Know who Suraj Sharma is? You will when Ang Lee's Life of Pi comes out. By then, it will be too late to publish a high-ranking Hub. Start publishing now!

People searching for people

Write biographical Hubs on lesser-known people and enjoy long-term traffic

One thing that strikes me when I look through Google Trends is the consistent preponderance of people’s names. It makes sense. A story will break, a movie will get announced, or the gossip columns will talk about the new boy-/girlfriend of a celebrity, and people will scramble to find more information about them. If the person is well-known, then typically Wikipedia, IMDB, or fan sites will give interested searchers plenty to read.

But what about the lesser-known or not-quite-up-and-coming-yet people? I’d say they are good candidates for well-researched Hubs. They’d fill a vacuum before other sites would, ready to receive traffic when people start searching.

Here are the cues I’d look for:

• Links in Wikipedia to a name in red (meaning there is no Wikipedia entry on that person)
• Almost empty/nonexistent IMDB profiles
• Nonexistent or very out-of-date fan sites
• Information that is spread far and wide, meaning you will have to collate bits and pieces of information from many sources
• An unheard-of actor/actress leading in a big-budget movie slated for release 6 months or further down the road (you can check sites like comingsoon.net or Rotten Tomatoes)

Publishing Hubs on people that haven’t quite gotten buzz yet doesn’t require a crystal ball, but it does require a little sleuthing and a bit of a gamble (maybe the film they’re set to appear in will be a flop?). But there should be plenty of traffic to be enjoyed by those who do a great job researching and writing. And don’t forget to title your Hub effectively!

CORRECTION: In last week’s newsletter, I misidentified the author of The Scent of Evil as Website Examiner. Website Examiner was, in fact, the narrator of the podcast; the author is WillStarr. My apologies!

Jason Menayan
Director of Marketing

Happyboomernurse, From Delaware, 213 Fans, 27 Hubs, Joined 7 months ago

Danette Watt interviews Happyboomernurse

A retired nurse continues helping others through informative health Hubs

1. How did you find out about HubPages and what made you decide to join?
   
   I found HubPages while doing a Google search for freelance writing opportunities. I spent a few days reading the tutorial and Hubs and liked the concept of revenue sharing, ease of creating a profile page and the fact that I could instantly publish individual articles as Hubs while maintaining ownership of what I wrote.
    
2. Your profile states you are a retired nurse. How long did you work as a nurse and how does your nursing background inform your writing on HubPages?
   
   I spent 36 years in the nursing profession and retired at the beginning of 2010. HubPages has been a natural bridge into retirement and a way to educate members of the community about specific diseases in an entertaining, yet informative way. When I write a health Hub, I try to find a unique angle that’s based on my experiences as a nurse. For example, Kids Are the Best Medicine for Alzheimer’s Patients encourages families to actively include children in the life of an Alzheimer’s patient because I saw how my patients lit up when children visited them. There was a special bond of healing love that benefited both generations and, especially for patients who were in the early stages of Alzheimer’s, meaningful interaction was still possible by helping them engage in such activities as sing-a-longs or the sharing of hobbies.
   
   My health Hubs always include links to additional resources and information about the disease. The internet has a plethora of information but patients and their families don’t always know where to find good, reliable information. I feel I’m providing a public health service by leading them to quality websites and reputable charitable organizations.
   
   
3. You are a Health Educator and Medical Writer expert on selfgrowth.com. How is writing for that venue different than writing for HubPages?
   
   I joined both sites during the same week. Initially, I viewed the selfgrowth.com website as a venue for professional articles geared toward nurses as that site has many professional entrepreneurs who write articles and books in their field of expertise. My intent was to promote a continuing education course that I had just written for nurses, titled, “Child Abuse & Ethics: Working Through Dilemmas in Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse.” I also planned to write future continuing education articles for nurses but found that I loved writing general health articles on HubPages more and I can create links to my HubPages articles from selfgrowth.com. The HubPages community is much more interactive and it feels like I’m among fellow writers and friends here.
    
4. What have you discovered about yourself as a writer since joining HubPages 7 months ago? 
   
   That I love getting feedback. There is great satisfaction in knowing that something I’ve written has touched someone’s heart and I feel honored when readers open up about their own experiences adding depth and insight to my Hub through their thoughtful comments. I’ve discovered that personal stories are more powerful than I previously realized, and that they inspire others in ways you might not expect or they’re read by someone at just the right time to bring much needed hope when they’re in the depths of pain and grief. 
    
