Writing on Multiple Sites

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   Mekenzieposted 12 years ago

   I have read from many writers that it is best not to have your eggs in one basket.  The advice is to write articles on several sites.
   Hubpages is the website that I get most of my traffic from.  I have written on other sites but they do not bring the traffic like Hubpages do.
   Are people really writing on a multitude of sites.  I don't seem to write fast enough to do that.

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      Lady_Eposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      You can experiment with one for now. Maybe publish once a week there. I'm one of those who advice people to write on more than one site and many Hubbers do anyway.
      
      Good Luck.

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   Dame Scribeposted 12 years ago

   I think it's more of what one enjoys and can handle some thrive in being 'under pressure' whereas others, prefer the pace of a turtle. We can't forget, writing is a career in itself and all opportunities will/may get used to 'earn' their keep.

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      Mekenzieposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I hear you Dame.  I don't think I'm a turtle but I have not devoted the time to put out more articles.  If I did had the time I would still want to put the articles on hubpages.  But maybe I should write on other sites as well.

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   jacharlessposted 12 years ago

   Hello Mekenzie, nice to meet you.
   Yes, I write for multiple sites and on multiple sites.
   At one point I had a thousand food related articles published {about three per day}.
   As of late, write-for-hire on two top tier technology sites and [mostly for fun] here on Hub Pages and another site that is up and down.
   
   Multiple sites can increase content interest, depending on how they are structured. Many are outdated platforms and so return small amounts of traffic. So, do not be discouraged by the traffic issue. A great many unknown sites get millions of visitors a day because quality outweighs quantity.
   
   A recent review of UGC returned a net worth of a single article to be upwards of $300 flat.
   Using adverts, it varies from $2 to $75 per day, at peak. So, realistically, a single average article can generate $15k per year.
   
   
   James.

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      Mekenzieposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Hi James, nice to meet you too.  Wow a thousand food related articles - you must be a mean green writing machine.  LOL  How do your write for hire sites work for you? 
      I understand how multiple sites could increase content interest as you link them.  Did not know that a great many unknown sites get millions of visitors a day .. care to share some sites?
      Thank you for sharing and I wish you well with your writing.
      Mekenzie

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         jacharlessposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         I was! It began here, competing in the Hub Pages Food contest, which I fared well.
         Habee walloped my bum but good though. And rightly so, her article was outstanding.
         
         The W4H sites do well. I publish two articles a week @ $150-$200 each. It is by no means glamorous, but good.
         Have not have a rejected article yet {knocks on wood}. I can put together a list, but it really depends on what topics your write on and how the sites accept/deny the work.
         
         James.

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            Mekenzieposted 12 years agoin reply to this

            That Habee is a top notch writer for sure.  Thanks for the W4H info.  I will check it out.  I write on quite a few topics but not of them technical.

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               teaches12345posted 12 years agoin reply to this

               I am learning lots as I read through your comments.  I enjoy writing on on hubpages and supplement by teaching part-time at a local college.  Would eventually love to write full-time. I am almost there.  I realize to do this I must also write online content for w4H sites. It takes dedication because writing this way is a full-time job.  Like the saying goes, if you enjoy your work then it isn't really a job: it's your passion.

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                  Mekenzieposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                  Love it friend,  Why not work full time utilizing our passion?  It's a matter of perspective.  Do you work for a w4H site right now?  Not sure how to go about this.  Thanks!

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                     teaches12345posted 12 years agoin reply to this

                     I do not.  Others have recommended sites, but not sure which one is the best match for me.  I would love to see what others consider a good option.  I think I am hesitating on dropping the part-time supplement because it is steady income (I also enjoy teaching there), but it is a decision I will have to make soon.  I need to just jump some time don't i?

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                        Mekenzieposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                        Anyone have recommendations on W4H sites for a wonderful teacher?  ;0

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      WriteAngledposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I have no idea what institution you mean when you refer to UGC (a college of some sort?)
      
