Old Hubbers speak up!!

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   pen promulgatesposted 6 years ago

   A question to all experienced and established Hubbers. What difficulties/struggles/issues you faced when you joined or were new to Hubpages?

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      TIMETRAVELER2posted 6 years agoin reply to this

      That's quite a question!  I think answers to it will vary based on each individual because each of us came to this site with different goals, attitudes and experiences.
      
      In my case, i had written for Yahoo for a year and was not happy with the way they handled things.  I was very inexperienced and the people on that site were very unfriendly and hostile.
      
      Here I found kindness, support and friendship.  The team and the other writers slowly taught me what I needed to know, and continue to do so to this day.
      
      I would say my biggest problem was learning the difference between regular writing and online writing, and the next biggest one was learning how to navigate this site.
      
      It has worked out for me, but it has taken more than five years to do so.  Patience and hard work pay off here!

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         pen promulgatesposted 6 years agoin reply to this

         OMG! You just spoke the truth.
         That's exactly how I feel as a new Hubber.
         And you're right, people here are kind, friendly, and helpful {as you are too } - I refer your hubs and have read few. You are quite an RV expert!
         Other things you said are also true. I feel more comfortable now that 'I am not a lost soul.' all have had their own share of thrilling experience. Thanks.

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            TIMETRAVELER2posted 6 years agoin reply to this

            You definitely are not alone here, and thanks for the kind words.  HP is really a great place...take your time, learn, hone your craft....you'll be fine.

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               pen promulgatesposted 6 years agoin reply to this

               Indeed!

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      chef-de-jourposted 6 years agoin reply to this

      I had many difficulties and challenges when I first started on HP. I was a complete novice, an unqualified idiot, with hardly any experience of writing online and no real goals. All I wanted was to be able to produce a decent article or two each month, learn as I went along and hope for a payment or two in time!!. Without the patience and advice of other writers (and help from HP staff and the excellent LC) I might well have considered chucking it all in - but I perservered - and am now reaping the rewards for all the hard work I put in.
      So, I would say stick at it, learn from others and create evergreen articles for the niche sites and build up your stock. It won't happen overnight as others have said, but with consistent quality you will start to become a better writer and you may even earn a few dollars in the process. Best of luck.

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         pen promulgatesposted 6 years agoin reply to this

         You guys are making me more comfortable than ever.
         Thanks for helping my concern settle. As all talk now, the experience of all have rewarded well in the end. That's a good thing to count on!

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      Sherry Hewinsposted 6 years agoin reply to this

      When I started writing here I had just been laid off from a job I had for 14 years, and I had a broken foot. I was looking around on the Internet for something to do, and a way to make money. I messed around with Mechanical Turk for a while, and found I was attracted to the writing hits.
      
      When I stumbled across HubPages, I just wrote about whatever came to mind, with not a care for any kind of research or keywords. One of my first hubs got a Hub of the Day (that's a program that's been discontinued). That put me on the home page of HubPages for that day, and I got a ton of views and comments. I must say that really encouraged me to keep on writing.
      
      My views and earning were steadily climbing and I was thrilled, until suddenly the rug was pulled out. My views and earning went to 0 practically overnight. I must say that I was quite despondent. I gave up and abandoned my hubs, I didn't take them down, I just left them. I went on to other pursuits, and did not log in to my account for 6 months or more.
      
      When I finally came back, my hubs had recovered. My views and earning were back, and amazingly, my hubber score was 100! Now that score does not really mean anything, but I know lots of us pursue it.
      
      Since I came back to HP, I have had many ups and downs. What I have learned is that you have to enjoy the highs and don't let the lows get you down. If you want to give up, don't delete your hubs, just take a break. Don't get too emotionally invested in how your hubs are doing.

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         gerimcclymposted 6 years agoin reply to this

         Very encouraging and inspirational. Thanks for sharing your story!

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   pen promulgatesposted 6 years ago

   Besides, it would be great to hear more stories!
   Other Hubbers, please speak up!

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   Barack Jamesposted 6 years ago

   Pen Promulgates, WELCOME TO HUBPAGES!

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      pen promulgatesposted 6 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks Barack. I appreciate
      I look forward to connecting...
      Could you please share your initial story if any?

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   theraggededgeposted 6 years ago

   I had an account here for ages, wrote a few hubs and then left it alone. I was quite surprised to receive a payment out of the blue about a year or so later. So I started to write more here. I avoided the forums because I had been warned that it was a bit scary - I think you'll find that if you go to the topical forums any time
   
   The best thing ever was being selected for the Apprenticeship program, which sadly doesn't exist any more. It was a rigorous learning process but well worth it.

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      pen promulgatesposted 6 years agoin reply to this

      I see that on your profile.
      You are one of the most helpful Hubbers, theraggededge. That's quite iconic.
      What changes did Apprenticeship bring for you?

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         theraggededgeposted 6 years agoin reply to this

         I think the best lesson I got from the Apprenticeship program was how to focus. Often we were given titles to write and, at first, I hated that. How could I write about a topic that I didn't find very attractive? Yet I had to, so I did. One of those is my best performing hub. So I learned I could write about almost anything, given enough information.
         
         When I first started writing pre-HubPages, I felt trapped because I felt my topics were so narrow. I was stuck writing about tarot or home-schooling. Now I know that the advice to write what you know is fine when you are starting out, but once you have got the hang of structuring an article, working out the right angle, and researching the topic, the world opens right up and you can write about anything.
         
         BTW, thank you for your kind words. Much appreciated.

