Is online work worth it?

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  1. profile image0
    healthmomposted 10 years ago

    I'm exploring to this whole hub concept... is it really worth all the hassle and uncertainty of writing/working for yourself online or do you think it's better to just get a real brick-and-mortar job?

    1. wilderness profile image94
      wildernessposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Guess that would depend on what you want.  Want to be dependent on someone else for your paycheck?  Go brick and mortar.  Need an income large enough, right now, to support a family?  Go brick and mortar.

      Want some side income, income that is not necessary to maintain?  Go online.  Want to be your own boss, with all the risk that entails?  Go online.  Want to earn by doing work you enjoy?  Go online if that's what you enjoy; go brick and mortar if you can find what you want there.  Want to work from home, at your choosing of times?  Go online.

    2. profile image0
      Joanne M Olivieriposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      I think if you look at it as your first source of income then you have to treat it as a full time job.  You would need to work at it at least 8 hours per day or more and produce quality hubs while promoting them on social media sites etc...

      If you write because you just love to write and the income from it is secondary, then a 9 to 5 brick and mortar job would come into play.  I work part time and write part time.  I write because I love writing and the monetary aspect is just icing on the cake for me.

      Making a living as a writer is difficult bet not impossible with commitment, dedication and hard work.

    3. Eva Berlin profile image71
      Eva Berlinposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      It's worth it, but it's always better to have a plan B, cos it takes a while to build up your Hubpages.

    4. Bill Yovino profile image88
      Bill Yovinoposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Unless you're a writing star, a job at McDonalds for a week will pay more than you'll earn on Hubpages over three or four years (or more).

      However, if you love to write, none of that will matter.

      1. MountainManJake profile image67
        MountainManJakeposted 10 years agoin reply to this

        I disagree.  If you are a good writer you can make hundreds a month from HubPages.

        1. Marisa Wright profile image87
          Marisa Wrightposted 10 years agoin reply to this

          On what do you base that advice?

          I've been here six years.  Yes, it's possible to make hundreds a month but it's not enough to be a good writer. You also have to know how to choose searchable topics - and you also have to be a prolific writer.  Good writers are not always prolilfic. 

          if you're the kind of writer who can dash off a quality Hub in a couple of hours (Habee springs to mind!), then you can produce the hundreds of Hubs necessary to produce hundreds in income.  If you're a slow writer, then it can take several hours to produce a Hub which will then make around two or three dollars a month -  and on that basis, it will take a long time for your hourly rate to equal what you could earn at McDonald's.

          1. Eva Berlin profile image71
            Eva Berlinposted 10 years agoin reply to this

            It's really depends.

            I graduated from journalism degree, but my IT brother earns a lot more than me cos he understands the way SEO works, therefore he knows which keywords are more search and expensive.

      2. mistyhorizon2003 profile image88
        mistyhorizon2003posted 10 years agoin reply to this

        Hmmm, have to disagree on that one. Been here 5 years now and definitely earn a three figure sum every month (and have done for at least 3 of those years), so certainly a lot more than working at McDonald's for a week would have paid.

        1. Bill Yovino profile image88
          Bill Yovinoposted 10 years agoin reply to this

          So, for the first two years you earned less than $1200 a year, probably significantly less. Other than Ted Kaczynski, the Unibomber, I don't know many people who would call that a living. With a three figure per month income, you would probably be considered a star on HubPages and you've done that writing about the various colors of poo.  Some people would rather work at McDonalds.

          1. Mark Ewbie profile image81
            Mark Ewbieposted 10 years agoin reply to this

            I'd rather write about poo.

            Here's someone looking for some.
            http://s3.hubimg.com/u/7938566_f248.jpg

          2. mistyhorizon2003 profile image88
            mistyhorizon2003posted 10 years agoin reply to this

            You originally said 'a job at McDonalds for a week will pay more than you'll earn on Hubpages over three or four years (or more).', which in my case simply isn't true, and I know many others here who would say the same if asked. Actually if you look at my range of articles you will see that only a small (in fact tiny) handful of them are about the colours of poo (which are actually health related articles and quite popular). However, my main income comes from other articles I have written. In the first year I wrote mainly humorous articles with little expectations of making (or trying to make) money. I got payout for the first time somewhere between a year and eighteen months after I started here if I recall correctly (in those days it was Adsense only, so $100 for payout, and no HP Ad program). In year two I went from payout every three months down to payout every second month, and then payout every month. Ultimately the HP Ad program came in and I was easily hitting payout many times over every month. At one point I was on over 10500 views a day and bringing in $25 a day +. Since Google began regularly juggling their algorithm around this has dropped somewhat, but I still comfortably make a good part time three figure income a month on HP (and not from writing articles about poo honestly).

            The best bit of course is that I earn this whether I write or not, whether I am on holiday or not, sick or not etc etc. I add another article when I feel like it, but meanwhile I get a good part time income from stuff I wrote in the past that has had time to 'age' in Google's eyes, and work its way up the SERPS naturally.

