Why I Consider HubPages Worthwhile

If you belong to HubPages then you have heard your share of complaining.

“We don’t get paid enough.”

“The staff isn’t responsive to our needs.”

“I can make more money somewhere else.”

“HubPages is a ripoff!”

“The HP editing team is unreasonable.”

And on and on it goes. There is some validity in most of the complaints. I’ve been listening to them for two years now, and I have definitely seen some things at HP that need changing. By and large the writers doing the complaining are good people who have serious concerns and feel frustrated, and I understand that…..but…..

None of that stuff bothers me.

Sure it would be nice to make a little bit more money, and sure it would be nice if the HP staff were a little more responsive or caring, but they aren’t and it’s their business and that’s just the way it goes.

Notice, please, that I am still here after 700+ articles and two years of writing my figurative butt off, and I am quite satisfied, and my satisfaction has nothing to do with the monthly payouts or the warms and fuzzies I receive from the HP staff, and it has everything to do with accomplishing a goal I set early on for myself.

It really is all about perspective, isn’t it?

This falls under the category of “putting the cart before the horse.”

Making money is the last thing that happens in writing after a number of other steps have been taken. It seems obvious when you read those words, but if it is so obvious then what is all the complaining about?

If you are going to make money as a writer then yes, you have to write. In fact, it is best if you know how to write well, but it is not essential. You also have to establish a writing platform. You need a body of work. You need to network within the writing community and make contacts. You need to advertise your work and you need to constantly promote it. While you are at it you need to find jobs, query editors and publishers, most likely start a blog, set up a website…and the list goes on and on and on.

Then, and only then, will you begin to see some of that money we spoke about earlier.

Having said all that, a site like HubPages serves as part of my platform. If I make money on HP, and I do, then it is a bonus, because I did not sign up at HP to make money. I simply wanted a site that would allow me to post to the internet, and I also wanted a site that would allow me to interact with other writers.

The fact that HP pays me anything at all is a bonus for me.

My articles are sent out into cyber world by HP, and seen by hundreds of thousands, and as that happens my name becomes more established in the writing community, and it is all a bonus for this writer and a part of my overall plan.

Probably 70% of the articles that I write will find themselves, eventually, in an ebook. I already have four ebooks comprised of HP articles and more are in the planning stage. In other words, HP is just a staging area for articles that will eventually become books. Again, the fact that I get paid while staging my articles is a bonus.

I don’t know how many followers I have on HubPages. I think I’m approaching two thousand, and that is, indeed, a gratifying number. However, what is more gratifying is the number of friends I have made on HP….true, honest-to-God, caring friends.

Somehow, as the days became weeks became months, many in my online community actually became people I really cared about. I know the names of their family members, and I have shared in their triumphs and yes, mourned with them when tragedy struck. I have even cried tears for them.

What is the value of that gift?

HubPages provided the forum….the community….and once I decided to become an active member of that community, a whole new world opened up for me. My online friends care about me. They support me. They share in my joy and give me a shoulder to lean on when I desperately need one.

Again, what is the value of that gift?

I am in the final stages of writing my second novel, “Resurrecting Tobias.” Through HubPages I found an editor. Through HubPages I found someone to do my book cover for me. Through HubPages I found eight people who were willing to read 128,000 words and offer suggestions….for free!

I did not have to surf the Web in search of strangers to do these things for me. I was able to reach out to friends and ask for help, and help was gladly given from people who I trust.

What is the value of that gift?

And did I mention that while all of this is going on that I’m getting paid?

I’ve heard that before, about me and from other people about themselves.

Really? What I’m worth?

The last time I checked I was not on the New York Time Bestseller List. The last time I checked my calls, Oprah was not asking me for an interview. In this huge world of writing, I am a virtual unknown. So what am I worth?

I was raised by parents who believed a man has to pay his dues. He learned a craft, he practiced that craft, he became better at that craft, and then, and only then, will he see good pay for his efforts.

I am a virtual novice in the world of writing. I have only been writing for three years. Three years!!!! I am an apprentice, and thankfully my ego is not so swollen as to make me believe I am worth much more than I am currently making from my writings.

I have to pay my dues. All writers should have to as well.

I really do understand. These are tough times economically. People need money, and they see writing as a way to make some passive income online….and when that income does not flow in as quickly as they imagined, they are disappointed and disillusioned and at time, a bit bitter.

To those people, I have four words of advice: see the whole board!

A mentor of mine once tried to teach me how to play chess. Oh, I understood the basics of the game, and how to move the pieces, but he wanted to teach me how to really play the game. One day, after weeks of instruction that was seemingly wasted on my meager mind, he quite literally screamed, “SEE THE WHOLE BOARD.”

And that is what I am screaming to you this morning…..see the bigger picture. HubPages provides so much more than just a passive income. Every article that you write is a new chapter in an ebook. Every article that you write is another two-by-four in the framing of your platform. Every article that you write is another chance to network with fellow professionals.

HubPages is like being paid while you are training to one day be a real writer.

How cool is that?

2014 William D. Holland (aka billybuc)

“Helping writers to spread their wings and fly.”