HubPages stresses me out. It's so frustrating!

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   Dan W Millerposted 10 years ago

   I'm having one heck of a time trying to keep up and I'm not enjoying my time on this site like I should be.
   Trying to keep up with the other authors (I have 21 hubs in almost three years. Pathetic!) Good Lord what do you people find to write about?!
   Trying to keep up with being penalized. I can bearely get all my stories consistantly read.
   Trying to figure out how to get paid. I keep hitting a brick wall trying to activate that thing for a year now.
   Trying to appeal to the obviously mostly female (oriented) hub reviewers. They're not going to like my hub on The Real Rocky Balboa or father/son bonding stories. And when an Editor's Choice is How To Knit A Cat Beanie, I don't stand a chance. I'M A GUY WITH GUY STORIES TO WRITE!
   Trying to make every hub a "how to" because that's what only seems to be accepted. What happened to stories of pathos, human interest, poetry or just an observance on life?
   I'm writing a lot on other social media sites and don't have much time to camp out here all day.

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      paradigmsearchposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      I feel your pain...

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         paradigmsearchposted 10 years agoin reply to this

         .
         A follow up. All is not lost, it can be done. As an example, the moderators seem to like my "how-to-blow-up-gophers-with-dynamite" hub. They gave it an 85.

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            t aaron brownposted 10 years agoin reply to this

            I got an 84, still rejected. Score means nothing here.

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               Marisa Wrightposted 10 years agoin reply to this

               You are right, the scores mean absolutely nothing - ignore them.  Many of us feel they should've been retired long ago.
               
               Last year, we had a couple of wonderful staff members who were disarmingly honest about things.  They openly admitted that scores were far from perfect, but said that HubPages wasn't prepared to retire them until they could develop something better.  Because of that, they recommended that everyone should just ignore the scores. If you search enough you may be able to find their old forum posts. 
               
               What do you mean by "rejected", by the way?    It may help to know that Hubs have been unpublished in the past due to the use of words like "bum" and "butt".

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                  Dan W Millerposted 10 years agoin reply to this

                  Such a wonderful, encouraging person you are. You follow in the tradition of compassionate, understanding and oh so helpful authors of such far more experience than I have at this time on HubPages and lucky to have run into.
                  I dread checking into my site sometimes. I feel guilty for low participation and my inexperience. Like a buffoon, at times.
                  What makes it ten times worse is my Acer computer is being worked on at a snail's pace and meanwhile I'm using this joke of a tablet called a Kindle Fire. Like Godzilla on a typewriter. I can't write stories on it and can barely reply to you kind folks.
                  
                  

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            t aaron brownposted 10 years agoin reply to this

            Sorry Paradigm, numbers under 100 are supposed to be spelled out. I should have stated, I received and eighty-four....  Please don't scold me on that too.

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               paradigmsearchposted 10 years agoin reply to this

               ok

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               CatherineGiordanoposted 10 years agoin reply to this

               t aaron brown: Read my hub The Naughty Grammarian To Spell or Not to Spell Numbers. You are wrong that numbers under 100 must always be spelled out. Also, when reporting a score, numbers need not be spelled.

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               Jodahposted 10 years agoin reply to this

               Nope, numbers under ten should be when included in text.

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                  CatherineGiordanoposted 10 years agoin reply to this

                  If the score of the ballgame was 2-0, the numbers are not spelled.

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                     Jodahposted 10 years agoin reply to this

                     You are right Catherine, not when scores and the like are involved.

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                        CatherineGiordanoposted 10 years agoin reply to this

                        Thanks, Jodah.

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         Dan W Millerposted 10 years agoin reply to this

         I whine, there for I am.
         
         

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            Jodahposted 10 years agoin reply to this

            funny

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      Marisa Wrightposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Dan, if you're having trouble with getting your Adsense etc set up, let us know where you're up to and we may be able to spot where you're going wrong. 
      
