Interview with becauseilive

1. Tell us a little about yourself. My name is Jaclyn, I am 25 years old and live with my girlfriend of 3 years, Danielle, in New Jersey (where I was born and raised). I had a vicious case of wanderlust during my late teens/early twenties, which resulted in me living in three different sections of Philadelphia, three different cities in Jersey, Florida, Staten Island and Salt Lake City, Utah all over the course of five years! I am very much a homebody who enjoys reading, scrapbooking, taking pictures, watching movies and spending time with my family.
2. What brought you to HubPages? I was initially attracted to the layouts of the individual hubs, particularly the way you could align pictures next to text. Although most of the hubs contained links to affiliates sites and Google ads, it was done tastefully and with an emphasis on the actual written content that dominated each page. I found the capsule system to be very easy on the eyes and, once I signed up, I discovered it was easy to use as well.
3. What do you like Hubbing on, with respect to topics? My favorite topics to hub about are ghost hunting and tattoos. I'm obsessed with the beauty of body modification, and I've been ghost hunting on a regular basis with my mother (Kathleen3366) for the past 5 years. The paranormal fascinates me because it surrounds all of us at any given moment and yet we are totally blind to it. I love proving, if only to myself, that something exists beyond what we can see.
4. What has been your best Hub so far (in your opinion)? Why? Hands down my best hub ever was Really Bad Quality Tattoos. Since it's publication in June 2007, it has received over 92,000 hits thanks to getting picked up by Stumble Upon in early August. Believe it or not, a little controversy is a great way to spark interest in a hub. Some people disagreed with what I considered "really bad quality" and once a debate got started in the comments section, the growth was exponential. Coming in at a close second with not as many hits, but which has been continuously successful over time, is Tattoo Ideas: Words and Phrases.
5. What is your favorite Hub by another Hubber? I would have to say George Bush is the Worst President in American History by JamesRay, not only because I wholeheartedly agree, but because the hub is incredibly well written and informative. There are so many others though, like Isabella Snow's Sylvia Browne is a Fraud and Robin's Why is my Newborn Baby Crying?
6. What is one nice thing about HubPages (the site) that many might not know? A feature I've always enjoyed is the Requests section, but I want to make sure hubbers notice the "Recommended for You" link that's off to the right. If you don't have time to browse through the entire idea bank, clicking this link will show only those requests that align with your interests.
7. Name one thing you learned about from another Hubber's Hub that you didn't know about before. I am a huge fan of Maddie Ruud's eating disorder hubs, particularly the Top 10 Worst Things to Say to Someone with an Eating Disorder because it is comprehensive as well as useful. I have had several friends who suffered from eating disorders, and until I read Maddie's hub I was unsure if the encouragement I was giving was being received the way it was intended.
8. What kind of Hubber do you typically join the Fan Club of? I am most inclined to join the fan clubs of authors whose hubs are well written, concise, entertaining and include pictures or videos where appropriate. The first fan club I joined was Isabella Snow's. Her top 5 and top 10 lists (like the 10 Things Women Shouldn't Worry About in Bed) and neverending supply of fashion and beauty tips keep me constantly coming back.
9. If you could impart one piece of advice to a new Hubber, what would that be? Take advantage of the many capsules you can add to your hubs. A well written article with evergreen content is great, but many visitors are put off when confronted with a huge block of text. Use pictures, videos and links to Amazon/eBay products to catch the eye of passersby and draw them in further. Also, if you're interested in adding links to affiliate sites, I've found that readers are much more likely to click the link if it's placed near a picture.
10. Tell us something that we'd never guess about you—surprise us! I have a passion for acting that is unquenchable. I've been in dozens of plays (in school, at community theaters, and even off-off-Broadway) since I was eight years old, and although I haven't set foot on a stage since college, I'd give anything to be able to get back into the limelight.