OK, I've Been Here A Year - I'll Bite
Seems like a rite of passage
I don't know how many times I read hubs by writers who are commemorating the completion of an entire year on HubPages. Now that I've reached that milestone, I'm giving in to the urge to do the same. What sage advice can I offer to hubbers who are newer than me? Here's my best shot:
I found HubPages in the process of looking for a job. If that is how you came to the site, and that is your only goal, keep on looking and good luck to you. Yes, there are ways to make money here, but it is not easy, quick, or guaranteed. You can be extremely popular in the HP community and never see a dime. However, if you've already broken the code to making money on line, HubPages is probably going to be a great addition to your portfolio.
There are amazing writers and amazing people in this community. They are the true value to the site. I've learned a great deal. I've changed my mind about more than one issue because of what I've read here. And my husband will testify to this fact: that is almost unheard of. I've made some good friends which, at this point in my life when I am spending more time by myself than I ever have, has been a God Send.
I have been encouraged here, and I have been humbled here. Both experiences make me a better writer, not to mention, a better person. I've received more appreciation in the last twelve months than I have on some jobs I've spent years devoting my best efforts to. I've had some heartbreak, as we all do, from the offhanded remark I'm sure was never intended to hurt. But we put ourselves out there on this site, partially because of the cloak of anonymity, and we take our chances good or bad.
I know I am unashamedly stealing from other hubbers by giving credit where credit is due. But I can't resist copying their idea in identifying hubbers who have gone above and beyond by embracing the spirit of HubPages in its truest form. In recognizing those who have encouraged me in my inaugural year, my greatest fear is the chance I will be leaving someone out. My inclination is to simply say, "You know who you are." But I'm afraid you might not.
My first comments on my first hub, "Are You A Good Mother," came from Betsy Clark, K9keystrokes, orangecountyjill, and Ultimate Hubber. Without that feedback there surely would never have been a second hub. One hundred-plus hubs later, I still live and die with the comments my work generates. Without them I might as well be scratching limmericks on a public bathroom wall.
The hubbers who were my first followers were telling me I had something to contribute, and they were ready and willing to read whatever I had to say next. That encouragement can only be described as throwing gasoline on a fire. I am indebted to chuckandus6, parsleysage, K. Burns Darling, and literary chimp.
Fan Mail could not be a better name for the notes people leave you, especially in the early days. It makes you feel like trying. Mighty Mom, maven101, Kenneth Avery, Real Housewife, and monetteforJack put into words just what I wanted to hear when I most needed to hear it.
I've written about some of my most intimate feelings, and I am in awe of those who have so empathetically responded to them. Frog Prince, it will surprise many that you are the first one who comes to mind, but you are. Phdast7 has been a friend since back before either one of us could drive. (No, I'm not saying how many years that has been.) One of the best returns on any investment I've made in another person has been the keen critical sense accompanied by the generous sympathetic heart of this dynamic woman.
For fear of not recognizing others who have influenced me, let me just say I believe at the heart of the HubPages experience is the fact the writers here care about perfecting their craft by producing the best work they can and by helping other writers do the same. Those who don't share that intent, I believe, quickly move on.
If you had told me a brief 365 days ago that I would be read by the numbers of people who have read my work through the course of this year, I would have laughed out loud. But HubPages is no laughing matter.
It's a privilege.
Join us at HubPages by going to http://hubpages.com/_2nckpc2qm2tl7/user/new/
