CHANGES NEEDED

1. 58

   AsherKadeposted 14 years ago

   I am considering either quitting HubPages, or scraping everything and starting over. I am dissapointed in my books/poetry, what I enjoy doing most, not garnishing any attention. I have studied manlypoetry and others who do well in writing books and poetry, have made numerous changes...but nothing seems to be getting me close to my goals of a loyal following of my books/poetry. I find myself writing on issues I care about, but for the most part are merely to draw traffic so someone may actually read my books/poetry.
   
   what do you think I should do? My mind is pretty much made up, but I would like feedback...

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   1. 0

      cosetteposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      hey there. if you are considering self-publication, you can do that at Amazon. also, if you are looking for a following, have you tried sites like Facebook? this site seems to be more for people who write content to generate revenue, and, while there are many creative writers about, i'm not sure if it is the right venue for developing a literary following. as for me, i am a writer as well but wouldn't see this place as a showcase for that - yes i want to make money but at the same time only write about things that truly interest me. it's a fine line. good luck. i hope you stick around.
      
      -signed, fellow newbie

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   2. 0

      L. Andrew Marrposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Bascially I hit the issue that prose hubs do much better than poetry. A good way to get views is in interesting titles. Give it time.
      
      In the words of some American bloke in the times newspaper
      
      BE BOLD, BE MIGHTY
      
      FORCES WILL COME TO YOUR AID
      
      
      Also, having a page, by default, gets you more views than by not having a page. Don't quit.

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   3. 66

      darksideposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Poetry and creative fiction have never found much success here on HubPages. That's not a reflection on the talent of the writers, just what the market dictates.
      
      So if you're after fortune, it will be disappointing.
      
      If fame is all you're after, then 2 months isn't enough. I'm not sure how long would be enough. How many fans do you want? How much feedback are you after? How long can you stick it out?

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2. 78

   Uninvited Writerposted 14 years ago

   All I can say is it takes time...2 months is not enough time

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3. 86

   KCC Big Countryposted 14 years ago

   I agree with Uninvited Writer.  Give it time.  Why don't you self-publish your book or sell it as an ebook?  Why do you need a following here on HubPages?  I would guess that most people don't come to HP looking for good book to read. You know what I'm saying? Are hubbers really your target audience for your book?

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   1. 80

      manlypoetrymanposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      I also agree with these Hubbers...they make great points.
      
      Asher...I sent you an E-mail on the subject of you quiting.

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4. 78

   Uninvited Writerposted 14 years ago

   Yes, and I'm sure I didn't have nearly as many fans as you do after 2 months on HubPages.

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5. 72

   Eternal Evolutionposted 14 years ago

   I also find myself writing about topics i care about, i don't really get a lot of traffic but hey it's imporant to me and somewhere out there other care about the same topics, they just haven't found my hubs yet. Give it some time, write for you and in time things will look up.

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6. 58

   wrenfrost56posted 14 years ago

   What?!!! You can't quit and you can not scrap your work, start all over again! Thats just crazy talk. Asherkade you want to be acknowleged I get that, but it takes time I've only been here two months too and you have more fans and hubs then me and I am the princess of friggin power.

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7. 58

   AsherKadeposted 14 years ago

   I didn't want a goodbye forum, and wasn't trying to solicit pity. I can't afford to "publish" my book because I am the sole breadwinner in my family....have I mentioned how many kids I have????
   I joined HubPages to see if my writing was even good enough and test it. I am starting to think only my friend's, the guys at the department, and my family like my stuff.
   I am encouraged that so many ppl think I am popular here. I have never been popular. But I am happy just to help ppl, so that's why I chose the profession that I did. I wanted to entertain and enlighten ppl, not gain fame and wealth. God already gave me wealth in a sense with my career and family

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   1. 80

      manlypoetrymanposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Does this mean your sticking around with the rest of us? God will help you with that book being published thing...I have no doubt.

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   2. 0

      fierycjposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Yeah, something like 8 kids, right? Good man.

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8. 56

   yoshi97posted 14 years ago

   Writing is a very difficult thing to get noticed. There are just so many authors out there. However, there are ways ...
   
   One way to publish for free is through lulu.com. Also, you can have your work previewed for free at Storywrite.com, provided you are willing to review the works of others in return.
   
   Should you decide to get your work published by an agent, I can point you in the right direction ... but not until you have had others review your work who are outside your safe circle of friends, as agents and editors can seem cold to those who aren't yet ready (and even to those who are) so it's best to get those critical reviews in early, so you are ready for the next stage.
   
   A really good barometer is Writing.com. If you post your work there and ask for a brutally honest review, you'll receive it. Just make sure you are wearing lead underwear, as they don;t pull too many punches. Still, it's the best shot one has at finding out what they need to do to improve, and they certainly offer a lot of info in that direction.
   
   The final place I can recommend is critiquecircle.com, where they are also brutally honest, but exceptionally helpful.
   
   As for tearing down your hubs ... Boulderdash!
   
   It's said an author needs to write a million words before they ever become published. If this is so (and I do think it might be rather close) then share them with us, so we can say we knew ya when you were just starting out.

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9. 72

   DoodleLynposted 14 years ago

   I'm not sure HubPages is the vehicle for books. Most of what I see here is articles, and some poetry. Why not continue to write those kinds of things for HP, and keep writing your book on your own, or on one of the other sites that some people here mentioned. I don't see why it has to be either/or.

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10. 85

    Marisa Wrightposted 14 years ago

    Asher, I wouldn't be publishing ANY of your book on HubPages.  Get yourself a blog at Wordpress.com and if you insist on giving it away for free, publish it as a serial on your blog.  Or (which I think makes more sense) publish it as a book somewhere like Lulu.com which costs virtually nothing.
    
    Then use other sites (like HubPages) and forums to promote the book.  Getting a book noticed is 10% writing and 90% marketing!

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11. 80

    earnestshubposted 14 years ago

    You are one of the richest people I know! Children are loves capital!
    I hope you can find a way to publish your writing though. Money is a huge problem with lots of mouths to feed, and I do hope you find a way forward. I wish you and your family the best.

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