      However, I have yet to see anyone here reporting that sort of return. An average of one cent a day or less per article seems to be the HP experience, going by the information some people have made public, and my experience falls within the same range.
      
      And what on earth is W4H as spouted in one of the responses to this thread????
      
      It would be nice if posters avoided geek speak on these forums. They are not designed to be exclusively for people with a computer science PhD!

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         Kangaroo_Jaseposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         Krys,
         
         I am not sure what UGC is either but I am sure W4H relates to 'write for hire'

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            Reality Bytesposted 12 years agoin reply to this

            User Generated Content 

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               Mekenzieposted 12 years agoin reply to this

               Thanks for helping out here Reality.  Appreciate it!

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         Mekenzieposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         Hi Angel,  I ddin't know what UGC was either (I looked it up on Google) and it took me awhile to figure out what w4H is .. thank you Kangaroo.   You mention the average writer on HP receiving 1 penny a day per article.  I had not broken mine down as per article but the numbers are going up (mostly) for me.   I am making about .40 to $1.30 per day.  Fluctuates alot .. don't quite understand it all ... I write because I love it.

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         jacharlessposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         UGC = User Generated Content aka an article or hub.
         W4H = Write for Hire
         
         Am well aware the earning per hub is extremely low for most. Myself, I am unable to use the AdSense -and inherently the Hub Ad { yield build } program. Amazon is my last resort, since the removal of in-text ads, like Kontera and/or Infolinks. In spite of these minor set backs, have used my HP pubs to attract high end publishing sites that pay well for content. On the flip side, have a plethora to offer this site and no present option//motivation to produce content for them. Like it or not, at the end of the digital day, we -the collective Hubbers- are the backbone of their existence and revenue, other hubbers existence and revenue...
         
         And, for a site ranked 20th overall, one would expect article valuation to be "off the chart". Sadly, less a small few, it is reversed. While smaller  "unknown" sites in position 457,891 overall are offering more variety and the paycheck to match.
         
         No phD here.

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            Mekenzieposted 12 years agoin reply to this

            jacharless,  now one more request for an explanation.  What smaller "unknown" sites are offering better paychecks?  Are they sites for technology, information, poetry etc.?

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               jacharlessposted 12 years agoin reply to this

               The genres and sites are vast, nearly A-Z.
               Best approach is to search specifically for domains which produce UGC for payment in categories you are well versed. I think Paul E once mentioned, or wrote a Hub on this, as building yourself an expert of certain non-news or opinion based topics. But, then again, overt and impact news // opinion, pay very well.
               Some might offer $100 flat for the article, then increase production and payment levels. Others may offer terms.
               
               Unlike submitting a query to an offline publisher, you submit a few links of existing articles and acceptance or rejection is with hours. I was rejected from a theological site, even though I presented my Rhema certification, several articles etc. They said mine were too philosophical.
               
               My area, presently, is technology, specifically complex programming and design interface for large scale data-driven systems {like FB or even HP} using PHP and HTML5. The articles are worth a lot in information, so the payout is high.
               
               Just hammer out a list of the ones that catch your interest, narrow them down to a dozen and drop them an email.
               Is what I did with the tech sites. Four responded.Two I decided to write for. W4H is a different animal. They essentially need people desperately to write for them. Without constant content, they cannot compete in the arena//market.
               
               
               ..oO with all this going on, am tempted to start a UGC site. you folks sure inspire a guy Oo..
               
               James.

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                  Mekenzieposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                  James, this information is very helpful.  You've got me inspired!  Now if you start a UGC site make sure to let me know.
                  Appreciate your detailed answer.
                  Blessings!
                  Mekenzie

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   psycheskinnerposted 12 years ago

   If you write on many sitse, you write less for each.  But you are less affected by Panda and other unpredictable changes.  I write mainly for my own sites and ebooks but also here, wizzley, infobarrel and webanswers.

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      Mekenzieposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      psycheskinner,  That makes sense that we would be less affected by Panda.  Thanks for the list of websites to write.  Appreciate it!