            1. Bill Yovino profile image88
              Bill Yovinoposted 10 years agoin reply to this

              I'm just having fun (yes, I'm weird like that).  Like I said in my first post, "most" will not come close to the figures you're seeing. I wanted the original poster to know up front that this isn't a get rich quick opportunity. I've been here for three years and have earned less than $100 in total. I have several Hubs that show up in Google searches as the #1 result, and several more that are right after Wikipedia.  Do I like writing on Hubpages: Yes.  Do I think I can earn a living here: Absolutely not.
              Your mileage may vary.

              1. mistyhorizon2003 profile image88
                mistyhorizon2003posted 10 years agoin reply to this

                I do agree that it is not likely anyone will make a full time income here as things are now, and that at best this is a good part time income for those who have enough articles and that have hit on a good writing technique and good keywords. I 100% agree this is no 'get rich quick opportunity' based on my own experiences (and others I know). Seriously I wouldn't suggest anyone to treat this as a 'get rich quick scheme' because that will never happen, however, given time and patience a sideline income can be achieved. smile

            2. NateB11 profile image88
              NateB11posted 10 years agoin reply to this

              This is good to know; that age of content is important and it's possible to make passive income. At least, that's how I take what you're saying.

    5. Cardisa profile image89
      Cardisaposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Healthmom. Hubpages alone cannot be your primary source of online income, not yet anyway.

      If you would like to work full time from home I suggest freelancing your skills and getting paid up front. Build your Hubpages presence so that when it matures in a few years you will have some residual income coming in. Not many hubbers earn a full income hare but it's a good place to invest long term.

      I work from home full time online and here are some things I do to earn my living:

      1) Hubpages brings in about 10% of monthly income
      2) I place affiliate links on my blogs and most of my Amazon sales are from them. Not a lot of money so far but still growing.
      3) I freelance on Elance.com, Guru.com and oDesk.com. There are no other sites I have found success with so far.

      To finally answer your question. Yes for me it's worth it and I am very happy!

      1. profile image0
        healthmomposted 10 years agoin reply to this

        Thanks for the additional website info.  I think I might try some freelance medical writing too.

      2. profile image0
        CroftRoanposted 10 years agoin reply to this

        I think it really depends on how much you want to do it. Given my current circumstances I'll need a more regularly paying job soon but writing has always been my passion and I think that if someone doesn't like your work, who cares? Someone else will.
        I have spent my whole life being told that my creativity isn't worth anything and now I'll fight to the death for my stories. If you love to write and give people the gift of your words then it's worth every second you put into it.

      3. Marisa Wright profile image87
        Marisa Wrightposted 10 years agoin reply to this

        Writing on revenue-sharing sites like HubPages is a useful hobby to earn some pin money while you do something you enjoy (writing, and networking with other writers). 

        If you want to make a living online, you have to treat it as a small business.  You probably know that most small business owners work longer hours than employees, especially in their first few years.  The same is true online, only more so - because you also have to serve your apprenticeship.   There's a lot to learn about how to earn money online, so you'll spend a big chunk of your first year studying.

        If you want to make a liveable income online, you need to be more than just a writer.  You need to be your own editor, marketing manager and salesperson.  You need to know how to promote your work - and you need to spend more time promoting your work and building your reputation than you do writing.  You need to find a specialist subject that you become known for, and to really make money, you need to think of products you can sell (whether they are real items or ebooks). 

        Once upon a time, you could make several thousand dollars a month on HubPages.   Very few people do that now, unless they've already built up a big body of work which took them many hours to write.  Their earnings may sound good, but if you work out their actual hourly rate for the effort they put in, in most cases they could've earned more cleaning toilets.

        I used to know many people who were making a reasonable living online and a lot of them have given up blogging this year, because it has become increasingly difficult to maintain an income.  Some of them are still working online but have switched to self-publishing or making videos instead of blogging/writing.  It's a tough game.

      4. prospectboy profile image87
        prospectboyposted 10 years agoin reply to this

        I personally don't think that attempting to earn a living from Hubpages is wise. If you enjoy writing in general, do it for your love of it. Work at it, and try to build your name on here. Eventually you'll start earning from it, even if it's not a ton of money. Temper your expectations, and crawl before you walk on here.

      5. madscientist12 profile image91
        madscientist12posted 10 years agoin reply to this

        In my opinion, Hub Pages isn't a logical way to earn a living. I'm not a professional writer, but I just enjoy writing and it thrills me to know that other people actually read my hubs and they like them. The little bit of money I could earn is just a bonus. As far as Hub Pages is concerned, you should set your goal for something smaller.  My goal is to earn enough to pay for gas in my car each month. If I can do that each month, I will feel that I've succeeded on Hub Pages.

        1. janshares profile image93
          jansharesposted 10 years agoin reply to this

          Ditto, madscientist12. That's my philosophy as well. I look forward to getting my first payout this month after 8 months joy and pain. I've learned so much here. In that sense, healthmom, it's been worth all the ups and downs.

        2. prospectboy profile image87
          prospectboyposted 10 years agoin reply to this

          Well said!

      6. CloudExplorer profile image78
        CloudExplorerposted 10 years agoin reply to this

        I say do both, because you never know what could happen in the future. If you into online everything today, why not make the best of it and get all of your content you share out here monetized. Like on Youtube for instance. Many of us use the network to watch and get entertained, but are we earning from our own potential presence there? I thought long and hard about such things and only wish I had started years ago.

