Write it Now! Get Over the Fear of Publishing Your Writing

How do you get over the fear to write that first hub article? I’m not sure that you totally do, but, at some point, you just finally decide that it’s time. I heard about HubPages six months ago and was immediately interested. I have varied interests and like writing about many different topics. The venue to express myself in writing, along with the possibility for residual income, appealed to me. Yet I continually found a reason to put it off.

What are some of the reasons to stall?

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I researched HubPages off and on for months. I read through the articles in the Learning Center. I read other hubbers’ articles, including their hubs about writing hubs. These hubs were the most helpful, as they were from actual hubbers, many of whom had the same hesitancy as I did to write that first hub.

Eventually, I started a notebook to jot down ideas for hubs. Several became what could be full-length hubs. Still, I stalled. I would let the idea of hubbing go for a while and then would start again reading and researching hubs.

Choosing a hub name—this really is a big deal, as this is something that can’t be changed once chosen. Do I use my real name? Do I make up something totally random? Do I use a pen name that somehow reflects my own name? This truly is a significant decision. I finally decided on a variation of my real name. It gives me some anonymity, but contains part of my real name and works as a good pen name.

Hmmm....my location? Do I put my hometown, the state, or just a general region in the country where I’m from? How anonymous do I want to be? I finally decided on the state. I waffled on that decision, too, before deciding that it wasn’t big enough of a deal to me to spend more time on.

What should be my first topic? Although I had started writing several potential articles for hubs, actually picking that first topic was daunting. What if it’s the only hub I write for a while? And what if people label me because of that first topic—my ONLY topic! Do keep in mind that you CAN go back and revise your published hubs--something I will probably do with this one as I learn more.

Trying to know everything there is to know about hubs before writing one—Experienced hubbers will tell you that you can’t do this. There’s too much information to absorb all at once, and trying to learn it all gives you an excuse to put off writing. It did for me.

I did finally decide on a name that I am pleased with. Then I decided on a location, not spending as much time on that. And, here, you have seen my decision as to a first topic: writing about hubs! This topic choice took the pressure off as to what my first topic would be about. I will explore other topics next, now that the hesitancy to publish the first hub is behind me.

But, for now, I can breathe a sigh of relief. I have a name, a location, and a first hub. You can do it, too. Do some research, if you’d like, to make yourself more comfortable. Read others’ hub pages and go to the learning center and questions sections. We’ll learn as we go. At some point, you’ve just got to decide to be brave and jump in. It’s scary, but I’m in now. Join me!