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      Marisa Wrightposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Exactly.   After seeing Today.com disappear and all its members lose their work, I always advise against any writer putting all their eggs in one basket. 
      
      HubPages is a bit different, in that you have your own sub-domain and it's important that sub-domain is a reasonable size (I think 100 Hubs is a nice figure to aim for).  But on other sites (except for Squidoo), your article has the same chance of earning whether you have one article or five hundred.
      
      As Jacharless says, you can make multiple sites work for you by choosing a broad topic and sticking to it.  You can then link between your articles on various sites (as much as you're allowed) which will build your traffic to all of them.

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         Mekenzieposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         Marisa, I never ever considered the site disappearing.  YIKES - that scares me.  I have many of my hubs saved in a word document - now I'm going to see that ALL of them are saved there.
         Thanks for your insight ... I know linking is a big plus!

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   CyclingFitnessposted 12 years ago

   Personally my average is around a cent a day per article on a bad day although that figure seems to be developing over time.
   
   I have articles that earn dollars a week but am starting to understand the need to tailor some hubs to what people would search for- not what I want to write about and that seems to be the biggest part of the battle.
   
   I had an article here previously earning 10 dollars a day for a short period however that has now dropped to almost nothing. In the space of a month that one article earned around 100 dollars.
   
   I've looked at other sites but really for the writing that I do I would need to work for About.com or write content for Liverstrong.com and demand media other than the many content sites which seem to be showing up.

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      Mekenzieposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Cycling, okay so we may have good content but not the best keywords huh?  I always use google keywords after writing a hub to find the best ones to use and incorporate them into my writing. 
      I wonder why your article dropped down from $100.00 to nothing.  That makes no sense.  Have ;you asked the Hubpages Staff?

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         teaches12345posted 12 years agoin reply to this

         I also use google key word search for my posts and it seems to help the SE pick up after time.  I have under 100 posts at the time, so the traffic is not an indicator for me, but I do believe I am going to have to work on those topics that generate the most traffic.

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            Mekenzieposted 12 years agoin reply to this

            Me too teaches!  My articles on parenting teens are way above the others in regards to traffic.

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   WriteAngledposted 12 years ago

   Thank you KJ and RB!
   
   I would never have guessed

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      Kangaroo_Jaseposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      and ditto on the solution from RB

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   Ninjadaterposted 12 years ago

   I often wondered where to "Start", I am figuring that "Hubpages" or similar sites would be the BEST gateway into your MAIN domain blog?   Yes??  I like how Hubpages has taken off though, since people seem to like to use it, I find it easier that the silly Reddit, Stumble Upon and all that jazz.

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      Mekenzieposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Ninja,  When you link to your main blog it will drive traffic there.  For me Hubpages is my main blog.  I love everything about it.  The format, the feedback and the team.

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   Kangaroo_Jaseposted 12 years ago

   Yes Mekenzie, many people, especially alot of those whom write on Hubpages, also write elsewhere.
   
   The reasons for this are varied and plenty, but there are 3 big reasons to consider having a 'portfolio' spread across the internet.
   
   One - If a person has all their articles on one site only, a change of ownership, or administration or access to that site, or even shut down on a whim. I know for a fact this can happen. Three years ago I was writing only on Associated Content and my work there and my income was growing after six months of being a site member. When they sold the site to Yahoo and it became known as the Yahoo Contributer Network, all international associates (non US member) lost their right to earn an income due to a change to their TOS (terms of service). The day after I received that email from them, I stopped writing or contributing anything new at the site.
   
   Two - No matter how else you get 'bums on seats' and have people read or view your work on the internet, Google search is king. This simply means the majority of your visitors to your work wil lcome from primarily, being found on a Google search, then by almost every other means to be found (direct links, social media, article sites with a link to your page, promotion by others, ebook links, et al). So search engine optimization is important, but Google can affect traffic to your work, BIG time.
   