        Oh well I cannot turn the clock back, but I have a bright future to look forward to because I stuck in there for this past 3 years online, & coming close to 2 years on Hubpages. You need to think longevity if anything, and patience, perserverance, true dedication to your craft is all dynamic factors involved.

        Now when you come to think of it though, it isn't about how long you have been on any network. Its all about the quality of your content that you decide to offer up. If you can manage to create some truly unique content that people love on the web as a whole, then it is the wisest idea to move your business onto it, your thoughts, your activities etc...

        This is my best advice and I hope it helps you to understand that online life as a means of earning an income is directly related to your ability to produce higher and higher quality content. Whether it be imagery, videos, music, arts and crafts, photography, career oriented skills to share as a service based need for others etc... The list is massive on what we can all come up with, but keep in mind the web works in particular ways, and so you also need to do the research that is needed to understand how to make it work best for you.

        Welcome to Hubpages and if anything good luck and you can check out many of my hubs to get a much clearer idea of what I'm stating here. There's much more then meets the eye for sure. We have some very fine tuned approaches to sharing fairly (Networking socially, and professionally), maximizing marketing campaigns if you have the monetary resources to do so, web design comes into the picture somewhere, blogging, and much more technical stuff.

        If you have any other questions you can contact me on Facebook, I will be glad to help you out with any of this online mess, and help you to make sense of it all if need be. We at hubpages and in the community here are here to help each other get somewhere digitally and online. Many of us are good friends who've been helping one another night and day. So I hope if you choose to do so, that you realize you will not be alone in doing this online thing, we are strong in numbers for sure.

        Nice forum post by the way, you will do well as long as you remain focused, are willing to help others along the way, and willing to learn no matter the level you feel that you've attained here over time.

      7. sandynic profile image60
        sandynicposted 10 years agoin reply to this

        You can work online successfully but not just from Hub. I'm a freelance editor and I get most of my material online to work on. Sure, I got trained in the traditional in-house way. What's your background? Think about how you might be able to put your keyboard to use. Persevere. Spend a few weeks looking at how you can contribute in a good way to sites. And keep researching. Good luck! xxx

      8. bac2basics profile image86
        bac2basicsposted 10 years agoin reply to this

        I was just informed this morning that I have been with HP for 1 whole year, and in that time I have only ever received one payment which when converted to Euros amounted to the princely sum of 46€. However I do believe it is possible to earn more if you treat writing as a job and work at it as you would a job, but you also need to be writing about things that people are desperate for a solution to and willing to pay for..this is sound advice from my Guru Jcielo who prompted me to write in the first place. When I have more time I will follow his instructions to the T, as I do need to make a good income from writing, and writing about what floats my boat although some may find entertaining, is not earning me the big bucks I had hoped for.

      9. prettydarkhorse profile image54
        prettydarkhorseposted 10 years agoin reply to this

        Yes you can earn here (HubPages), try other stuff like writing for others, your own websites or selling and buying i.e., ebay.

      10. Ericajean profile image72
        Ericajeanposted 10 years agoin reply to this

        I really prefer to work from home. I am more comfortable that way and I prefer to be online and write...brick and mortar jobs are not as stable and I save gas/bus fare too when I stay at home.

        For practical reasons, I have to work at a brick and mortar job, but when this online kicks off like I want it to, I'm gone.

        I currently work for a content site and have my own blogs as well.

      11. Barbara Kay profile image74
        Barbara Kayposted 10 years agoin reply to this

        I read everything I could find about making money online when I first started. Some people can accomplish relying on online income, but they have several thousand articles at many different sites. How much you need to earn makes a big difference too.

        You can earn extra money here. It just depends on how much you need to earn.

    6. FatFreddysCat profile image91
      FatFreddysCatposted 10 years ago

      If you joined this site expecting to make a living from it, you might as well pack it in and go get that brick and mortar job right now...unless, of course, you have time to write about a thousand articles and also possess uber-Ninja-level SEO promotion skills in order to draw web traffic/page views to your work

      If, however, you like to write stuff just for the heck of it, become part of a cool community, and hopefully make some pocket change here 'n' there, then feel free to stick around.

      I'm not tryin' to pee in your corn flakes, I'm just sayin'.

      1. Thundermama profile image92
        Thundermamaposted 10 years agoin reply to this

        I agree with what everyone has said here. I think the key to making money online is looking at a long time line, like five years. You need to build your portfolio to generate passive income. Even if you treat it like a full time job it could be years until you are able to fully support yourself. A better option would be to treat it as a hobby to start and see where it takes you. There is no easy way to make money online, anyone who promises you something different isn't being honest.

    7. psycheskinner profile image84
      psycheskinnerposted 10 years ago

      If you need money to pay the rent next month, or the any time this year, this is probably not going to be how you earn it.

    8. WriteAngled profile image74
      WriteAngledposted 10 years ago

      I earn my living online, but not through Hubpages! I offer a service for which I have appropriate education and skills and am paid a professional rate for the work I do.

