Sites In the Works

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   Christy Kirwanposted 8 years ago

   In case you didn't catch last week's Newsletter, you can find a list of niche sites we plan to release so far and/or are already working on here:
   
   Diet & Fitness
   Video Games
   Arts & Crafts
   Home & Garden
   Alternative & Supernatural Beliefs
   TV & Movies
   Parenting
   Music
   Personal Finance
   Health
   Dating & Relationships
   Creative Writing & Quotes
   Technology
   Holidays
   Animals
   Education
   Sports & Hobbies
   Travel
   
   We aren't sure of the order the sites will be launched in yet, and these aren't necessarily the only sites we will be launching, but they're the ones we have in the works currently.

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      gerimcclymposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      Looks great.
      
      I don't see Business/Employment listed but I can only venture to guess you will add this later as it seems to be a hot topic.

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      Venkatachari Mposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      What about Food and Recipes? Will it be separate are clubbed with Diet and Fitness? I hope Diet and Fitness will not suit for recipes.

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         Christy Kirwanposted 8 years agoin reply to this

         Our food and recipe site, Delishably, has already been launched.

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            paradigmsearchposted 8 years agoin reply to this

            Last call to add my remaining, relevant hubs...

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            Venkatachari Mposted 8 years agoin reply to this

            Okay, thanks for the information which I forgot.

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      Marisa Wrightposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      The word "Arts" means "the various branches of creative activity, such as painting, music, drama and dance".   
      
      I'm assuming what HubPages means is ART (singular) and Crafts, as I can't see how drama and dance would sit well on a site with crafts.   
      
      Sounds like the Performing Arts are out of luck.

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         makingamarkposted 8 years agoin reply to this

         A Crafts only site would work much better.
         
         There's nothing worse than having art sites swamped by Crafts.
         
         PS Mine will be moving elsewhere.

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      Glenn Stokposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      That's great news! I fall into several of these categories.

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      jimmarposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      Are my existing hubs which are relevant to niche sites automatically placed on the new site?

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         TIMETRAVELER2posted 8 years agoin reply to this

         Of course not.  Each hub is individually vetted for the site.  Only the best will be moved over.

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      eugbugposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      Will science be lumped in with technology? On HubPages science forms part of the education category, but on KindredBond.com it's not part of education.

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   FatFreddysCatposted 8 years ago

   Woo hoo! Bring'em on! That's me all over!

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   Phyllis Doyleposted 8 years ago

   Thanks for sharing this list with us, Christy. This gives us a better idea of what type hubs to focus on.
   
   I have a question on 'Travel'. Will that niche include hubs about historical or other great places to visit? (ie: National Parks, designated National Register of Historic Places, best campsites for visiting popular places, etc.)

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   Phyllis Doyleposted 8 years ago

   Will mythology ever have a niche? I love to write about ancient mythology and beliefs.

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   jansharesposted 8 years ago

   Thank you, Christy, I missed the newsletter. I'm excited and hopeful about my hubs getting on a few of these sites. Woohoo!

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   Wesman Todd Shawposted 8 years ago

   Sounds good to me. I see the subjects where I seem to do well enough will be covered. That's all I can ask for.
   
   So when whatever I have is not selected on the first pass, that will let me know the specific page is either in need of improvement, or not a viable page specific subject of much worth.
   
   I actually kinda hope you all will take it slow, as I'd like to get a lot more done before things get launched, but in any event, I'll keep working.

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   LuisEGonzalezposted 8 years ago

   Kind of disappointed that I do not see where photography will fit in any of these categories.

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      Phyllis Doyleposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      I think that photography is an art, like painting or writing, and would be included in Arts and Crafts.
      Photography is considered in the art and design genre by many.
      
      The works of Edward S. Curtis, Ansel Adams and many other famous photographers is seen as fine art.

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         LuisEGonzalezposted 8 years agoin reply to this

         OK, if that's so ...then I'm a bit more relieved. Thanks!