   Three - The sheer pain the arse and immeasurably unfathomable concept of working hard and long on a single site to then have a site turn around and change their conditions or remove your access to the site. But THEN not allowing you to claim your own work or deleting it from the site either. Can you imagine months or even YEARS of work suddenly not being available or earning you an income to you anymore? It hasn't happened on any site I know of, by why run the risk.
   
   So in summary, the risks of writing your work to have on a single site does not outweigh or diminish the risks compare to having work on more than one site. It is far better having many eggs in many baskets than just one.

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      Mekenzieposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      kangaroo, You have clearly presented very good reasons for not putting all your eggs in a basket.  So, as much as I LOVE hubpages .. I see plainly the reasons to spread our writing on various sites on the internet.
      Thank you so much for taking the time to break it down for me and NO I cannot imagine having my work unavalable or beyond my reach.  Another warning to save all my work in word documents.
      Mekenzie

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   aykianinkposted 12 years ago

   Great information, people.  Would any of you happen to know of a blog or a book in which someone talks about how they jumped across multiple sites and got paid to do it?  Would kill for a pros and cons list of what has been going over well (be it sites or methods).

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      Marisa Wrightposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Google and you'll find references to something called a "Link Wheel", whereby you link from one site to another in an organized way.  Since it's been so well publicized, it's probably not a good thing to do - I'm sure Google has caught up with it by now!
      
      The bottom line is:  pick a broad topic and write about it on Squidoo, HubPages, Xobba, Infobarrel, Zujava, Seekyt, Wizzley.  Make sure each article is unique, of course.  Then just use common sense.  If you're writing on Squidoo and it's relevant to refer to your HubPages article, do it.  No special magic.

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         Ninjadaterposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         Marisa, let's say you started to write an article on Hubpages.  When you say "unique", you're not saying to take that same article and post that SAME article (though original and unique) and post it to those remaining sites?   I guess some feel at liberty to take one original article and post that article everywhere?

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            Kangaroo_Jaseposted 12 years agoin reply to this

            Each article on each site must be different to a post on one site but all related to the same niche.

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         aykianinkposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         Never heard of Squidoo, HubPages, Xobba, Infobarrel, Zujava, Seekyt, OR Wizzley.  Hm.  Thanks, Marisa!  I have a friend with the same name...and also spells it with only one "S.":-)

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         Mekenzieposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         Wow Marisa, this is Awesome!  I've only heard of two of the sites you mention.  This is very helpful!

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    Chip6posted 12 years ago

    I actually write at Wizzley. I am using HubPages as a site to develop my understanding of God, and stuff like that.

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       Mekenzieposted 12 years agoin reply to this

       Great!  I'll have to come visit your page. 

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    incomeguruposted 12 years ago

    It's good to write on multiple sites, doing this, will allow you to see clearly which one of these sites is really getting more organic traffic per day, so that you can now give such site more concentration than others.

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       Mekenzieposted 12 years agoin reply to this

       Good point!  Care to share sites you are using and the information your research has uncovered?

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    Xenonlitposted 12 years ago

    Each site takes an enormous amount of time and high quality work before any money rolls in.  We also have to carry out membership duties, reading and supporting other writers, establishing a following and following others and dealing with site technical changes.
    
    Even then, Every writer sees improvements that need to be made after a few months or a year. So, already written articles need to be upgraded, updated and tended to.
    
    That's why it's not really feasible to write very high quality and lasting articles at more than two or three sites. 
    
    Otherwise, it might be easy to play the SEO game, get a lot of viewers somehow and rake in the bucks, but I've never figured that out.

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       WriteAngledposted 12 years agoin reply to this

       I disagree.
       
       I might read one or two hubs every few weeks or so when something catches my eye. I certainly do not consider this to be an obligation.
       
       Moreover, I have never made any attempts to "establish a following" and I only follow people who interest me.
       
       So far, none of the site changes have required me to make a single change in any of my hubs.

