Are There Any Squidoo Writers Out There Who Want Some Help?

I’m all about spreading the love.

No, nothing like that! This isn’t the House of the Rising Sun, so relax. I’m talking about spreading good vibrations along with the Wilson Brothers under sunny skies in California. I’m talking about sending out some warm and fuzzies to my fellow writers, and plastering a big old smile on their faces.

Would you like to join me?

What prompted this outpouring of love?

I belong to a writer’s site called HubPages. Some of you might have heard of it. Well, recently we picked up the refugees from the Squidoo Boatlift and gave them an online home. After all, we had a lot of room at HP. A lot of our writers had left for greener pastures, so we had some great view lots just waiting for qualified buyers/renters.

Now, since I’m the Official Greeter (picture walking into WalMart), I consider it my job to welcome the Squidoo writers to our little neighborhood. I’m the Good Humor Man, the Mr. Feel Good of HubPages, and I would like to say to all of you Squids (or whatever you call yourselves) that most of us are happy that you are here.

Most of us?

Well, it’s true, there were some Hubbers who got a bit nasty on the forums, denouncing the merger and not being particularly loving with regards to the new writers, but try to ignore them. They didn’t get their Ritalin this morning and they can be a bit testy.

Mostly you will find a very gracious bunch of writers here, and I think you’ll like it. In time, you’ll come to find that the HubPages staff is just here to write new guidelines and not really help you with your questions, but never fear….there are quite a few of us Hubbers who are more than willing to lend a hand.

And that’s what this article is all about!

“Communication leads to community, that is, to understanding, intimacy and mutual valuing.”

Rollo May

I’m dead serious. How can I help you?

Let me tell you a story.

I joined HP in January, 2012. I’m coming up on three years, and that fact is a miracle considering I didn’t want to join and, in fact, almost quit one week into my Hub experience.

It was too confusing. It was too frightening. How would I ever make friends? Would they accept me? Was I good enough to rub shoulders with “real writers?”

And then my prayers were answered. Veteran writers reached out to me, gave me support, said kind words to me, encouraged me…and almost three years later I sit here, the winner of five Hubbie Awards, with over 2,000 followers, and I love it.

And I want you to love it too!

So, again, how can I help you?

Take advantage of me now. My personal email address is holland1145@yahoo.com. Send me an email with your question. Send me an email with your request. Let me know how I can help you. I’m not afraid of stalkers. Heck, I’d welcome them, but more importantly, I welcome all of you Squids to reach out and accept my offer to help.

Why am I doing this?

I already told you. Weren’t you paying attention?

I was helped when I needed it. Now I’m paying it forward.

So use me!

Would you like to do a guest post on my blog at www.williamdhollandauthor.com? Just let me know.

Would you like me to share your work on Facebook? Just let me know.

Do you have questions about HP and how it works? Just ask me.

No tricks. No hidden costs. No early or late fees. Just one writer helping another writer.

“Without community service, we would not have a strong quality of life. It's important to the person who serves as well as the recipient. It's the way in which we ourselves grow and develop.”

Dorothy Height

I’m not only offering my help to all of you, but I’m calling on my friends at HP to do the same thing. I’m calling on my 2,000 followers to reach out and welcome our new members. Write a meaningful and supportive comment on a new Hubbers article. Share their work on social media. Get to know them and support them as they learn their way around this new site.

Imagine, if you will, 2,000 Hubbers reaching out to 2,000 new HP writers. It would be an avalanche of love spreading its way around the globe.

Don’t tell me you are too busy. You are no busier than I am, so please, no cheap excuses. Choose one of the new Squidoo refugees and befriend them. Start following them. Support them on a regular basis. Spread the love!

Why, you say? Seriously? You are asking me why?

Because it makes our site of HubPages stronger, that’s why!

Because it encourages fellow writers to carry on and improve their craft, that’s why!

Because writing is a lonely gig, and you know it from personal experience, that’s why!

Because I asked you to, that’s why!

That’s what we are at HubPages…a community. Oh, sure, there are some writers here who care little about community and friendship, but they are few in number. Most of us enjoy it here. We love the interaction with other writers from different states and countries. Most of us love learning new things about different cultures, and we love the feeling that we are not alone, that there is a group of people out there who understand our struggles and who support us.

So do what community members do….support your community!

Get off your arses and reach out to someone.

Spread the love!

Here are a few new members from Squidoo for you to start with. I’m sure they would appreciate a kind word of welcoming:

• Justholidays
• Wednesday-elf
• ecogranny
• colettateske
• kateloving

There you go. There are five new members of HP who could use a little love tossed their way. Go visit one of them, or all of them, and spread a little HP goodwill their way. I know they will appreciate it.

“We cannot seek achievement for ourselves and forget about progress and prosperity for our community... Our ambitions must be broad enough to include the aspirations and needs of others, for their sakes and for our own.”

Cesar Chavez

I’m asking you if you want help; I’m offering that help; and I’m enlisting the aid of my Hub friends.

What more can I do?

We are all in this together, folks. Writers need to stick together. Our spouses don’t really understand what it is like to stick our necks on the online chopping block daily and look for approval and acceptance. Only another writer can understand that. We need each other, and it is high time we start acting like it.

You are not my competition. You are my peers. We are a community united by a common goal: to be the best writers we can possible be.

It’s high time we start acting like it.

2014 William D. Holland (aka billybuc)

“Helping writers to spread their wings and fly.”