ain't made a dime. Just love the writing.

  2. Uninvited Writer profile image80
    Uninvited Writerposted 12 years ago

    Both... I do my best writing about topics that I am interested in that sometimes get good traffic. I have tried writing just to sell and if I don't care about the product I do not do a good job.

    1. Hollie Thomas profile image62
      Hollie Thomasposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      In my other writing gigs I write for money (it's my living) here, I write for enjoyment, learning SEO and eventually money, I hope.

    2. OfTheHeart profile image75
      OfTheHeartposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I am the same.  Writing about something you care about and find interesting will motivate you to do the best you can, while writing a topic that is less interesting to you will eventually lack the same shine and sharpness.

    3. Sally's Trove profile image78
      Sally's Troveposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Ditto.

      1. profile image0
        kimberlyslyricsposted 12 years agoin reply to this

        ditto

        1. rLcasaLme profile image70
          rLcasaLmeposted 12 years agoin reply to this

          ditto

  3. Digitskyes profile image61
    Digitskyesposted 12 years ago

    For enjoyment and training, but I was drawn to HubPages because of the chance to earn.
    But writing for money is never going to be as good as for fun smile

  4. tlpoague profile image82
    tlpoagueposted 12 years ago

    I am attempting both. I started for the money first, but had issues with my adsense. Then I decided to go for the fun of it. Once I quit worrying about making money, I started to make money. So for me, I would have to answer both.

  5. crazyhorsesghost profile image70
    crazyhorsesghostposted 12 years ago

    Thanks for all the great replies. The point I am trying to make though is that I keep seeing people ask why am I not making money. And when I go check their hubs I see hubs on obscure subjects that there is little or no public interest in and yet the hubber/writer keeps asking the question why am I not making any money. Or why am I not getting any traffic.

    If you want to get traffic and hopefully get clicks on your ads and make money your going to have to write on ever green subjects or popular niches.

    I also keep seeing hubs with a photo and a couple hundred words also on obscure subjects. And then later on I see these same people complain they are making no money and getting no traffic.

  6. habee profile image93
    habeeposted 12 years ago

    I write for both reasons, along with other reasons not mentioned.

  7. Greekgeek profile image77
    Greekgeekposted 12 years ago

    I write for me: I'm trying to create a passive income stream to become self-supporting, so that I have more time to write fiction.

    I strongly disagree that you have to pick particular "money making" niches, however. If everyone tackles the same niches, they become supersaturated. Trying to enter those niches means fighting against a huge amount of competition, a large number of successful webpages that are already pulling in the traffic. You will have to do better than all those pages to do well, unless it really is one of the few niches where there is such a broad variety within the niche (e.g. clip art) that your humble offering has a chance to be found amidst all the other thousands, or even millions of webpages on the same subject.

    You do need to consider demand. What sorts of things do people use the web for? Usually looking up information, or accomplishing some task. So your writing needs to satisfy some demand.

    But that demand could be "I saw this weird animal which looked like a purple slug in the water...what was it?" Have the only in-depth page on purple sea slugs, and you'll pull in a hundred visitors a week and get ad revenue.

    That demand could be, "I want to cosplay so-and-so's costume... where can I find out how to make spikes and horns and jewels for cheap?" Have the best cosplay resource page on how to create low-cost armor and spikes and jewels that look convincing, include some ebay searches to help them find boots and wigs and belts, and you'll earn a steady income.

    That demand could be, "How can I build an igloo out of sugar cubes for my school diorama?" Have a website on making model pyramids, igloos, and other fun school projects, and you'll get lots of impressions from schoolkids wanting a hand.

    That demand could be, "I have to take a pet on a plane... what are the best pet carriers to get my cat through the airport, under the seat in front of me, and safely to my destination?"

    With all of these things, you take your knowledge, your passions, your expertise and marry them to what people on the web want to know, buy, or accomplish. Use keyword research to help you understand what people are looking for that's related to what you know. And when you hear of a story, an idea, an event, or a product related to your interests, be a news reporter, do the research, provide the information, make the great webpage on that topic that someone might stumble across to help them learn, do, or buy.