      To address your other points:
      
      If by "Hub reviewers" you mean the QAP team, then they're not reviewing for subject matter - they don't give a @#$% what the subject is, unless it's a prohibited topic.  Here are the scales they use:
      http://hubpages.com/help/hub_hop_table#creative
      http://hubpages.com/help/hub_hop_table#informational
      
      So if you're writing a non-factual piece, make sure you've put it in a "creative writing" category so it's judged against the correct scale.
      
      Secondly, it's not a case of "how to" Hubs being the only Hubs that are "accepted".  HubPages accepts all kinds of stories - it's Google that decides whether they're read or not.  Readers don't come to HubPages to browse around - the only people who do that are other Hubbers, and we're a very small community.   The vast majority of readers (over 90%) arrive directly at a single Hub because they've found it on Google/Bing/Yahoo/Facebook etc.   
      
      That means you need to be found on the search engines to get readers.  Ask yourself, what would people have to type into the search box to find your Hubs?  How likely are they to do that?   That's why "how to" articles do better, because that's what most people are searching for.  And like it or not, HubPages is a business, so naturally the Hubs they value most are the ones that make the bucks.
      
      If you can explain what you mean by "penalized" then we can probably help you out with that, too.

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         Dan W Millerposted 10 years agoin reply to this

         You're awesome, Miss Wright. MARRY ME! I mean, I can't go wrong. YOU ARE MS. WRIGHT, after all!
         Such a patient and thorough instructor. Most of what you said here is reaffirmation, double checking and confidence building to me. I DID take something new from your comment to apply into my hubs in the future. Eternally grateful, my new fiance!
         
         

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      NateB11posted 10 years agoin reply to this

      I agree that what gets noticed, as far as writing goes, here and on the rest of the Internet is limited to such things as How-to's etc. I've felt the same frustration on that particular issue. I'd rather write something of deeper value. And never water it down.
      
      Unfortunately, you end up having to make major compromises when you're writing and can end up venturing far away from what you love to write about or what has value. You end up having to weigh what it is that you know has value in writing with what brings traffic and earnings. I admit, it becomes absurd.

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         Marisa Wrightposted 10 years agoin reply to this

         But has it really changed that much, Nate?   Before the internet, writers still couldn't write what they wanted - perhaps even less so than today.   Writers have always had to take hack work to earn a living while they write their cherished short stories or novels on the side.   For every writer who got their book published, there were thousands with manuscripts still sitting in a bottom drawer when they died.

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            NateB11posted 10 years agoin reply to this

            Yes, you're absolutely right.

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            NateB11posted 10 years agoin reply to this

            Good point, too, that there was even less opportunity before the Internet. One of the things that continues to amaze me about the Internet is the freedom and ability to publish essentially what you want; on your own sites or on sites like HP. After that, it's the search engine that must be considered: How to get a good spot in the search engine.

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         Dan W Millerposted 10 years agoin reply to this

         My mouth is watering at the sight of three authors with 90+ ratings debating my food for thought. I am so shallow. My kingdom for A 90 SCORE!

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      peachpurpleposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      sorry to hear your rant, HP is rather slow, you can't expect good view with the topics you had mentioned

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      TIMETRAVELER2posted 10 years agoin reply to this

      The first thing you need to realize is that writing here is not a contest.  It does not matter what other people do or how well read they are.  That is them, and you are you.
      
      You are taking this place much too seriously and causing yourself all kinds of grief.  It's not worth it.
      
      What you need to do is think about what you love, and then write about it.  It does not have to be a "how to", it can be anything.
      
      Once in awhile when I get tired of toeing the line here, I write something funny and crazy, and guess what?  Those articles do OK.
      
      It is very easy to write here because the guidelines are so simple:
      
      Use text, photo and video capsules, put a title in place that someone might normally search, create a beginning, a middle and an end and then give it all you've got!  Check out a few articles by the folks who commented here, and you'll see what I mean.  After awhile, it becomes almost rote.
      
      The adsense stuff you'll have to ask the team about.
      
      Good luck.