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            Phyllis Doyleposted 8 years agoin reply to this

            +1    You are welcome. Glad that makes you feel better.

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         makingamarkposted 8 years agoin reply to this

         The only serious sites that get looked at by people interested in photography are photography ONLY sites.
         
         To subsume it into an art and crafts site would only serve to replicate the existing problems with that category - which is that it is NOT a niche and actually has been set up to serve a number of different audiences.
         
         The whole point of a niche site is that you create a clear focus for one audience. Otherwise HP is just wasting its time and your time.

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            LuisEGonzalezposted 8 years agoin reply to this

            That's what has me worried. For example here my hubs usually fall under entertainment-arts & design. I don't see many who are looking for photographic articles looking unders arts and especially not if they are accompanied by crafts. Like makingamark said, photography should be a stand alone niche site........Oh well....C'est la Vie!

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               makingamarkposted 8 years agoin reply to this

               The thing is I've already produced one highly focused site - which I've not even transferred all my sites to yet (intentionally - I like a long slow build with Google - it always pays off!)
               
               That site is now pulling very high traffic numbers - far higher than anything I had on Squidoo or here. Plus I set up a Facebook Page to provide a social media support for it - and that rocketed from zero to over 700 followers in just over 10 days.
               
               If you've already got a following for your tightly focused niche - particularly one which you can continue to grow over time - and you're not happy with the new categories I'd very much recommend looking at creating your own niche site. It'll cost you more but you'll also have 100% of the revenues.

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      paradigmsearchposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      Your profile score should be at least 10 points higher. Not kidding.

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   julieann26posted 8 years ago

   @Venkatachari M
   
   Food and Drink already have a website called Delishably

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   UnnamedHaraldposted 8 years ago

   Kind of hoping there would be a "history" site. Maybe later? I hope "history" is not relegated to some deep, dark layer buried under "education". "History" is a great evergreen topic. End of self-serving comment.

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      Judi Beeposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      Your comment has my self-serving support 

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      Sparrowletposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      Mine too, I have lots of history hubs that do well.

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      gerimcclymposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      A history site.... YES!

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         Sue Adamsposted 8 years agoin reply to this

         Hear hear!
         
         Do our team leaders hear, zat ist die kvestion...

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            paradigmsearchposted 8 years agoin reply to this

            You and I have a long way to go to make things right.

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      Kaili Bissonposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      Not self-serving and I'm with you! History should be prominent somewhere, not buried. Maybe my WWI hubs have a chance  :-)

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    paradigmsearchposted 8 years ago

    Meanwhile...
    
    Thanks. It's on my website as we speak.

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    Sue Adamsposted 8 years ago

    Currently, according to
    http://hubpages.com/topics/tree
    where you can find all topics and subtopics,
    
    @LuisEGonzalez
    Photography is currently listed under Arts and Design. So rest assured, Photography is not going to be included in Arts and Crafts, let us hope.
    
    I agree with makingamark  that Photography should have its own independent niche site. It could have all existing subtopics:
    
    Art Photo Essays (25 Hubs)
    Black & White Photography (16 Hubs)
    Classic Photos (4 Hubs)
    Color Photography (10 Hubs)
    Darkroom & Processing (10 Hubs)
    Digital Photography (81 Hubs)
    Lightroom (4 Hubs)
    Famous Photographs (4 Hubs)
    I suggest adding here: Famous Photographers
    Fashion Photography (4 Hubs)
    History of Photography (10 Hubs)
    Matting  & Framing (5 Hubs)
    Nature & Wildlife Photography (75 Hubs)
    Photographers (19 Hubs)
    Photographic Portraits (20 Hubs)
    Photography Collections & Catalogues (11 Hubs)
    Photography Criticism & Review (12 Hubs)
    Photography Equipment (33 Hubs)
    Photography Exhibits (2 Hubs)
    Photography Instruction & How-Tos (134 Hubs)
    Photography Composition (12 Hubs)
    Selling Your Photography (10 Hubs)
    Using a Camera (16 Hubs)
    Photography Lighting (13 Hubs)
    Photojournalism (3 Hubs)
    Photos in Cinematography (0 Hubs)
    Professional Photography (14 Hubs)
    Travel Photography (25 Hubs)
    