    9. Kathryn Stratford profile image88
      Kathryn Stratfordposted 10 years ago

      I agree with what Wilderness said., as far as it depending on what you want. If you are talking about mostly HubPages, the income you make here is rarely good enough to live on, it is more supplemental income. I believe, in most cases, it takes a while to make more than a few cents a day. Initially you spend a lot of time and effort to create articles, without receiving much money. The longer you are here, and the more effort you put into it, the more money you should make. Over the long run you will probably make more money per day, and the amount should accumulate faster, but I don't think many people make enough money to have it as their sole source of income.
      Of course, if you mean HubPages as well as other online opportunities, online could be a good option over brick and mortar jobs, as long as you don't mind putting a lot of work into it, and as long as you don't mind the uncertainty. I have never gone that route before, so I wouldn't be able to say if it is worth it.
      Whichever direction you go, good luck. I really enjoy HubPages, not only for the supplememtal income, but for the supportive community, and the things I learn by reading articles from fellow Hubbers.

    10. c mark walker profile image60
      c mark walkerposted 10 years ago

      good question

    11. A Karpinski profile image71
      A Karpinskiposted 10 years ago

      Always have backup. Even as a freelancer doing several projects, having some sort of job or consistent income is really helpful in relieving any financial distress that might come from not getting work and going through a dry spell (which always happens, unfortunately).

    12. profile image0
      Bob Bambergposted 10 years ago

      I'm making pennies, but I enjoy the writing.  More than that, though, I enjoy the cyber friendships I've established with folks from all over the world.  I think I write well, but I'm not tech savvy enough to drive readers to my hubs.  I think you have to be a good writer and be tech savvy to make any money on Hub Pages.

    13. yupperclub profile image61
      yupperclubposted 10 years ago

      That's the whole idea...you don't have to be TECH SAVVY at all.  HubPages takes care of all the tech...you just express yourself and let people (REAL PEOPLE) get to know you PERSONALLY...
      Don't fret about tech...you'll never be able to learn or know enough to keep up with the pros. ..that is, unless you want to DUEL them for a position!

    14. c mark walker profile image60
      c mark walkerposted 10 years ago

      I think the moment someone comes up with a website that lets us write articles and figures out a way for "real pay" to be made possible Hubpages will become Hobbypages really quick.

    15. yupperclub profile image61
      yupperclubposted 10 years ago

      You've found a website that will offer REAL PAY, it's called HubPages.  They take care of the promotion and affiliate sales and advertising and all of the things a "small business owner" normally spends hours on...unless you have your own actual company, offering physical products and services for sale (in which case you would need a website)...an article on Hubpages can explode in a nuclear way and fortunes can be made almost overnight!  It only takes one good hub for this to happen.  Everything else said is true, too.  See?  One site and you can have it ALL.  You can create products, offer them through amazon or ebay, promote them on your hubpages...think about it.  I don't disagree with anything said except that you're looking for somewhere else - over the rainbow maybe?  Why?  What's the rush.  It only takes ONE hub, even if it takes a lot of work and a lot of editing...and you could be set for life.

      I'll leave it at that...keep up the good thinking...but take it slow.  Physical eternal life is possible...what are you going to do for all eternity if you rush a fortune now?  WALLOW in DOING NOTHING?!  Quite boring.  Mental stimulation is the key...thinking...and there's only so much schooling anyone can afford before attempting to go it on their own to EARN a living.  And there's only so much the Government will grant.  Find a niche you're good at, write a little book or create a physical project...then promote it though a HubPages article (well written...even if it takes 1000 rewrites)...ask any professional writer who works for magazines...it takes constant editing...but the payoff eventually comes. 

      I'll stay posted...if you have any questions, just post - i'll try to help or refer you somewhere if I know somewhere offhand.  Or just do a Google search if you're looking for something.  Genius' put this system together...if you can't beat them...join them.

    16. shielamaeparreno profile image63
      shielamaeparrenoposted 10 years ago

      wow, love your post yupperclub. Thanks for this! smile

    17. Rochelle Frank profile image89
      Rochelle Frankposted 10 years ago

      I think all-- or at least most --of the advice given is good. It wouldn't be a good thing to plunge in and expect to make a good living wage suddenly.
      On the other hand, since you are a health professional and have some credentials, you might make a go of it.
      As others have said.. it is slow and low paying to begin with. I would keep the regular job and ease into the writing as a supplement,until you see how it goes for you.
      A lot of people are interested in health information. If you establish yourself as a good source it could pay off.
      In the meantime you could enjoy the feedback, hone your writing skills, and build up an audience for your hubs.

    18. Diane Woodson profile image61
      Diane Woodsonposted 10 years ago

      I think if you are looking to make big, big bucks on Hubpages, do a book, try to make a million that way. I write for the readers and get great satisfaction in knowing that each person who reads the things I write is enjoying it. I do not look at writing as "work" since I love doing it so much and never loved working as much as I do this. I did love teaching and am glad I did it..this venue is a great one for me. If anyone is thinking they will make allot of money on Hubpages, or any other online work, they need to reevaluate it.

    19. profile image0
      healthmomposted 10 years ago

      Thanks for all the great responses, I think I have gained a good idea of what to expect.