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         Dan W Millerposted 10 years agoin reply to this

         TT2 is my new idol. You make it seem so effortless, positive and words just seemingly flow from your heart that it isn't even CONSIDERED to be laborious as I depict it.
         Thank you so much. I thought for sure I would get (like I had recieved once before when I whined like this) a rude assumption that I was just searching for attention. I guess in the back of my head I was searching for an understanding quill I could lean my weary head upon and cry to and THAT'S JUST WHAT I FOUND in you, TT2! Thus, you have uplifted me with your understanding words! Thank you

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      t aaron brownposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Deleted
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         paradigmsearchposted 10 years agoin reply to this

         First, ya need to correct the misspelling of "Bussiness".

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            t aaron brownposted 10 years agoin reply to this

            Paradigm - you are of no help. If you checked the article, the spelling is correct. I had misspelled here in a rush. Thanks for fitting the grammar troll stereotype.

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   relacheposted 10 years ago

   You seem to be having a not good time here, Dan. 
   
   As a workshop leader I once met asked a roomful of us, "if you find something really dissatisfying and frustrating, and it's purely your choice to do that activity....why are you still doing it?"

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      Dan W Millerposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      I like to write and this site is akin to a college course... challenging.

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   Lady Loreleiposted 10 years ago

   We write not for the people who are on Hubpages but for the readers who are searching for a specific topic through the search engines. This is the best way to get a steady stream of traffic to your articles and it allows you to be content in the articles that you write.
   
   Writing communities are great for support if you have questions, or are looking for peers to discuss aspects of writing, but overall the internet is where your target reader should be coming from. Don't worry about writing trends or what others tend to write and just pen what you enjoy writing.
   
   That is my opinionated opinion and I stand by it.

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      Dan W Millerposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Stand by what you believe in and I shall follow your strong advice, M'Lady. You're saying, enjoy what I write, write what I enjoy and keep in the back of my mind a picture of what is usually most accepted by the "Star Chamber" of HubPages. I can live by that credo.
      
      

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   Davon Guyposted 10 years ago

   im working on a strategic method thats almost complete. bare with me its going to take some time but its proven. im taking today to set up my main hub. do you have Facebook....

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      Dan W Millerposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      My connections to my sites are right there on my profile.

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   jansharesposted 10 years ago

   This is a tough place to write which may be a good thing. It keeps us on our toes to be the best. I agree it can be frustrating and will continue to be at times. But in my experience hanging in there gets easier over time. Taking breaks during times of frustration also helps. But the secret is to keep writing, about anything, even those areas you mention like poetry, pathos, and observance of life. Somebody's interested in those subjects. They may not be popular but you need to build your subdomain with more content and find out which keywords are searched for the most. Just my 2 cents of support.

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      Dan W Millerposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Can I keep you in my pocket, Jan and when in times of doubt I just pull you out and you say just the right thing to keep me going!? Thank you. You're right. 99% of people who claim to be "A WRITER" are scared to death of this site. Just like my comedy room for three years was known as a "hard room" because if you sucked on stage no one will listen to you and my comedians KNEW that if they could kill 'em on my stage, they could kill 'em anywhere. (Google: The Big Comedy Show at Bullock's Cocktails in PHX.) We were on the tough west side and packed 'em in! I proved I could produce and host. I had my fun.
      
      

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   Vintervargposted 10 years ago

   In my case it goes like this: once I complete a hub and think about it for a while, it becomes an inspiration for another hub and so on

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      Dan W Millerposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      I like to read mine over and over ad nauseam because I think they're so damn good!
      
      

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   psycheskinnerposted 10 years ago

   The topics of your hubs is not the problem. You need to follow the technical requirements to pass QAP, to pass the spam standards, and to enter the right information to get paid. If you specify what rejection messages you get people here can help.

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      Dan W Millerposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Absolutely! ... on both accounts. Will do, 'Skin! thx!

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   cfinposted 10 years ago

   Stick in polls at the bottom, maybe some more picture, but in truth my best hubs are never read. Just the ones with buzz words in the title unfortunately.

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      Dan W Millerposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      I stick in everything but the kitchen sink, cfin. Thanks for the reaffirmation!
      