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   pen promulgatesposted 6 years ago

   @theraggededge, Oh, I've enough to thank you. I was able to clear the QAP for my article 'When a second chance is given' after reading the advice and suggestions you gave other Hubbers. At first attempt the article didn't clear, I just could not understand why as the article is based on a real time experience so it cannot be spammy. In one of your articles you said to readers, the answers to your questions are just there (in your article itself), you just can't see it. I took that to mind, and dug into my article deeply - from another of your suggestions, I could remember you emphasizing the extreme significance of titles and capsule headings. With these in mind, I could see how the titles were not specific to the rest of the content, so I changed the title and capsule headings and Viola! My article featured . I mean it when I praise you

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      theraggededgeposted 6 years agoin reply to this

      

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   Jodahposted 6 years ago

   Hi Pen Promulgates, welcome to HubPages.
   I joined over seven years ago but at that time didn't really understand how the site worked. It was my first attempt at writing online. I think I only wrote three hubs in the first year but didn't really get into the community. I had been here for three years when another popular hubber read one of my hubs and was impressed by my writing. She shared it among her many followers and that is how I was accepted into the community and my hubs began drawing an audience. The encouragement I received spurred me on to write more frequently and now I have just published my 300th hub here.

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   pen promulgatesposted 6 years ago

   Thanks for your insight. Hubbers here are really helpful. There is some sort of connection quite real and inspiring.

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      pen promulgatesposted 6 years agoin reply to this

      Hey Jodah, congrats for the 300th hub! That's quite an achievement.

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         Jodahposted 6 years agoin reply to this

         Thank you. Pen

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   jansharesposted 6 years ago

   Oh boy! Where to start? I have almost 5 years so I guess I can be considered an "older hubber" now. I came to HP at a great time, in my opinion, so hubbers with more time than I have on can probably give a more well-rounded experience which includes very high "highs" and very low "lows." I was totally clueless so there were some difficult, hair-pulling times, punctuated by excitement about publishing online.
   
   For me, the most difficult adjustments were:
   
   1- grasping the fact that online writing is totally different than print in terms of expectations of traffic; and that Google is King and basically determines our fate to an extent.
   2- letting go of obsessions about being rated by HP, i.e., hub scores and hubber scores. They do not necessarily reflect your skill or potential success; they are just algorithms that change daily compared to the whole (the entire site of writers and other hubs).
   3- readers are fickle, driven by immediate needs, trends, or seasons; just because you're traffic dies doesn't mean it's a bad article; it's just not the flavor of the month anymore.
   4- time management and priorities; very difficult to produce quality hubs when you have a full-time job or business to run; at some point you have to decide where you will invest your time, then let it go.
   5- adjusting to change; HP has made a lot of changes over the years, some of which have been very frustrating; but over time, you let it go, move on, and realize some of the changes worked out in the end for the best.

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      pen promulgatesposted 6 years agoin reply to this

      Those were few concerns of mine too. Your helpful comments are a start to think differently.I shall take your advice

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         jansharesposted 6 years agoin reply to this

         You're welcome.

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      Jesse Drzalposted 6 years agoin reply to this

      Great insights, janshares.

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   Dan W Millerposted 6 years ago

   OH GOD! I spent an hour reply. Forgot to save, I'm leaving nw and going for a good cry.  DAMMIT!!

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      pen promulgatesposted 6 years agoin reply to this

      I am sorry for that. I feel bugged for missing a valuable insight that took you an hour of writing. Must have been some important stuff!
      Am I going to miss knowing them?

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    pen promulgatesposted 6 years ago

    True

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    pen promulgatesposted 6 years ago

    True, Do you yours to share Gerimcclym?

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       gerimcclymposted 6 years agoin reply to this

       I think I have summed up my thoughts on this in my article titled "How to Write a Highly Engaging Article: 8 Tips." It continues to be a learning process. Reading the forum threads has helped me a lot; the input of more experienced and accomplished writers has been invaluable. Best to you on HubPages!

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    pen promulgatesposted 6 years ago

    True, Do you have yours to share Gerimcclym?

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       Jean Bakulaposted 6 years agoin reply to this

       Welcome pen promulgates,
       I always wanted to write and was thrilled to begin at HP and find that others read my work! The rules have changed a lot in the 5 yrs. I've been here. But it's important to read them and understand them. One rookie mistake, don't write the whole hub in one text capsule. I did that a lot in the beginning, and now as I prepare them for niche sites, it's a nightmare. But I am making progress.
       
       Write about what you know the best, and maybe look up the topic on Google to see if you are writing about the same thing too many others are. Or at least be sure your title is more interesting. The other hubbers don't bring in money if they read your hubs, it's only people who come to the site from Google or another place. Of course, hubbers will read your stuff if it's interesting, and that will build your confidence.You will meet people who will be your friends. I even met people who now pay me to write on their personal blogs! It takes time to build up a body of work, so write as much as you can, and maybe in 6 months you will find some money coming in.
       
       Use legal pictures, there are lists of good ones in the rules. Also, I was not very computer literate when I came here, so I have learned a lot. It takes time to get the hang of it all, and I still find out things I didn't know! Don't get discouraged. There are good times and bad times.
       
       Finally, mostly everyone is helpful and happy to help and offer advice. The staff is nice. And this is really one of the only sites left where you can practice up on your writing, try out new things, and learn more about your craft. Many others shut down over the years I've been here. Best of luck to you!

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          pen promulgatesposted 6 years agoin reply to this

          That's advice to follow. Thanks a lot.

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    pen promulgatesposted 6 years ago

    I will read the article thanks

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