5. What have you learned about putting a Hub together since writing your first one? By that I mean “packaging” your Hubs with images or videos, polls, choosing a title and so on. Do you work at hitting all the marks with the right keywords, back links and so on in order to increase your earnings on HubPages? Or do you just “go with the flow?”
   
   I’m definitely a “go with the flow” writer. I don’t pay as much attention as I should to choosing the right keywords in the body of the article, or creating back links, but I find using capsules easy and believe that videos, maps, polls, etc. are what makes HubPages articles unique. I generally spend a lot of time searching for videos that will enhance the reader’s experience by adding mood music or expert interviews related to the topic. One of my future goals is to use my own photos, especially in my memoir and travel Hubs, but first I have to get my personal photo stock into digital format and also learn how to directly transfer photos from my digital camera onto my computer. 
    
6. Do you have favorite topics or themes you return to when you write your short stories? Have any been published and if so where can we find them? 
   
   I love writing inspirational fiction that incorporates nature and a strong sense of place. Overcoming loss or coming to terms with one’s own demise is a common theme. Readers can see an example of this in my Hub, Horseshoe Crabs Mating in the Moonlight Know the Secret of Survival: A Fictional Tale Based on Crab Facts.  It was originally published in the Delmarva Quarterly. I’ve written other short stories but they’ve never been published. I need to review some of my fiction and see if I can adapt them to a HubPages format. That is another future goal and project.
    
7. You have a real knack for telling a story. Two of my favorite Hubs are Exposed Family Secrets Can Cause Dramatic Changes in Our Lives and How My Swimming Pool Party Became a Civil Rights Lesson. Do you have a favorite Hub? And if so, why that particular one?
   
   I smiled when I read this question because you chose my two favorites and they were also the Hubs I found hardest to share with readers. The former is about the interfaith marriage of my pregnant teenage sister and how that triggered my grandfather’s deathbed confession that he was Jewish. The latter is about my first experiences with racial prejudice during the turbulent ‘60s. I know that there’s still a lot of religious and racial prejudice in the world and feared that would show up in the comments. To my great surprise, readers of all faiths, races and ages responded with compassion and freely shared some of their own experiences. What touched me most were the young readers who said they appreciated a first-hand account of what it was like growing up during the civil rights era.
    
8. Have you participated in any contests or Hub challenges? Why or why not?
   
   Haven’t participated in either but I admire those who take the 30 day Hub challenge and when someone I follow takes it I can see how the challenge helps them grow as writers. I may take a challenge in the future but for right now I’m enjoying the lack of deadlines that retirement brings. I like writing when inspiration strikes. Now that HubMob is being replaced by a Weekly Topic Inspiration format it will be interesting to see if I’m inspired to write more often.
    
9. Do you have any advice for fellow Hubbers or final comments you’d like to add?
   
   Follow Hubbers whose work you truly admire and you will find that it helps stimulate and improve your own writing. Also follow topics that you are passionate about and read what others have written on those topics. One of the most rewarding things about HubPages is the ability to interact with fellow Hubbers. Leave thoughtful, honest comments that contribute to the content of a Hub and always acknowledge the comments of others. 

This Week's HubNuggets

Fiction—and Chinese food—aficionados had a lot to like in this week’s installment of HubNuggets. RedElf’s captivating story, um, “married” noodles and bridal gowns (for young brides-to-be that might be the last time they eat until wedding day!) and introduced 18 steaming-hot, delectable HubNuggets (in the story prepared by Simone and Maddie, but in reality selected by RedElf with help from Patty Inglish, MS, ladyjane1, KoffeeKlatch Gals, Enelle Lamb, Zsuzsy Bee, and ripplemaker). I’m sure you’ll agree that the recipe requires skill, attention, and tender loving care.

This week’s topics were: Autos; Games, Toys, and Hobbies; and, Entertainment and Media. If you voted, then you’ll know that these HubNuggets really didn’t need any extra hoisin sauce; they were great just on their own. The winners—selected by voters—are listed below.

Jason

Need a cheap green car?

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Ferrari Taste On A Kia Budget: Some Fun Used Cars You May Have Overlooked

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The Other Detroit

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Game Design Workshop: The Mummy's Tomb

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Super Nintendo Best Memories

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Android Games | Guerilla Bob

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Enter The Asylum: A Descent into B-Movie Hell!

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Is Technology Going To Kill Us? Paging Mr. Schwarzenegger!

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Facebook Myths Exposed

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