      A few months ago my Mom found some old journals of mine and gave them to me, I was about 9 or 10 at the time I wrote them.  Paging through them, in between the startings of teenage angst, I read about a little girl telling me all she wanted to do was be a writer. 

      I have a wonderful life and family, but I started thinking about how I had given up on some of my dreams.  I resolved to take my life back and live the life that little girl had once dreamed of...  I think hubpages may help me start.

    20. Rock_nj profile image91
      Rock_njposted 10 years ago

      From what I understand of working online, you have to work in a lot of different places to generate sufficient income.  The good thing is that after a while, some of that income is self-sustaining, but it takes time and persistence to get to a level of income that you are comfortable with.  Check out the work of a Hubber called mailxpress, she has a lot of good advice regarding making money online.

      1. profile image0
        healthmomposted 10 years agoin reply to this

        I have learned from all of your responses, thanks for sharing wisdom and experience.  Don't get me wrong, I love medicine, but my kids are only young once and I want something I can do to make some extra cash while they nap, and keep my mind busy.  Plus something to show that I'm still in the game, albeit not in the same way I was.   

        The trouble is I think I'm getting addicted and not spending as much time with the kids!
        I look forward to hubbing with all you nice folk in the future smile

        1. Rock_nj profile image91
          Rock_njposted 10 years agoin reply to this

          Where I live, there's a lot of well paying (like $50 per hour minimum) contract work for medical technical writers because the phrama industry has a big presence here.  They require a technical background in the medical field you are writing about, at least to start; once you are an established medical technical writer, you may be able to branch out beyond your field of expertise.  The nice thing about contract work is that it is no strings attached, you can work on a project for 3 months or 2 years, and then move on.  You may want to consider this option while you try to decide whether to go for a full time job or make money online full time.  Perhaps some of the work can be done remotely.  Check some of the major job sites like CareerBuilder and Monster for leads.

    21. WriteAngled profile image74
      WriteAngledposted 10 years ago

      If you know any languages sufficiently well to understand and translate out of them into English, medical/pharmaceutical (mainly documents relating to clinical trials) translation is very good work. Having a medical/biomedical background gives you a vast competitive edge over language graduates. It is how I make my living, with clients contacting me from all over Europe, USA and UK. I turn down far more work than I can possibly accept and never have downtime, except when I choose to do so.

      1. Marcy Goodfleisch profile image83
        Marcy Goodfleischposted 10 years agoin reply to this

        +1 for the potential in the biomedical and research field.  I'm a consultant on an Independent Ethical Review Board (IRB), and for only a few hours of work a week, the pay is outstanding.  We review and approve clinical trials that will be in human subjects. I spent years in brick-and-mortar settings, mostly for government agencies, and I don't regret those years at all.  Because of the long term security it gave me and the consulting I do on the IRB, I can afford to tackle things that need time to grow, such as writing on HP.  It also gives me the freedom to teach part-time at a university.  I don't want to be tied down full time at this point, and I want to do what I enjoy, so I feel blessed.

        HubPages is finally yielding some regular income for me.  It's a lot like making a good stew or soup. You add many ingredients (hubs), make sure they're the best prepared and highest quality you can provide, and you let everything simmer for a long while.  Only then do you get the results you want.

    22. srsddn profile image91
      srsddnposted 10 years ago

      Having remained glued to brick-and-mortar job for over three decades, I feel it is time to try online. I have started it as a pass time, but I am gathering courage from the experiences of others. Still new to narrate some success stories but patience is the key word which may come to the rescue.

    23. Bill Yovino profile image88
      Bill Yovinoposted 10 years ago

      While Technical Writing is technically writing, (see what I did there?) it's not the creative outlet that most people seek from HubPages.  I do a fair amount of tech writing in my day job and it's my least favorite activity.  On the other hand, spending weeks researching and writing a Hub on a subject that interests me (and sometimes nearly no one else) is a delight.

      If you need to bring in extra income from a home-based business, Tech Writing may be a good way to go. Writing for Hubpages will not be a quick fix for your money woes.

      1. sandynic profile image60
        sandynicposted 10 years agoin reply to this

        Hi Bill! I'm new to this - just discovering. I joined as someone wrote a good diet plan that works wink Love, Sandy x

    24. janshares profile image93
      jansharesposted 10 years ago

      I joined HP to supplement private practice and I love writing, always wanted to be a writer. I knew from day one that I would not make a boat load of money. I have, however, questioned whether the TIME I put into HP is worth it as it takes away from time that should be used elsewhere.

      Each person has to find the balance between investing time where the pay-off is greater and putting eggs in other baskets. Pay-off does not necessarily mean money. The experience I received via HP is invaluable and in the long run has contributed to the success of my business and online presence.

      It's up to me to manage my time better and decide where I will invest it. My goal is to create more hubs that will have long life and bring in sustained income (Green hubs?). Once that foundation is established, I can concentrate more on the business blog and private practice. At that point, writing hubs will be less about stress and more about enjoyment.

    25. psycheskinner profile image84
      psycheskinnerposted 10 years ago

      My main reason for never depending on Hubpages or similar sites to pay the bills is that at any second Adsense or Google could flat-line my income.  A salary is far more reliable and so IMHO a better choice for a single income household. And that is before you get into issues like health insurance and retirement funds.