      

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   aesta1posted 10 years ago

   We also feel like that sometimes but if you want to succeed, you need to work harder and smarter as the thousands if not millions in the Internet world. There are useful recommendations here in the forum or in the top right of your hubs. You can start with those.
   
   When it becomes overwhelming, take a break. I did this last summer. I never did any writing, commenting, or revising online for 4 months. I felt good.

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      Dan W Millerposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Darn. There are those two words I fear again. HARD WORK. Great advice, #1! Perhaps a Tahiti vacation in my mind as a break. THX BUNCHES!
      
      

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      Dan W Millerposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Darn. There are those two words I fear again. HARD WORK. Great advice, #1! Perhaps a Tahiti vacation in my mind as a break. THX BUNCHES!
      
      

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    Sara Sarwar Riazposted 10 years ago

    I am a novice at Hubpages having joined only a few weeks ago, but I do hear your concern. I am still figuring my way through the strategic aspects of this site and keeping up does seem like a challenge. My way of writing and expression is a deviation from the norm which is why I was apprehensive to join and share my work here. I must however admit that the support and feedback I have received from the more experienced hubbers, has been overwhelming. I feel up against the challenge and will be working hard at it in the times to come. All I can say is, reaching out for support does help to revive inspiration… something we tend to lose in the whirlwind of worries and woe. All the best !

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       Dan W Millerposted 10 years agoin reply to this

       Seek these pros advice and they will come to your rescue, SSR! I love 'em.

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    oshamierah spenceposted 10 years ago

    yeah

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    Austinstarposted 10 years ago

    As with all things, it's best to write what you know!

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    calculus-geometryposted 10 years ago

    I didn't enjoy this forum post as much as your very first missive on the topic of your angst-filled relationship with HP -- 20 months ago -- http://hubpages.com/forum/topic/112868 , but this one is okay too.  Keep that fire under your bum lit!

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       Dan W Millerposted 10 years agoin reply to this

       
       
       Oh that was epic, wasn't it? My facebook audience loves it too when I blast off for whatever reason. I'm serious and they think it's funny. Although I will check my rant and have to laugh at my reason for such concern... much like I did on this minor temper tantrum. Sure feels great to get some very useful feedback from you supportive authors whom I cherish.

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    Good Guyposted 10 years ago

    Hi Dan,
    
    Just read your profile page.  You are such an interesting guy with so much experiences and encounters in your life.  And your achievements too.  I can't believe you don't have much to write.  If you can be comfortable with other sites, there is every reason that you should like this site. 
    
    I spend most of my time on Hubpages, mostly writing hubs.  I can vouch that Hubpages is the best writing platform around.  You can't find another writing site that is so user-friendly.    I am with Hp for four years already, and with 202 hubs and still counting.  And I enjoy every second of it, here in Hubpages.

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       Dan W Millerposted 10 years agoin reply to this

       I DO have some adventures to tell. But complacency takes over, I get reluctant to write for fear of recieving a crappy score then my interesting story will plod along with a mediocre rating. Then I appear to be a failure to the general reading public.
       Many times it seems A STORY is not what the HubPages Czars want to hear. They seem to want a fem based how to instruction manual on baking holiday themed cookies (as a comical but nearly truthful example) not how to throw a wicked curve.
       So I get stressed, frustrated and go back to entertaining the troops on facebook and/or Twitter where I write A LOT albeit in spurts but still probably 100 posts and comments per day.
       Thank you for your insightful advice though! I will apply it towards my hubs.
       
       

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    Jodahposted 10 years ago

    Dan, I know you have your own Facebook page and a huge number of followers there. Why don't you put links to your hubs and advertise them there. What's the point of having all those Facebook friends if they won't read your other work and show you some support?

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       Dan W Millerposted 10 years agoin reply to this

       My #1 fan has spoken and I listen. Thx, Jo!

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    CatherineGiordanoposted 10 years ago

    I'm a woman with no interest in boxing, but I like stories about family.  When you write the blurb for your hub, be sure to include something about the so called female aspects of the story. As for ideas, I have so many ideas, I will never be able to write them all.  Keep a list. As you go through your day, you will have numerous things happen that can spark an idea for a hub--newspaper stories, things people say, something that happens in a store, a lecture, a book, even other hubs. Consistency can help. Commit to one new hub a week or two new hubs a month. Set aside an hour once or twice a week to read and comment on others' hubs. Think of HP as a place to share your interests and opinions and derive satisfaction from doing it well.  Everything else will fall into place. Don't get discouraged.

