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Hubs Lacking Written Content

Updated on October 31, 2010

writers are made rather than born

"Words are everywhere...pluck 'em from the air!" cartoonstock.com
"Words are everywhere...pluck 'em from the air!" cartoonstock.com

Hubpages, "Where's the Beef?

That’s right, hub articles that are…articles. Call me old fashioned, but I want to see some substantial text when I open a hub to learn something.

But it seems more and more articles are being buried in advertisements, not only Adsence, but long lists of Amazon and Ebay products, among others I can’t remember. Then the articles are peppered with videos and links and photos appearing all over the place. The poor eye, desperately looking for the “beef;” meaty paragraphs containing compound sentences and continuity from the opening paragraph to the summation, twitches in dismay.

I don’t mean hubbers should write a book, or even a short story; at best, we can only whet a reader‘s appetite about many of the complex subjects we tackle. We all know reader’s attention span is limited, especially when they are surfing the web for information they need, rather than reading for entertainment. But I am sure of one thing, in the way that commercial TV can be offensive to viewers, calling for regular use of the “mute” button, when a reader is deluged with so much “anomalous propagation” on a hub article that he thinks he’s happened onto an open tin of stale spam, he loses interest in the article. Or if he feels that he needs to hang on to his wallet as he tries to find substance, navigating around a whole labyrinth of ads he can click, he will soon cancel you out of his busy life for good - it‘s too easy.

I honestly don’t do this to make money, much as I wish it was easy to do so, I’m certainly not rich on a state pension. And part of today’s criticism is because I am a little baffled by all the enhancements that are available today to download and decorate articles, so I limit myself to Adsence. But as a journalist for 20 years and having published a few books, I do have the rudiments of how to produce a literate and readable article: one that entertains and informs within its limits and, as I said earlier, one that contains a small story that might stimulate the reader’s appetite for a more in-depth study of the subject. (And have him so happy with your magisterial effort, he clicks on a few ads as well).

There are so many really amazing writers on Hubpages. And only a few, really, that I think would be better doing something else altogether, but the latter seem to be on the increase and it's getting harder to seperate the wheat from the chaff, as it were..

In broad terms, I think a hub article - in most cases - should consist of about 800 to 1200 words, divided into several paragraphs. Some subjects will require more words - such as first person stories, for example, and some less - perhaps those with substantial photo or art work. But as a rough guide, 800 to 1200 seems about right.

There are many writers who do a good, workmanlike job, even though they are not “gifted,” and born with that certain élan that all great writers have. One facet of approaching this happy state is to be able to write - and write; revise - and revise. How many hubbers fully revise their articles several times, and I don’t just mean with the pc spell and grammar check? And how many will read a hub, realise it is just not right, ditch the thing and start over? And how many return to their articles, days, weeks or months later to update, add, subtract and polish? Top writers on Hubpages do all this and more- constantly.

Finally, you young - or beginning - aspirants towards some skill with the quill, sadly have a huge disadvantage in today’s world. Much of your communication and learning is acheived electronically, with the computer, texting, and the 200-channel television. Mine was done before any of this was widely available - with good books, and I read four of them per week and have continued to do so all my life.

To write better you will have to read books, not just rely on the internet, although, if you have the time to look around Hubpages and other like sites, you will get an idea of what the more popular writers are doing (and I don’t just mean chicks with a sexy profile picture, publishing hubs full of skimpily dressed other sexy chicks, nice as they are for a few minutes diversion). In regard to that, I think Hubpages might think about NOT allowing profile pictures of the writer; then the work would really stand for itself!  Of course, with my homely fizz,  I would say that, wouldn't I!?

Look at the hubbers who have been publishing for a while and have a few hundred articles on the board with a score in the high nineties and quite a few followers. See what they are doing and see how they write. What is it that attracts people to their site? You need to do something similar.

Also, help stop the government closing libraries by using yours' regularly, along with the charity book shops like Oxfam, to get book to read and source material for your articles. We can’t copy everything from Wikipedia, drat it!

I suppose it's stating the obvious to say the above is my opinion only and may not be worth a lot. I would appreciate any comments, perhaps pointing out something I am missing about the whole article experience on Hubpages and how I might better myself.

Good luck Bob as Diogenes.

working

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