To My Few and Far Between Followers

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   Maranda Writesposted 14 years ago

   Because I have been doing poorly on HubPages, I am thinking of cancelling my account and I wanted to say good-bye to the few followers that I have.  I greatly appreciate your support and kind words.
   
   I have been trying to get my writing out there and have it critiqued.  I can't seem to get that here.  I have tried various methods but to no avail. I know that it is a great place for many people but it isn't for me.  That is just life. 
   
   Anyhow, if you dont' see me on here any more, you will know why.  Thanks again.

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      EmpressFelicityposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      You've had comments on your hubs, so it's not as if people are ignoring you altogether.
      
      If I were you, I wouldn't make "getting followers" your goal.  Really, if you want a large audience for your writing, you need to think about attracting search engine traffic rather than just other HP members.
      
      Sorry if this sounds a bit sharp but we get a steady stream of people who do what you've done in this thread, and to me it just comes off as self pitying.  If you believe that you've got something worthwhile to say, just get on with writing.

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         IntimatEvolutionposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         I would not apologize for being sharp.  It is the truth.  They need to read a bit of sharp criticism.  You've given them great advice. 
         
         Empress, I'm with you on this one.  Trying to gain a large fan base, is a very poor business strategy. New hubbers should be worrying about keywords, tagging, url backlinks, good titles, well edited hubs, the idea bank, the hubpages blog, hubpages twitter help, hubpages contest and so on and so forth.

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         Jayne Lancerposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         Yes, I also agree. After all, that is the point of being with HubPages first and foremost.

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      IntimatEvolutionposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Instead of quiting, contact Darkside or many of the our top fellow hubbers to give you good, constructive criticism and advice.  You don't want someone to blow fluff up your butt, that is what I'm saying.  Try getting some sound advice, and use the tools hubpages.com offers you as a hubber to your full advantage.  There are plenty of hubs here about getting more traffic, building a bigger fan base, making money here and all sorts of good stuff.
      
      Quiting should not have been an option.  Posting something like that, might be a cheap way to gain a few followers here on hubpages, but it won't bring you in the traffic- you need- to make the kind of hubber cash you'd like. 
      
      Do some research for yourself, and ask for help. 
      
      For example look at Cagsil advice {and everyone else's advice so far} and do something about all that.  You can't expect things to go your way, just because you opened an account.  Nothing is that easy in life.

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      frogdroppingposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      
      
      Miranda - based on the sentence above, anyone reading your post would assume that you hadn't actually cancelled. You did say you were thinking.
      
      That leaves room for hubbers to come along and try and offer help and advice. And I'm right in pointing out that you jump on those you feel were harsh. What about the helpful advice - you'be been offered a fair bit
      
      Don't get so het up. No one here is out to knock you, only help you find reasons to stay. And Cags really is a sweetie. And if anyone misunderstood, well, bad hubbers you

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   Cagsilposted 14 years ago

   Well, I'm sorry to see you go. However, can I point out a couple of things to you....
   
   (a) you've made less than 20 posts to the forum.
   (b) you have very 8 hubs published in 3 months.
   (c) you haven't made any posts to the Extreme Hub Makeover forum thread, considering you have such few posts, which would allow you to get your hubs critiqued by the community of posters(hubbers)
   (d) you only have yourself to blame and not HubPages for your failure, because it is apparently obvious that you've not given enough time or effort to help yourself during this process of writing on HubPages.
   
   I can understand with all that I know about you, just from your post and my knowledge of HubPages, is that you seem to be wanting something more out of HubPages and are disappointed.
   
   However, as I outlined above, is the reasons for which you are disappointed, even if you don't know or see it.
   
   Yes, I'm strange and talk weird, but should you hang around long enough to learn more about me, and me about you, how can we ever find common ground.
   
   I hope that you reconsider leaving HubPages, for whatever reasons. It can be really great, if you put the effort into it.
   
   That's just my thoughts.

