I'd like feedback on my Hub: Replacing the Tabata Protocol with....the Shortest

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   Harmsposted 8 years ago

   Hi Hubbers,
   
   I'd like some help with passing the Quality Assessment Process. Will you please give feedback on my Hub Replacing the Tabata Protocol with....the Shortest Workout in the World." (must be signed in to view). What can I do to improve? Thanks!

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   Rupert Taylorposted 8 years ago

   Your headline is waaaay too long. There are far too many boldface and italic elements. None of your images are credited so it's impossible to know if you have the rights to them.
   
   I read a long way down the article and did not find out what the Tabata Protocol is nor what its replacement might be. In the end, I gave up.
   
   And, there are grammar errors.
   
   If you want to become part of HubPages read this
   
   https://hubpageshelp.com/

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      Harmsposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      How kind of you Rupert to take the time to help me with this. I am completely new to the field and it is a great help to get some spesific feedback as opposed to electronic stuff.
      I have tried very hard to proofread it again and again, and I am curious about the grammatical errors.
      KIndly pop me a line on that if you feel yourself so inclined.
      Much appreciated.
      Warm greetings

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         Rupert Taylorposted 8 years agoin reply to this

         The celebrated difference between the "Tabata Protocol", and "The world's shortest workout." Punctuation inside quotes or outside? My preference is inside, but you have to be consistent.
         
         "The World's Shortest Workout," provides a stress free alternative. Stress-free requires a hyphen.
         
         Hugely publisized. Should be publicized.
         
         meet it's strenous . Should be meet its strenuous ...
         
         Making your daily exercises, part of your established daily program. One of those dailys is redundant.
         
         That's as far as I've gone before having to get to my regular work. I suggest running your copy through a spell check program and software such as Grammarly - it's free.

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         Rupert Taylorposted 8 years agoin reply to this

         Added because it is a major error.
         
         "2.Were IS my Gym clothes?"  Should be "Where are my gym clothes?"

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            Harmsposted 8 years agoin reply to this

            Dear Rupert
            Thanks for the reply, and I hang my head in shame for such an obvious mistake.
            I have just read your hub on your best teacher, and what a delightfully entertaining experience. At once refreshing and unique.
            I consider myself fortunate to receive some tuition from you, and have concluded that it will be a real learning experience to read more of your hubs.
            No sugar coating intended, just a few honest remarks.
            Hope to hear from you again.

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               Rupert Taylorposted 8 years agoin reply to this

               Just trying to be helpful. I see below you ask whether we receive a reward for guiding new writers. There's nothing financial in it. All of us with experience got helping hands along the way. It's just time to pay it back. You'll find there's a willing community offering assistance at HubPages.

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   Marisa Wrightposted 8 years ago

   As Rupert says, the title of your Hub is too long, and so is the URL. Unfortunately the only way to change the URL is to start a new Hub and copy the information into it, then delete this Hub - but it would be worth it.
   
   When you start a new Hub, the URL is created as you type in the title - but you can change it, and it's better to make it shorter and get rid of hyphens if you can.
   
   The Hub reads like one of those "Gee Whizz" advertising websites that are offering to sell you a workout DVD that cost them $2.50 to make but they're going to charge you $99.99 - so it's hard to take seriously.   It feels like you're trying too hard - all that bold and italic is irritating.   Relax!
   
   I think you've got too many images. Sometimes they cause too much white space between paragraphs which is also irritating.  Also bear in mind that most readers on HubPages are using their mobile phone or tablet - on those devices, all photos appear full-width above their related paragraph, not below.  The risk with this Hub is that people will get fed up of having to scroll down past images that don't contribute much to their understanding.
   
   Finally, the new rules about Amazon capsules are very strict.  If you're going to use an Amazon capsule, the product must be directly related to the subject of your Hub. In this case, that means a DVD for Tabata or interval training.  You don't mention vitamins in the Hub so you can't have an Amazon capsule for vitamins.

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      Harmsposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      Your help is also of a very practical nature Marissa, and it gives me direction forward. The fact that many readers use their mobile phones, is also enlightening.
      You have really taken a lot of time and effort to give support, and I would like to thank you for that.
      I will definitely follow up all the practical suggestions given by you and Rupert, but at the same time feel a bit disheartened about my content.
      In this case I have not only written about a topic that I am passionate about, but about personal real life experience.
      I know that the claims I make sounds extravagant, but I also know them to be true and of a breakthrough nature, if I may be so bold to say that.
      Now it becomes a real challenge to think how I can convey my message without sounding the way you've explained it.
      Hoping that you could embroider a bit on that, if you are not too busy.
      But in any case, I have more than enough to work on for now.
      Hearty thanks indeed.

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         Harmsposted 8 years agoin reply to this

         I am now reading through your hub about:" How to Optimize your HubPages to Make Money." Very revealing, and the structure of it gives me a good idea on what to do and what not.
         Thanks.

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            Marisa Wrightposted 8 years agoin reply to this

            Glad it helps!  Good luck with it all.  There is a private message feature if you need some specific help:  go to my profile, click on "Fan Mail".  In the top right hand corner of the fan mail section, you'll see a link "send Marisa Wright an email".