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       Mekenzieposted 12 years agoin reply to this

       Xenonlit, It is time consuming yet it is also a passion.  I see that if we really want to make a living as writers then we have to invest ourselves and our time in that discipline.

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       Marisa Wrightposted 12 years agoin reply to this

       Why?  Except on Squidoo, networking with other members does virtually nothing to help your traffic or your income.
       
       The traffic you get from within HubPages, or any revenue-sharing site, is miniscule compared with the traffic you get from the search engines. Some of the highest earning members on HubPages achieved their success without ever reading, commenting or participating in the forums. 
       
       The community on HubPages, and other similar sites, is a place for members to encourage and motivate each other, it doesn't contribute meaningfully to your income.  Which is how I prefer it, personally - no hidden agendas.

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          Mekenzieposted 12 years agoin reply to this

          Marisa, the answer to this question which was the BIGGEST reason to write on multiple sites is the possibility of Hubpages shutting down and we loose ALL of our material.  I am saving my articles on word documents so I never loose them.

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             Marisa Wrightposted 12 years agoin reply to this

             Mekenzie, Xenonlit was saying it was too much work to write on multiple sites, because of all the time you have to spend networking, following, being followed etc etc.
             
             I was trying to say that there is no need to network, follow, comment, or read on any revenue-sharing site, IF your only goal is to earn money.  The social side of all those sites is just that, a social side. The earning capacity of your articles will not be affected if you choose not to get involved in it. 
             
             The only site where that's not true is Squidoo, where you have to interact to keep your lens ranked.

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                Mekenzieposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                Thank you Marisa, I have noted that when I do not get involved in the community that my authors score goes down.  I get busy with life and don't have the time to read, comment etc. at times. 
                You are saying that our articles score will not drop correct?  I have noted that especially when I was ill and took a break for a couple of months.  My articles continued to make money just as before.
                I do love to read others works and I like to comment too.  I see it as a big help when people comment on my hubs.  It's an encouragement too. 
                Thanks for the clarification .. Do I hear you correctly now?
                Mekenzie

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                   Marisa Wrightposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                   Your observation is correct.  If you're not active socially on HubPages, your HubberScore will drop.  Your  earnings won't be affected one jot, however.  As for HubScores - they have no effect on the Hub's earning potential whatsoever.  It's purely an internal HubPages thing.
                   
                   If reading, commenting and forum posting help keep you motivated - that's great. But it's a bit like stopping for a chat with your colleagues by the water cooler - if you let it take over too much of your time, you'll get no work done (look who's talking....). 
                   
                   So in summary - write for multiple sites, even if you write only a handful of articles on other sites to test the waters.  Choose ONE site to socialize on, to keep you motivated.  Personally, I've yet to find another site with a better community than HP (provided you steer clear of the political and religious forums!).

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                      Mekenzieposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                      Thanks Marisa, I know what you mean about getting side tracked by the fun of socializing.  I agree that there is no greater community than HP.

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                aykianinkposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                That's quite interesting actually.  So if you're 100% in this JUST for the money, there would never be a need to...say....comment in the forums?

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                   Marisa Wrightposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                   Absolutely right.   Forums, following etc have no bearing on your income.  You will do better participating in forums outside HubPages, where you can attract new readers.

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                      aykianinkposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                      Definitely food for thought.  Thanks, Marisa.

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                Mark McCleanposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                Marisa, I just starting writing a few Hubs and was starting to get the impression socializing WAS a prerequisite to earning an income on Hubpages. I see A LOT of Hubpages that take more of an appearance of a forum post than an evergreen article and some of them get LOTS of comments. I'm not sure if comments equates to income or not.
                
                To reiterate you are saying if we write quality articles with pictures, videos and SEO friendly keywords, over time we can expect to earn some cash with Hubpages? I'm not very into feeding the social beast to get my articles noticed. I'd rather let my work do the work.

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                   Kangaroo_Jaseposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                   Mark,
                   
                   It is entirely up to you how you use this site, if being social is your thing, enjoy.
                   