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   Jayne Lancerposted 14 years ago

   Hello Miranda! I've just taken a look at your profile, and I think you write on some very interesting subjects.
   Perhaps you only need to participate a little more in the HubPages community.
   As for critiques; why don't you join a writing workshop. I know of a very good one, where you can submit fiction, non-foction, novels in progress, screen plays, poetry and more. There you will certainly get critiques. Then you can bring what you learn to HubPages. Why not try?
   Whatever you do, it would be a shame to just give up. And you've nothing to lose by staying.

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   Hauntyposted 14 years ago

   As IE said, Darkside has offered to review people's hubs in this topic:
   http://hubpages.com/forum/topic/39994

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   Flightkeeperposted 14 years ago

   Maranda, what does doing poorly in hubpages mean to you?  You have been with hubpages three months and have only written 8 hubs.  You need to write more so that you have a body of work. Don't worry so much about what other people think about it.  If you like to write, write more.  As you write more hubs, you will learn to write better.  If driving traffic to your work is something that is a challenge for you, then you need to check out other hubs to find out how to do that.
   
   I think you have to decide what you want to do then see how hubpages can best serve that goal.

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   IntimatEvolutionposted 14 years ago

   You all do notice that they seem to have abandoned their own thread.  I think Empress was right after all.  They never wanted our help, they just wanted more fans. 
   
   Well....., I didn't bite.

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      Maranda Writesposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      NO, I didn't abandon my own thread.  AND, no I did not post this to get more followers.  The ONLY reason that I posted was to let my followers know that I was leaving without having to send each one a message.  That is why in my thread it is addressed to my followers. 
      
      While I do appreciate all of your rather abrupt criticism, I did not ask for it.  Not for this anyhow.  And, yes, maybe I was feeling a little self pity.  That is my perogative but I REPEAT, I did not put this out there to get more followers.  That is just ridiculous; especially since I am cancelling my account.  Why would I need more followers? 
      I apparently chose the wrong method to address my followers and didn't mean to cause a rucous or any stranger's pity.  I don't need that.  I can do that all by myself. 
      Why are you so quick to judge; was the thread addressed to you????  I don't think so.  I don't even know you.  I didn't criticize HubPages.  If you notice I did say that it was great for most people but I AM NOT MOST PEOPLE. 
      The only reason that I have not cancelled my account yet is because I was hoping to hear from MY followers.  Again, thanks for your input.  I will take it all, however brazen, into consideration when doing any sort of "HubPages" in the future.

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         Rafiniposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         Oh my!  No need to get so defensive, everyone has a personality you know.
         
         I would suggest, if you are looking for a critique, to post your hubs in the Extreme Hub Makeover forum and ask for it.  People may not respond immediately, as it takes time to find your post (when they are busy doing their own thing) read your hub, find something about it to say, and Then post a reply in the forum.  If you decide to stay, that is.  I checked one of your hubs, you write well. 
         
         All It takes is time...I have been here 2 months, have 23 hubs, 69 followers and participate in the forums almost daily - but there are some who have been here the same amount of time who have Twice the numbers as I do.  I'm not complaining, I know what I want out of HubPages and I think I'm getting it.

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   starme77posted 14 years ago

   Don't give up , gee when life hands you lemons , make a ton of lemonade - just dont forget the sugar

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   myownworldposted 14 years ago

   I know you've got plenty of advice already, but can I suggest just leaving your hubs and account as it is while trying out other avenues? Sometimes, it just takes time for your hubs to be 'discovered' and this way you have nothing to lose. Whatever you decide to do is of course ultimately up to you, but best of luck with everything... Nice to meet you btw. 
   
   Also, I had a quick look at your hubs; you write well. Do let me know if you're looking for some suggestions to improve. Take care..