    26. StitchTheDamned profile image67
      StitchTheDamnedposted 10 years ago

      To be honest, it is going to take a long time and a lot work to be able to make even a slight living off of Hubpages. There is always the possiblity of making decent money on here, but it definitely does not happen right away. If you expect to make a living at this, hubpages is not going to do it. At any moment, your views could drop or worse yet, you might have a difficult time getting the views and clicks in the first place. Keep your day job. If you enjoy writing, then stick around and put in the energy that you can.

    27. VVanNess profile image77
      VVanNessposted 10 years ago

      I love writing, and I have been trying to get another "brick and mortar" job for a long time now. We've done the math for what you would literally make an hour at a real job versus starting your own business online, and the real job doesn't even compare.
      I use Hubpages to gain credibility and develop a following that I then use to benefit my own business "A Piece of Cake Wedding Design" now "Love by Design" as I add new specialties and expertise. You should search me out and see how I'm using my article bank to help me make money in other areas!
      In the meantime, I have over 100 Hubs which are slowly but surely making money. As I market them, join new social media sites and gain new followers, and keep leading people back to my store of articles, one day that money will be a nice part-time chunk of money. Some people on here are making $3,000-$5,000 a month on just Hubpages (with like 85 Hubs). However, I'm under the belief it will take years for me to get to that point. Well, at least I'm setting myself up well for a few years from now!

      1. Bill Yovino profile image88
        Bill Yovinoposted 10 years agoin reply to this

        I'm skeptical that anyone is making $5000/month here. I don't think anyone is even close to that figure.

        1. psycheskinner profile image84
          psycheskinnerposted 10 years agoin reply to this

          Maybe a few people.  There are some accounts with many thousands of hubs.

      2. Rock_nj profile image91
        Rock_njposted 10 years agoin reply to this

        "Some people on here are making $3,000-$5,000 a month on just Hubpages (with like 85 Hubs)."

        I haven't seen any evidence of that.  Perhaps $300 to $500 per month with 850 hubs.  Where did you hear that?

        1. VVanNess profile image77
          VVanNessposted 10 years agoin reply to this

          lol, I've been really active in the forum since I've become a member. In many of the forums, they discuss the worthwhile aspect of writing articles for Hubpages, how to get more traffic to your Hubs, how much money you make per view alongside Google Adsense, Amazon and eBay, etc. I've had the chance to talk to many a member of Hubpages that reports the sheer number of views they're getting per week, like 300,000 views per week and even higher.
          Obviously I cannot access each of their accounts, and have to assume they are telling the truth, but I am definitely striving to get to that place myself.

    28. spartucusjones profile image89
      spartucusjonesposted 10 years ago

      If you are serious about making money online, then you would do well to consider multiple streams of income. There would be only a small percentage of people that would make enough to support themselves exclusively from Hubpages. It could also take years to build up to that point. But Hubpages could be a small piece to the puzzle.

      For example, Hubpages can help you build an online portfolio which could lead to potential content writing work. I was also able to sell one of my Hubs to a print publication. I also have a few Hubs that I unpublished and then I sold them as articles. I would not have had those article to sell, if I didn't initially write them for Hubpages. 

      With myself I find that content writing is feast or famine. At times I have been able make a significant income through different web developers who have hired me to compose online business guides and other content. Other times I am scrounging for work, picking up bit and pieces.

      Hubpages has never been a huge part of the income equation for me. That being said my traffic and earnings have seen nice increases over the past couple of months. I also enjoy the community. I also like the fact that Hubpages provides an outlet to write about topics that I would be unable to write with other content writing avenues. So Hubpages can be a small piece of the puzzle, but it isn't the whole picture.

      1. VVanNess profile image77
        VVanNessposted 10 years agoin reply to this

        Absolutely! I am simply using it as a building block for making more money in other areas. I agree wholeheartedly. Hubpages should be used to supplement your income and be used to push you forward in other areas.

      2. c mark walker profile image60
        c mark walkerposted 10 years agoin reply to this

        how do you go about selling articles spartucusjones? where do I find those sources?

        1. spartucusjones profile image89
          spartucusjonesposted 10 years agoin reply to this

          The article I sold to a print publication was the result of being discovered through a Google search. I have had a couple of Hubs that have went idled that I unpublished and I was able to sell them on Constant Content. I am still new to posting on Constant Content, but I have had some success using it.

      3. profile image0
        Beth37posted 10 years agoin reply to this

        If Thoreau had had a mask like yours, he would have been filthy rich... and he still wouldn't have paid his taxes.

        1. spartucusjones profile image89
          spartucusjonesposted 10 years agoin reply to this

          Spartucus Jones doesn't pay his taxes, but unfortunately his secret identity does.

          1. profile image0
            Beth37posted 10 years agoin reply to this

            lol

    29. Mark Ewbie profile image81
      Mark Ewbieposted 10 years ago

      I make a fraction under $5,000 monthly using a methodology I am about to go public with.  I am looking for fifty subscribers prepared to pay a non-refundable fee of one hundred dollars monthly who will receive a newsletter and possibly a ring-leaf binder to file them in.