    Opinions and editorials don't usually earn money; people aren't searching for them. Creative writing doesn't usually earn money, unless your writing is exceptional. Things that are only unique to you don't usually earn money. But you'd be amazed how many of your own passions, skills, activities and areas of expertise are useful for others, if you present slices of your unique experience and knowledge to solve their problems or answer their questions. Best of all, some of your passions will be in niches that are not supersaturated with competition.

    1. wilderness profile image95
      wildernessposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I concur.  If the keyword tool tells me that there are 500 searches a month for a subject, I can often turn that into several thousand views by using multiple keywords and good use of title and summaries.

      Now, that's not a huge number, but multiply it by 100 hubs and it becomes a lot more attractive. 

      Everybody has areas of expertise, and there are always people wanting that information.  Write about what you know and enjoy - you can be more effective and write better hubs if you are enjoying yourself.

      1. litsabd profile image65
        litsabdposted 12 years agoin reply to this

        I've joined this site totally by chance. I had no idea that there were sites that would pay you to write. In my mother tongue I write so fluently and feel my soul always finds a way to express itself. Yet, in English it is a bit more complexed. As for the keywords I keep on reading about, I am so sad that I can not comprehent its use and way of doing it. I have a lot to conquer , that I know. thank you for giving me the chance to see that this really works. I hope it will work for me as well...Have a blessed day,

  8. Wesman Todd Shaw profile image81
    Wesman Todd Shawposted 12 years ago

    I'm very knowledgeable about my main niche - as times went on I've learned quite a lot here just from experimenting and seeing what has actually worked.

    It's all fun - but what makes me do what I do well is the fact of income - if I don't get paid, I'm out of here.

    Where I used to average three hundred hits per day while mostly writing in a niche that I already know isn't a huge one - I've decided to do more of what I want to do and less trying for income......and doubled my daily average of visitors.

    I suspect I've earned Google's "authority" in my "thang."

    It's fun - lots of fun, but if I don't get the payouts - I'm going to where I can and will.

    1. litsabd profile image65
      litsabdposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Totally like your point of view. Hope it all works out fine for you.

  9. psycheskinner profile image83
    psycheskinnerposted 12 years ago

    "Me" likes money, so it is the same either way.

    1. pstraubie48 profile image81
      pstraubie48posted 12 years agoin reply to this

      i would like to make money one day...clearly i am not at this point...but as i learn more about how this works i become more involved, read more, and am growing ...and learning..and i love it..writing has been a passion of mine all of my life but i have never had the time to really write ...now  i do..and i write about things i know about, care about, am interested in, and if i make money one day, that will be awesome.

  10. Greek One profile image63
    Greek Oneposted 12 years ago

    Based upon my AdSense stats, I do NOT write to make money

  11. GmaGoldie profile image80
    GmaGoldieposted 12 years ago

    They say to do what you are passionate about and the money will arrive but here on Hub Pages, it takes Internet savvy and knowing the search engine and the key terms - a complicated subject for this Great Grandmother but I am trying. My main goal is to be the best I can be.

    I used HubPages as my personal scrapbook - I love the photos and am able to collect many different things that I may not be able to afford let alone have room for - Barbie dolls and jewelry. I love it - I don't even have to dust these items other than revising my hubs and bringing them up to HP standards for the Google advertising gods.

    HubPages is more than a collection though, it is also all my favorite pen pals. Love this group!

    1. Hollie Thomas profile image62
      Hollie Thomasposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      A great grandmother? I am surprised (not that that's a bad thing) You have very cool, young attitude. IMO smile

  12. Cagsil profile image71
    Cagsilposted 12 years ago

    I write to increase knowledge and awareness. If I make money from it, then it's a bonus.

    I also write to bring information about CAGSIL- Citizens Attain Greater Satisfaction In Life. smile

  13. MissE profile image77
    MissEposted 12 years ago

    I write what I like and make a little $$$.  Sure...I'd like to make more.  I'll be your best friend if you tell me how. big_smile

  14. Victoria Lynn profile image89
    Victoria Lynnposted 12 years ago

    I hear ya, Miss E! Maybe crazyhorse could write a hub about it. Still, I enjoy writing different things. I may have four different "niches," but I don't focus on just one. I write in each area as I think of things.... Oh, well, at least I'm enjoying the process.