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    FatFreddysCatposted 10 years ago

    You sound like me two and a half years ago. I'd been here over a year at that point (after being suckered in by one of those oh-so-attractive ads for HubPages on Monster.com, which promised that I could "EARN MONEY AS A BLOGGER"), and I'd written a whole bunch of what I thought were pretty good pieces. Yet my traffic (and therefore my Adsense earnings) were still comatose... at best.  I tried to keep up with all the rule changes, followed all the suggestions about proper placement of product capsules, optimal word counts, use of videos, polls, etc., etc. but still was never able to gain much traction.
    
    I thought about saying "F*** it" and starting my own blog, but reasoned that if my stuff was being ignored here, then it probably would be ignored there too. I was only pickin' up pennies here, but even pennies were better than nothing at all.
    
    Soooo... I finally decided to quit stressing about it and simply treat this site as a hobby/distraction.
    
    I acknowledge the fact that I'm a "niche" guy. I like writing about bands/musicians/movies that most people either forgot about twenty years ago, or simply didn't give a crap about in the first place. Which is all well and good but I'm competing against hundreds of other, more well established sites/pages which cover the same ground and are all fighting for the same small pool of Google searchers. 
    
    I don't cook or travel, so I can't write recipe or travel hubs. I am not particularly crafty or handy, so I couldn't write a "how to" or a craft hub if my life depended on it.  After all this time I think I understand the "rules" of online writing well enough that I could probably fake that kind of stuff if I put my mind to it, but I'd feel like a sell out. I can't bring myself to write crap like "10 Hot New Tea Cozy Ideas" just to make money.
    
    I write about what I like and what I know. If someone reads it and digs it, great. If not, then I say "f*** it," write another one and try again. No, it's not the profitable way to do things but it's certainly a hell of a lot less stressful.
    
    I may never reach that hallowed place where I receive a payout every month, but at least I'm keepin' it real!! Rant over.

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    CatherineGiordanoposted 10 years ago

    I looked at your Rocky hub.  I have a few suggestions about the pictures.  I usually lead with a 2 or 3 sentence "tease" where I tell the reader what the hub is about and why they should read it. Then I will have a full-screen picture. The picture has to convey the message of the hub in a glance. It reinforces the tease. For instance clip art of boxing gloves or a boxer with his gloved hand raised in victory. I would use free software, like picmonkey, to add the text to the picture "Who is the real Rocky Balboa?  I look for pictures with bright colors. Now you have my attention, I know what the piece is about, and I want to read it. The pictures you have are too busy to be the lead picture. All your pictures are at the end. Move the pictures so they are full width between the capsules or half width inside the capsules. An entire screen of text is very unappealing.  Also, I may read the captions on the pictures, and that has given you another opportunity to capture my interest. I hope this helps.

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    CatherineGiordanoposted 10 years ago

    If you want to attract female readers who don't care about boxing, put something in there that most females care about--family.  Add a line like this to the tease:  "What my father taught me about boxing...and life."  Now tell the story about the real Rocky. You can include what your father taught you--perseverance, hard work, etc. in the relevant capsules or you can just put it all in a capsule at the end. You have now broadened your topic and will thus get more readers. I'm interested in life lessons. I'm interested in family.
    
    Just my opinions.  I'm far from the expert.  Perhaps there are others who know way more than me, who can add to what I have said.

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       Dan W Millerposted 10 years agoin reply to this

       One of the most detailed and precise comments chock full of real meat and substance, Cathy Gee. I need specifics and then lead around by the hand to perform with confidence later on my own. Such are the great suggestions you have bestowed upon me, for which I am most appreciative!
       
       

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       colorfuloneposted 10 years agoin reply to this

       That is good advice, Catherine. I need to think more about what readers want to read about.

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