    The present rule of having to have at least 20 articles in a subtopic to become a recognized category could be waved to give those thinner subtopics a chance to grow.
    ___________________________________________________________
    
    @Marisa "Sounds like the Performing Arts are out of luck. "
    Performing Arts, Dance, Ballet, are listed under Entertainment and Media.
    
    Neither of those two main topics (Arts and Design and Entertainment and Media) are on Christy's list (yet).

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       LuisEGonzalezposted 8 years agoin reply to this

       God I hope you are right! Thanks for the well thought response.

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       makingamarkposted 8 years agoin reply to this

       The point is that photography already has a number of specialist sites - so something with a sub-category of a general art and design category has no chance - especially if that category is swamped in crafts.
       
       Photography is also a topic which provides lots of angles for growth as Sue has demonstrated - and that's why the niche sites are already out there. A new photography site - as a  niche - would take some to grow but would be a much more worthwhile proposition in the long run.
       
       The thing is all new categories MUST start from the audience.
       
       It has to be ONE AUDIENCE i.e. why veggie cooking sites do better for owners than veggies as a sub-category of a normal recipe site

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          makingamarkposted 8 years agoin reply to this

          Sue - yes they are on Christy's list
          
          She has the DREADED "Arts & Crafts" - which will be a failure because it will NOT be addressing the niche audience it needs to address.
          
          eg watercolour painting is a niche audience, crochet is a niche audience; they don't have the same niche audience!
          
          I shall be ignoring it - because it won't work any better than the existing category and carrying on with the transfer of my hubs to my proper niche sites.

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             Sue Adamsposted 8 years agoin reply to this

             If you look again at http://hubpages.com/topics/tree you'll find that Arts and Design is where Photography is currently listed.
             The topic Arts and Crafts doesn't actually feature on the current list. It is a new invention. I agree with all of you that a site for Arts and Crafts is far too generic to include such a major topic as Photography which should have its very own niche site.

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                makingamarkposted 8 years agoin reply to this

                I agree that where Photography is at present.
                
                All I mean is that the new categories are NOT niche sites. Niches are driven by audiences - not by what's a convenient way of splitting up the content of a mega site.
                
                If HP think that is how you create a niche site then they won't be succeed in the competition with all the other genuine niche sites.

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          Sue Adamsposted 8 years agoin reply to this

          Exactly, the current topics list must be dismantled into [b]much more specific /[b] new niche sites.
          
          For example, a new niche site exclusively on Ballet would be appropriate. There is a huge audience for ballet.
          A new niche site exclusively on Yoga (a fast growing audience) could publish all aspects of Yoga as a complete lifestyle, including eating the right kinds of food, wearing comfortable clothes, using body-friendly furniture etc. So there may even be some cross-over, even [i]duplication[i] of certain subtopics among various niche sites.
          
          The key is this: A niche site must be designed as if the team were the experts on any niche. In this endeavour, perhaps they would be wise to consult resident expert authors before creating far too generic sites which will fall into the same trap as we are in now.

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             lobobrandonposted 8 years agoin reply to this

             This!

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             makingamarkposted 8 years agoin reply to this

             Not "as if" authors are experts
             
             They MUST be experts. If not then the site will get one-time visitors only.
             
             Experts with knowledge not easily available elsewhere is what gets people making return visits.
             
             The "same old, same old" regurgitated for the nth time is NOT what makes a niche site.
             
             PS Any authors with any degree of expertise have already left and/or are already in the process of leaving as they set up their own niche sites!  HP forgot to make "experts" feel valued.....