                   It is not required to earn money here.
                   
                   I have a couple of hubs with 1000's of views and not one single comment.
                   
                   Other hubs of mine have maybe 250 views currently and about 25 comments.
                   
                   So you can be social here and it doesn't have a large impact on earnings.

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                      Mark McCleanposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                      @Kangaroo_Jase
                      This seems obvious but were most of those views organic via Google.?
                      
                      @Marisa Wright.....Thanks for your reply..Enjoying reading your Hubs

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                         Kangaroo_Jaseposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                         80 percent of my traffic is from Search Engines searches.

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                            Kangaroo_Jaseposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                            add to this: yes, most of that 80 % is traffic from search engines with the majority from organic Google traffic.

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                   Marisa Wrightposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                   HubPages can look more like a social networking site than a writing site sometimes, but that's not what makes the money.  The active HubPages community is very small:  if you consider that a Hub needs about 1,000 views to make $2, you'll see that relying on Hubbers to provide your income is not sensible.
                   
                   The early views you get from other Hubbers can give your Hubs a bit of a kick-start, and you may get a few shares and likes out of that. You'll also get comments, which (if they're good) add more content and keywords to your Hub.  But that effect soon wears off.

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                      aykianinkposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                      I have wondered before:  Exactly how many people are there on hubpages?  Hm...

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                   Mandy M Sposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                   My biggest money maker does not have a single comment.  Gets almost 0 hubpages traffic daily, but its doing awesome. #1 on google.

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                      aykianinkposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                      This saddens me, but is really good to know.  Thanks, Mandy.

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    aykianinkposted 12 years ago

    I write to Word, and edit on Word, long before it ever  hits Hubpages.  So, just have to Alt F S a few times and I'm okay on the "What if it all gets deleted?" question.

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       Mekenzieposted 12 years agoin reply to this

       Smart! I plan to follow suit. 

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          kelleywardposted 12 years agoin reply to this

          I'm learning to write my hubs in Word as well. I think it's better to have a backup plan, just in case. You never know what could happen. I also agree that it's best to write for multiple sites. Thanks for sharing this thread of information!

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             Mekenzieposted 12 years agoin reply to this

             kelly,   I am so grateful for the answers and comments given .. it's been an eye opener for me.  The Hubpage community is the BEST!

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    Greekgeekposted 12 years ago

    >Marisa, FWIW, I do not waste time on the social aspect of Squidoo. The ranking benefit of likes from other members are tiny and wear off in a few days. The in-house algorithm gives much, much more weight to clickouts (how many visitors click links, a measure of reader interaction), visitors and sales. Most successful Squidoo members have learned basic SEO, and use that to get more traffic than one can get through social media or community interactions. Search traffic is also more likely than social traffic to buy stuff or click on an ad, since search visitors are attracted to your topic, not attracted by your reputation.
    
    The reason I write on other platforms is because I can earn more, both directly from the site and indirectly through affiliate links I've embedded on my articles (something HP is prohibitively picky about.) For me, the "not putting all one's eggs in one basket" argument convinced me to try Hubpages.
    
    I think you do need a small body of articles on a website and really learn what works on that site to give it a fair shake before adding another money-earning alternative to your arsenal. Too many people give up while they're still wobbling around in the "learning to ride a bike" phase. However, that old adage about "knowing when to hold 'em, knowing when to fold 'em" also holds true: some sites just aren't a good fit for your style of content, or just don't have much earnings potential. After you begin to have real success on at least one site and develop a working toolset, it'll get easier to tell whether you're struggling on another site because you haven't mastered its quirks, or because it just isn't a great earning site.

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       Mekenzieposted 12 years agoin reply to this

       I think that sticking with one website to learn how it works is great advice.  It takes time to figure out all of the features and tricks on each site. 
       You mentioned content and being a good fit for particular sites.  I have a variety of hubs but I will say my hubs on raising teens rank far above the rest. 
       I am in the process of creating more hubs about parenting teens since the interest is so high and I have a woeful amount of experience in dealing with a rebellious teen.