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      starme77posted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Nice advice  - makes all kinds of sense - hope she takes it

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   Lisa HWposted 14 years ago

   Miranda (and anyone else feeling discouraged and reading here), it doesn't look to me as if you're doing all that poorly.  It does take awhile to "grow" here (with regard to scores, earnings, etc.).  People commenting usually comment on whatever your Hub is about, or your ideas.  Most wouldn't presume to critique the actual writing in the Hub.
   
   Critiquing can be found in the "extreme Hub make-over" section.  Things didn't look all that promising to me in my first few months (particularly earnings-wise), but it's been more than worth it to me to hang in. Doing well on here requires knowing what has to be done and doing all those these.  Today I'm very close to my goal of earning at least a spare $500 each month (I think I'm a month or so away); and I've had my occasional 100 HubScore - but just this morning I signed up in the hopes of getting some help with SEO areas, in which I've been horribly weak.  My 400-plus a month is the result of doing nothing but hitting the right kind of subjects on some Hubs and/or having even the wrong kind of Hubs liked by readers, for some reason.  I know 2 years is a long time, but I've been earning fairly well for all but the first eight months, and it's only spare-time writing.
   
   It's obviously up to each person whether he bothers to hang in, or whether he has time to "dabble" in spare-time writing without earning more than a few hundred dollars a month (but my low - in the scheme of life and work - earnings are because I haven't done anything to increase them).  In the meantime, I've gotten to write and hang out online with other Hubbers in a friendly community.  (I didn't even really participate in anything but reading the occasional other person's Hub for the whole first year.) 
   
   It's not my business who stays or leaves, but a lot of people (like me) have discovered they're glad to have hung in; and hate to think that someone who hasn't been here too long packs it in without at least leaving Hubs up.  (People have been known to stop writing Hubs, leave up what they have, and discover months later they've earned a little something.)
   
   What anyone on here gets from being a member is definitely a matter of what he decides to make it, or work toward making it; but there's tons of help and support for anyone who asks (either about what he's doing wrong, as it applies to his own aims; or about how to fix doing what he knows he's doing wrong).
   
   I never occurred to me stop writing on here because all I cared about at the time was using spare time to write what I felt like writing (which anyone can do).  Now, though, I'm very glad I didn't quit; and I'm in the process of my own "Phase II" in increasing the earnings.  Earnings or no earnings, I've enjoyed just writing when I'm in the mood.  People don't need a certain score or number of followers to do that. 
   
   Just thought I'd share "what I know now and didn't know then" because I'm glad I didn't quit when I didn't know then what I now do.     A lot of longer-term Hubbers are glad they didn't quit too soon.  You can always do other stuff for making "real" money faster; but why not leave what you have posted, at least, and take it from there.  A lot of people expect too much too soon without knowing really know how to get from there to here out of inexperience with this particular site.  (In my first three months I think I'd earned about $20, if that; and had a HubScore in the 70's if I recall correctly.)  Anyway, end of "pep talk" to you or anyone else feeling discouraged.  I just hate to see people leaving so soon if I think they may just be suffering from that all-too-common, "New-ish Hubber Syndrome".   

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    Maranda Writesposted 14 years ago

    Thank you for all of your advice.  I appreciate it.  I may leave my hubs up while I search other avenues or try to learn more about some of the things you mentioned.
    I didn't mean to get so defensive but I tend to do that when I am accused of doing something that I didn't do.  I honestly did not post this forum to get followers.  I didn't post it to get advice but I am glad that you guys gave it to me. 
    I am a perfectionist and when things don't go perfectly (which I know nothing ever does), I throw in the towel.  SO, you can presume that I throw the towel in quite a bit.  Just something I need to work on.
    Thank you all again for the great advice.  I will take it all into consideration. 
    Side note: The funny thing is, I don't recall any messages from my original followers for whom the forum was intended.

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       Rafiniposted 14 years agoin reply to this

        
       Don't give up, you write well.  I am also a perfectionist, but for me, I refuse to give up until I get it right.

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       Hauntyposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       A lot of hubbers don't frequent these forums. They might not have seen your message at all.
       
       As for perfection, "Nothing that is complete breathes."

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