      1. Bill Yovino profile image88
        Bill Yovinoposted 10 years agoin reply to this

        Too much work. Try to get one subscriber at $5000/month.

        1. Mark Ewbie profile image81
          Mark Ewbieposted 10 years agoin reply to this

          Yep.  One would do it.

      2. Marcy Goodfleisch profile image83
        Marcy Goodfleischposted 10 years agoin reply to this

        Do refrigerator magnets come with the deal?

        1. Mark Ewbie profile image81
          Mark Ewbieposted 10 years agoin reply to this

          What a great idea.  Each month a chance to buy a new magnet at a special price.

    30. VictoriaSheffield profile image82
      VictoriaSheffieldposted 10 years ago

      good question!

    31. Nicole Winter profile image60
      Nicole Winterposted 10 years ago

      healthmom, if you're interested in other ways to make money online, drop me a line.  Honest engine, I'm not a creepy pyramid scheme builder or anything like that!  But I've been doing this, (making money online,) for 8+ years now.

      Honestly, a brick and mortar job *is* so much more lucrative.

      One of the things you *can* use Hub Pages for though, is to build up a portfolio of articles you can use (not to submit,) as writing samples.

      As others have mentioned, you have to be something of an SEO-ninja to really understand how making money writing articles online works.  There's an awesome SEO book out there by O'Reily... (not sure if I'm spelling that right, but they're the computer-book-guru-guys who have animal pictures on the fronts of their books...) if your local library has it, I would highly recommend it.

      I won't list the various sites that I belong to, (all completely legit,) because I don't want folks here to feel like I'm promoting them.  However, if you'd like to contact me, (that goes for the rest of you fellow hubbers, too,) feel free... I'm on Twitter, FB and it's probably just easiest to e-mail.

      I have a couple of other correspondences from HP I need to get back to, but I'll send you a note back A.S.A.P.

      Welcome to Hub Pages smile  I wish you much luck and enjoyment here, it's a wonderful community.

    32. pinto2011 profile image68
      pinto2011posted 10 years ago

      For earning and learning both, this is far better than a brick and mortar job and I am seeing my friend enjoying a constant income through HP for the last 5 years. Also, because of his fat portfolio of approx 1000 hubs he landed on an editor job, as HR persons these days are lurking on your online contents and social media pages much more than your face value. So welcome and keep going without a pinch of doubt, as doubt shrouds the mind and hinders in its proper functioning.

    33. snlee profile image67
      snleeposted 10 years ago

      For retired seniors, it's more of a past-time rather than making earnings

    34. Kasman profile image77
      Kasmanposted 10 years ago

      I'm finding it to be a joy to write online thus far. I've learned quite a bit in my four months and I'm learning more as I go. I've met some really wonderful people on here who have stuck their necks out to help me without even knowing me. I'm beginning to see a small income and it's growing day by day. I haven't written a lot yet but I do it as I can. Am I expecting big things from this? Sure. Do I understand the expectations of how long it might take? Yes. I don't expect big things overnight.....this is something you have to stick with and not get frustrated over. I have another business that I run that keeps me going in Health and Wellness but at the same time, I'm enjoying just helping people with their problems and goals. Great to earn a bit on the side too! I hope you stick with it!

    35. Lifefusion profile image83
      Lifefusionposted 10 years ago

      I feel the same way kasman does. I write when I can for now, and enjoy every minute of it. I would not say I am a great writer, but I like the learning experience. Also, Hubpages has a wonderful community. I feel like working online will be worth it for anyone who is willing to learn, be patient, ask for help, offer help, work hard, and have a positive attitude. Most things in life are what you make of them and also the greater things in life are usually hard and take time. (Insert other wise sayings here). I have earned much more in the past week than I did my first month (2 months ago) and I see the potential for ever increasing passive income. I am very pleased. I hope you feel the same way soon.

    36. wqaindia profile image38
      wqaindiaposted 10 years ago

      If you are here for earning the answer is a big NO though one may earn and everybody can not be lucky to earn which can be termed as good earning. But if you are here to express yourself, share your knowledge and get the knowledge in return, I think HP is a good platform. one can strike gold in any shape that is as an ore or a finished products while digging at HP.

    37. Lifefusion profile image83
      Lifefusionposted 10 years ago

      @ wqaindia - I completely agree with your views of Hubpages as a medium for expression and trading knowledge, but I feel you are being discouraging on a false basis when you say that using Hubpages for earning is not worth it. In my opinion, there is very little luck involved in being successful on Hubpages. Any venture takes hard work and dedication. Events that may seem like luck, ike a Hub going viral on Pinterest, are actually governed by a multitude of decision made, hours spent, words read, and passion expressed. I am fairly knew and feel like I have had success, but I am an optimist at heart. I respect you opinion, but I still think that all great things are hard and take time.

    38. Susana S profile image90
      Susana Sposted 10 years ago

      I wish I'd thought of writing about poo....

      The thing with online content is that you can continue to earn from it for many years after it was written. There aren't many jobs that continue to pay you when you haven't worked at them for 2 years, not even Mc D's.

    39. lovebuglena profile image84
      lovebuglenaposted 10 years ago

      You definitely need to have a real job. Writing for Hub Pages can be an extra source of income for you. If you only rely on Hub Pages to support yourself financially it will not work. Most likely, you won't be making thousands of dollars a month, maybe not even hundreds.