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       Marisa Wrightposted 12 years agoin reply to this

       Oops, sorry, I must have misunderstood something - or "misremembered", which is probably not a word. I do recall doing some research on Squidoo after reading your Hub on the subject, so I may have mixed up other articles with your Hub.  I was sure I read something about the importance of getting likes from other members in order to avoid the lens going into WIP (or whatever it's called).

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15. 60

    Ninjadaterposted 12 years ago

    --So now I'm considering alternatives like Zujava and/or Wizzley.--cripes....there's so many of these kinds of sites coming out....it's starting to sound like nonsense words. lol  Maybe I should make my own social networking site called "Urbadee" or "Zippy-poo-poo" lol

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       Mekenzieposted 12 years agoin reply to this

       I vote for Zippy-poo-poo! 

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16. 69

    Anti-Valentineposted 12 years ago

    Here's how I see things. It depends on what sort of writing sites they are and what payment method they use. You get ones like HubPages which allow you to use your Adsense ID and earn, or earn on a commission basis, like with Amazon ads.
    
    In my mind, it doesn't make a lot of sense writing for more than one or two of these sites, because the site will more than likely use Adsense. I would only consider using another site if it used different forms of monetization and affiliate programs. I've had a look at both Triond and Squidoo and signed up with them, but haven't used either much to date. It takes too long to become familiar with a website's format and tools -- time that could be better used writing or building hubs or articles on sites I am familiar with.
    
    You do get sites that let you earn depending on how many views you get, or you might get paid up front per article. I would only really bother with one or two sites per method of monetization. If they all use Adsense it's not worth it from my perspective unless you want backlinks and want to reach out to a wider audience. Or perhaps you just want to see if another site does better than the one you're currently using.
    
    It depends. Some say you shouldn't have all your eggs in one basket. Others say you shouldn't overextend yourself. Up to you in the end.

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       Mekenzieposted 12 years agoin reply to this

       I suppose if all of our eggs are in one basket and we are earning a decent dollar then it makes sense to save our work in a word document to protect it from being lost through the possibility of any site going down.  Before the answers to my question, I never considered that possibility.

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    Globetrekkermelposted 12 years ago

    Is it true that you can actually make a living by writing in hubpages? I just write for pleasure and to decompress and relax by documenting what I have in mind through writing.I already work enoughLOL!.Who would want to read what I write anyway,It is nothing special nor exceptional. It will be interesting to see if I even see a single penny for what I write.Any thoughts?

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       Marisa Wrightposted 12 years agoin reply to this

       I don't think anyone ever claimed to make a living on HubPages.  People do make money on HubPages - there's a difference!   
       
       If you want to make a living online, writing on rev-sharing sites like HP can be a useful part of the mix but you also need your own website or blog, and preferably your own products to sell.

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    Whitney05posted 12 years ago

    HubPages used to be one of the better sites to put the majority of your eggs into. The traffic was once better, and the earnings was once better. Algorithms change and searches pull up differently.
    
    At this point in the game, HP is a place to get started and to get used to writing on the web, but it's no longer the main basket people should bank on.
    
    I think it is a good idea to spread your time writing for your own blogs and writing for other websites. Adding more baskets to your online realm is great, but you have to make sure that those baskets are topics and niches you're interested in and topics that you find are larger earners for you.
    
    If you pick a niche that is swamped as it is, you'll find that it will be harder to make much revenue. If you pick a niche that is too narrow, it will also be hard to make a huge revenue, as the niche may be narrow bc there just isn't any real need for it.
    
    Socializing on HP forums and comments do not have any effect on your earnings here. Same goes with socializing on Squidoo or most other websites that maintain a similar concept. Your traffic and earnings are mostly search engine generated. You want backlinks from external sources, such as blogs and other websites, in order to create a large revenue base. The more time you spend in forums, the less time you are spending writing and marketing your writing.

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