  15. GoGreenTips profile image60
    GoGreenTipsposted 12 years ago

    Just started blogging and writing on hubpages, so just reading forums like this helps. Thanks for posting the money-making niches, and will definitely look into these topics. I suppose even if I'm writing a topic I'm not that knowledgeable about just researching, writing and learning about SEO is fun.

    So I guess my answer is although i want to make money, i have fun in the process of doing it.

    Sometimes I wonder though if I ever got to the point where I had to depend on writing, and the internet, which by the way i think about alot, if it would become as stressful and unrewarding as my day job.

    Again thanks for the info, it's great for a newcomer like me.

  16. paradigmsearch profile image59
    paradigmsearchposted 12 years ago

    "Do You Write For You Or Do You Write To Make Money?"

    Both. But the money is desperately important to me right now. In fact, it is an outright matter of survival.

  17. jbrock2041 profile image65
    jbrock2041posted 12 years ago

    I write for me. I love expressing myself through words and help inspire others to become healthy and fit.

  18. justateacher profile image83
    justateacherposted 12 years ago

    I write for me...the money at this point isn't enough for it to make worthwhile. If I write with the opinion that I am doing it for me, then when the money starts coming in, it is a pleasant surprise. I could do more, probably, to find a more popular niche to write in than I do, but at this time I am writing about what I know and love.

  19. imatellmuva profile image77
    imatellmuvaposted 12 years ago

    I write for me, and if I happen to make money while doing it, then I am really doing something. Only one of my hubs I did research for, because I took a particular interest in the subject.

    I'd much rather write about things that I know...no research required...just living.

  20. profile image0
    kimberlyslyricsposted 12 years ago

    on-line I write for me.  off line I write for money

  21. Paraglider profile image88
    Paragliderposted 12 years ago

    I'd say, neither me nor money. I write for my readership, which is not quite the same thing. Of course, if you successfully cultivate a readership the money starts to come in, and that's fine. But I think that's a pretty common approach. After all, if I was only writing for me, what's the point of publishing?

    1. profile image0
      kimberlyslyricsposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      cool  cool

  22. Ladybird33 profile image66
    Ladybird33posted 12 years ago

    I write for me and I also like to earn for me too smile  Really I just enjoy it. great question

  23. amazonrus profile image68
    amazonrusposted 12 years ago

    I write for myself. At the same time, I also write for money. So far I'm doing well for some of my hubs.

    I also write for SEO too for my website. But it has failed. haha

  24. MINIMA profile image59
    MINIMAposted 12 years ago

    Its great to read that you can make money by writing on any suitable topic or an issue of interest. But how does this actually make money. Please do help out as I am looking at opportunities to make money .

  25. janesix profile image59
    janesixposted 12 years ago

    I write because I feel compelled to embarass myself in public.

    1. homesteadbound profile image81
      homesteadboundposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      big_smile

      1. imatellmuva profile image77
        imatellmuvaposted 12 years agoin reply to this

        @janesix...WHERE is the LIKE button!!

        1. profile image0
          kimberlyslyricsposted 12 years agoin reply to this

          and the 'way cool' button?

    2. profile image0
      kimberlyslyricsposted 12 years ago

      I write primarily because I can't print lol

    3. zzron profile image58
      zzronposted 12 years ago

      I write for me, no money. I like to express myself and discuss the various topics. It's just a hobby for fun and to be creative.
      http://s3.hubimg.com/u/3542070_f248.jpg

    4. MattPernice profile image40
      MattPerniceposted 12 years ago

      I write for my audience not to make money but to educate.

    5. mljdgulley354 profile image60
      mljdgulley354posted 12 years ago

      Great question. I like writing here on hubpages. I haven't really put too much effort into earnings.

    6. glendoncaba profile image74
      glendoncabaposted 12 years ago

      Both.  But I suppose ...correct that ...I know that I should drill deeper down into the keyword niches. 

      I collected my second Google cheque yesterday.  Still not making the big bucks but serves as positive reinforcement.

      Lately, Adsense has dipped but the HP ad programme has shown some improvement.

      Great advice beiing offered by OP in this thread.

    7. profile image0
      kimberlyslyricsposted 12 years ago

      I write for you and make money for me hmm:

    8. profile image0
      kimberlyslyricsposted 12 years ago

      fyi

      I write because I am right

      just saying..........

    9. Garrett Mickley profile image79
      Garrett Mickleyposted 12 years ago

      I write here for money, I write elsewhere for me.