      1. Marisa Wright profile image87
        Marisa Wrightposted 10 years agoin reply to this

        I would go further - relying only on HubPages for an income would be really, really stupid.  There are two reasons for that.

        Firstly, it is possible to make money by writing online, but you can't do it on one site alone.  You need to have a blog or blogs, write ebooks, do freelancing etc etc.

        Secondly, relying totally on a site you don't own is very dangerous.   For all you know, HubPages could go broke, or be sold to new owners who take it in a new direction, or change all their rules in a way that doesn't work for you.  Result - all your income disappears overnight.

        Yes, if you've kept a copy of your work you can move it somewhere else and start again - but you've lost all the "age" and reputation that your work had gained, and it will take a long time for it to achieve the same ranking with Google again.

        You think that kind of thing can't happen?  Today.com was sold to a buyer who wanted the domain name, not the business, and closed down overnight.  Posterous closed down recently.  Geocities closed down.  Knol closed down.  Associated Content was sold to Yahoo! and is run very differently now.   Demand Studios changed all its rules.  I believe Suite101 is redesigning itself.  I'm sure there are lots more we've forgotten about. 

        I don't see any signs that HubPages is likely to disappear any time soon - but the fact remains, we don't know what could happen in the future.

        1. Bill Yovino profile image88
          Bill Yovinoposted 10 years agoin reply to this

          Excellent point, Marisa. I need to do a better job of backing up my content. The world might not miss my stuff, but I'd hate to see the results of my effort disappear. Plus I wouldn't want to put my high two-digit annual income in jeopardy.

          1. NateB11 profile image88
            NateB11posted 10 years agoin reply to this

            MistyHorizon and prettydarkhorse showed me this the other day. It's a good way to create a backup of your hubs.

            http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2aUmTRrEsyE

            1. mistyhorizon2003 profile image88
              mistyhorizon2003posted 10 years agoin reply to this

              Plus if you keep all the 'Scrapbook saves' you make and at some time in the future you move an article elsewhere and delete it on HP, only to find out a copier now has an earlier publish date than your newly moved article, you can prove to Google it was originally published on HP at an earlier time by yourself if necessary (I hope that makes sense).

              1. NateB11 profile image88
                NateB11posted 10 years agoin reply to this

                Yes, makes sense to me, because scrapbooks saves it as it looks on the webpage. Good idea.

          2. profile image0
            Beth37posted 10 years agoin reply to this

            wow, you make two digits? (on the left of the decimal point?)

            1. Bill Yovino profile image88
              Bill Yovinoposted 10 years agoin reply to this

              High two digits.

    40. Diane Woodson profile image61
      Diane Woodsonposted 10 years ago

      Yes it is worth it. In a word YES. I have been writing on Hub-pages for over a year. If I never make a dime, it would be a great past-time. I hope you are not considering backing out of Hub-pages, you do not know what you will miss, the friends, the fun, the Hubs too keep. Think it over...ok? Remember you could be discovered and make a lot of money here.

    41. adriannajoleigh profile image60
      adriannajoleighposted 10 years ago

      I'm wondering the same thing about myself. I do know some people who make a good living off of writing. It can happen. smile I think it depends on how much time you are willing to put into it. smile

      1. Marisa Wright profile image87
        Marisa Wrightposted 10 years agoin reply to this

        The main point is that if you want to make a living off writing, you can't write in just one place.

        1. adriannajoleigh profile image60
          adriannajoleighposted 10 years agoin reply to this

          Well, of course. That should go without saying. If anyone wants to make a living off this they will need to do it on multiple forums. Not just one. I would hope people would know that already. Even if done on multiple avenues, they would have to dedicate a lot of time into writing to make sure they keep up with it all.
          If someone would like to make some extra money, then doing it on 1 or more sites is fine. Depends on what they wish for income.

          1. Marisa Wright profile image87
            Marisa Wrightposted 10 years agoin reply to this

            The original poster is new to online writing so one can't assume they're aware of that fact.  When you've been online a while, you take it for granted - but many newbies don't.

      2. shielamaeparreno profile image63
        shielamaeparrenoposted 10 years agoin reply to this

        That's true adriannajoleigh. My 5-hour sleep routine for the last 6 months paid off. I had to write my articles after and before my day time job just to keep up with deadlines with clients but they're all worth it. You develop the skills plus you get the pay you want (though just enough to pay the bills).

        1. adriannajoleigh profile image60
          adriannajoleighposted 10 years agoin reply to this

          Thats awesome shielamaeparreno!!  You are super ! Its great for some, and for others I guess it isn't. We are all different in our abilities do make it work. I'd like to try to make a few extra money here and there. I work from home, am a student, and full time mom of 14 month old twin girls. Lol. Anything extra would be great.

    42. profile image0
      healthmomposted 10 years ago

      I think being on here is helping my writing skills... plus I'm getting tips on real online work and not just scams and spam that you find with you search 'work from home' and 'write from home'.  I got started on e-lance too, thanks for that suggestion.  I'm slowly going to try new avenues to use my skills online.

     
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