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    paradigmsearchposted 8 years ago

    

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       Jesse Drzalposted 8 years agoin reply to this

       Bwaahaaa!!

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       LuisEGonzalezposted 8 years agoin reply to this

       LMAO!!!!!!
       Thanks you made my day with this simple cartoon.

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    lobobrandonposted 8 years ago

    Hahaha PD

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    theraggededgeposted 8 years ago

    Just had notice that a few of my art/craft hubs are being moved to 'feltmagnet'. None of them have anything to do with felting. Surely there's a better option for painting, drawing and journaling hubs?

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       Millionaire Tipsposted 8 years agoin reply to this

       There's a felted cat cushion hub in the mix.  Seriously, felt makes me think of 70's crafts.  I know people do things with felted wool now, but they don't call it felt. Felt is stuff for children's crafts, not expensive adult crafts.

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       makingamarkposted 8 years agoin reply to this

       Well the simple answer is that if HubPages moves stuff to a niche site which is inappropriate it's the same as waving "bye bye" to the content - either in terms of traffic or in literal terms.

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       Sue Adamsposted 8 years agoin reply to this

       Why are new sites not  announced anymore in the forum? Or have I missed the launch of "feltmagnet"?
       Is "feltmagnet" really an all encompassing domain for all arts and crafts? Photography too has been shoved into feltmagnet. Putting "Photography" under "feltmagnet" is so inappropriate.
       
       It seems that all our forum posts about the need for an independent photography site have been ignored.
       Maybe the new sites will be subdivided again as they grow?
       
       Dear oh dear... it looks like the team are too much in a hurry and fail to listen to us.

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    Adam Harkusposted 8 years ago

    Honestly, these new site names are really bad aren't they?

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       theraggededgeposted 8 years agoin reply to this

       Some of them are awful - it's as though no intelligent and rational thought has been applied. Never mind, I have a nice little wordpress site at the ready.
       
       Edit: every time my Amazon capsules get snipped, I go straight back in and put at least one of them back. Otherwise, there's no point in having articles here.

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       makingamarkposted 8 years agoin reply to this

       They are more than bad.
       
       They demonstrate very little comprehension of the sort of indicators which give reason for people to trust the site and the content it contains. In other words all the things that Google bangs on about as mattering if a site is to be taken seriously by them.....
       
       One can't help thinking "out of the frying pan......"

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       Annsaloposted 8 years agoin reply to this

       They should have opened this up to the writers and taken suggestions for names. But as usual they didn't bother asking the writers who make money for them what they wanted.

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    TeriSilverposted 8 years ago

    I have a lot of articles that I hope will be considered for these niche sites, but, also, I have written a number of hubs that fall under "nostalgia."  Baby-Boomers especially seem to like topics like these (here on HP and elsewhere).  This includes my pieces on vintage Barbie dolls/clothes/accessories; toys; soda pops, etc.  I hope HP won't be narrow in its vision on what makes a great niche site because people have a vast variety of interests ... and ... what is on these niche sites has already been done over and over and over ....I wrote many pieces in all of your topics for eHow and suite101, for example.  I hope that good pieces which do not fall under labeled categories are not ignored, merely because they don't, on the surface, fit a particular genre.

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    Thelma Albertsposted 8 years ago

    That sounds great. I hope one of my hubs will be included.

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    JJNWposted 8 years ago

    I hope the niches sites do well, but when I was at Squidoo they tried this same thing and I think it bombed.

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    meloncauliposted 8 years ago

    Any idea when the health niche site will be up and running please? Thanks

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       agilitymachposted 8 years agoin reply to this

       My one health hub got snipped.  That is usually a sign the site is upcoming.

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          meloncauliposted 8 years agoin reply to this

          Thanks. I have a few green symbols and some snipped and I mostly write on mental health. I do hope we hear soon.

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