    10. Pcunix profile image90
      Pcunixposted 12 years ago

      I write because I have no choice.  If I happen to make any money, fine, but I was writing web pages long before Adsense and if all monetization went away tomorrow, I'd still be writing.

    11. David 470 profile image81
      David 470posted 12 years ago

      I write for myself and for money. I just so happen to write about what I enjoy for the most part.

    12. leni sands profile image68
      leni sandsposted 12 years ago

      I love writing.  I write to educate, to learn, to explore.  I write on hubpages because I love to see my work there.  I love to see my work on Amazon even though not too many buyers yet but my author name is there next to my book cover and I like to see that.  I write because I love sharing my ideas, my work, my thoughts with other like minded individuals.  I write for therapy.  I write because it's fun and if I can make money out of having fun then I love that as well.  Great question!

      1. crazyhorsesghost profile image70
        crazyhorsesghostposted 12 years agoin reply to this

        Great reply. I feel about the same way. I love to read my work days and months later and look back and see what I had to say that day.

    13. Infiniteresearch profile image69
      Infiniteresearchposted 12 years ago

      Thank you for sharing the top earners. I joined to practice writing, but part of that practice should be writing out of my niche and while I'm at it I might as well write hubs that generate as well.

      1. crazyhorsesghost profile image70
        crazyhorsesghostposted 12 years agoin reply to this

        If you will read my first post up at the top there it tells you exactly how to make money with Hub Pages. You do have to get niche specific.

    14. Jyoti Patil profile image60
      Jyoti Patilposted 12 years ago

      Till date, I haven't been able to understand how do people make money on hubpages. And being a newcomer (not exactly) I am more keen on analyzing my writing skills then earning money.

    15. myloxyloto profile image60
      myloxylotoposted 12 years ago

      I write for myself. When I first saw Hubpages and read a hub, I didn't know you could make money from writing hubs. I joined because I was fascinated by the site, how you can write an article about something you really like and know and simply share it to everyone. I want to share my love of music, movies, writing, and a bunch of other stuffs. I want to write about the things that interests me. Hence, I joined HubPages and when I found out all about that money-earning stuffs, I think I started having this urge to write for money as well as for myself. But I still stick to my plan, write for the things that truly interests me, that is... and I'll just watch and see how it goes with the 'money-earning'.

    16. Dale Nelson profile image38
      Dale Nelsonposted 12 years ago

      Great question "CHG"

      I write to unwind after working for the man.Secondly, I like the challenge of finding the next niche.

      I get a smile every time I check the earnings stats and see the dollars trickling in daily.Its not about how much, but how you managed to achieve it.

      Content is a mixture of hobby,experience,seo and niches.

      Found some really great niches by accident, those days are the best.

      Knowing how to customize your hub towards each earnings type is the best part of the research phase for me.
      I like the rinse repeat part once you find a new idea on improving your writing style and earning ability.

    17. andyoz profile image86
      andyozposted 12 years ago

      I like this thread, it inspired me to write about my time here on Hubpages and write a Hub about my first year on the site.  I decided I write for both, sometimes i write simply as I enjoy doing it, other times I write for the money.  I think a balance is important.

    18. Sherry Hewins profile image92
      Sherry Hewinsposted 12 years ago

      Since I'm just starting out, I write what's on my mind. I'm thinking that's a good way to learn how to write. I hope my niche and money will come later. What do you think?

    19. Stacie L profile image89
      Stacie Lposted 12 years ago

      It's a little of both. The social commentary hubs are for me to discuss my concerns and the others are for money

    20. Max Dalton profile image82
      Max Daltonposted 12 years ago

      A little of both.

    21. Johnrr631992 profile image85
      Johnrr631992posted 12 years ago

      When i joined this site, I did it for one reason, and that reason was money. I saw a chance to make extra income, and i jumped on the bandwagon. After the first month, and i didn't make squat, i almost gave up, but decided to write, just to write, and hoped it would make a turn for the best. Well its getting better, now that I am getting 1500 views a day, across my 20 most popular hubs.. As far as income though, i decided that i would try other sites for that portion and leave this solely for the fun factor of writing. I also really like the fact that my typing speed has really increased, and that i am beginning to write a lot better.

     
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