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               Harmsposted 8 years agoin reply to this

               Thanks for the tip, I will certainly make use of it as the need arises, which seems to be pretty huge right now.
               Are you doing this for the sake of charity, or is there some form of reward for assisting lost souls?

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                  Marisa Wrightposted 8 years agoin reply to this

                  As Rupert says, it's a form of "pay it forward".   I had an enormous amount of help from other Hubbers when I started, it's only fair that I should continue the tradition.
                  
                  Also I am a sad sack living in a new town, and am therefore finding excuses to talk to people online instead of getting out and finding some real friends...

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                     Will Apseposted 8 years agoin reply to this

                     Strangely enough, I often picture you doing charity work in a big hat and sensible shoes in an area of town where spendthrift husbands and unsupervised children are rife.

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   Harmsposted 8 years ago

   Can you brief me, Your Highnesses, on the shortest and simplest way to give credit to photos?
   
   Much obliged!

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      Rupert Taylorposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      Hover over the image and then click on the Edit tab. Fill in Source and URL; I know it says optional but HP needs that information to verify that you have permission to use any images.

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   Harmsposted 8 years ago

   Also, the shortest and simplest way to credit an article or website that you want to refer to as supporting evidence for your hub/
   
   Do you need a lot of those, and do you make list of a link for that?

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      Marisa Wrightposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      HubPages is not Wikipedia, so you do not need to list all your sources exhaustively.  Readers find it annoying if there are too many blue links in an article - and let's face it, if they want more information on a topic, they can always Google it!
      
      So before linking to another website or article, consider whether it is really going to help your reader understand the topic under discussion - and don't include it if it doesn't.  Obviously, if you directly quote someone, then you DO need to give them credit and the best way to do that is right there:  you can either say "As Joe Bloggs said, yadda yadda...." and make Joe Bloggs a hyperlink, or give the quote and then put the author's or publication's name in brackets after, hyperlinked.  Because you're linking to the original, you don't need long credits (e.g. Joe Bloggs, NYT, 6/5/2001) because they can find all that information when they click on the hyperlink.
      
      For photos, check my  Hub on how to use photos, it's a bit more fiddly.

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   Harmsposted 8 years ago

   Many thanks Rupert. Must admit it is nice to learn about the shortcuts. Appreciate the input.

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   Harmsposted 8 years ago

   Thanx again Marisa. Very informative. I will check your photo hub out. Where do I find it?

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   Harmsposted 8 years ago

   Still not sure how you create highlighted text, that takes you to the hyperlink?? Please??

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      Marisa Wrightposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      You do it the same way you'd do it on a word processing program.   Highlight the text you want to hyperlink. Click on the chain icon (in the menu bar of the text capsule).  Paste in the URL you want to link to and Save.
      
      As for my photo Hub, take a look on the slider on my profile.

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   Harmsposted 8 years ago

   Many thanks again. These replies are invaluable!
   
   Jackpot question:- When do you actually start earning?
   
   My account is linked to Paypal, but it still says it is not activated?
   
   In the end it is all about money, and I am getting the feeling that participating here could be of use for others, but I do not seem to benefit.

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      Marisa Wrightposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      To earn anything at all, you first need to apply for an Adsense account.  There's no point in doing that yet:  Adsense will want to see evidence that you can write.  So you'll need at least 20 Hubs, and they must all be Featured (Featured doesn't mean they are fabulous, it's doublespeak - it just means that your Hubs are good enough to be published on the site.  UnFeatured Hubs are visible only to people you send a link to).
      
      Once you've got your Adsense account, you enter your Adsense ID on your Account page and then you activate the HubPages Earnings Program, and then you can start earning.

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    Harmsposted 8 years ago

    Super Marisa. That makes it abundantly clear. But is this not a bit, or even totally counter productive??
    
    Writing 20 good quality articles before you can even think of earning? Can that 20 articles not be spent much more productively elsewhere on the web?
    
    Starting one's own website, column, writing paid blogs etc.?

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       Marisa Wrightposted 8 years agoin reply to this

       Yes, indeed it can be more profitable to start your own blog or website - especially if you have expertise in a particular subject (as you do).  However, it's not as straightforward as it sounds.
       
       You can start a blog free at Blogger. There's a learning curve to getting it set up, but no worse than here - except that you won't have people like myself to ask when you get stuck. You'll be on your own, and you'll have to get used to Googling when you need help!
       
       Then you need to write content, as you're doing here.  It is vitally important to stick to one subject - many people make the mistake of thinking they can write anything they like but it's not so. It sounds as though you'd have no problem there, as you'd specialise in fitness.  However that is one reason why some people (like me) still write on HubPages - because when I get the urge to write about something other than dance, I can't put that on my own blogs - so HubPages is the next best thing.
       
       Now let's say you're writing good content and people are starting to visit. How will you make money from them?  Do you know how to place advertising effectively?  Do you have relationships with advertisers? If you're writing a good informative blog then you will get visitors but making money from them is a whole other skill.  I've helped several Hubbers set up their own blog but every one of them has fallen at this hurdle - the mechanics of making money from their readers is too complicated.  Whereas here on HP, once you get set up then that's all taken care of for you.
       
       Freelance writing - writing and selling articles - is a much more sensible way to make money and far more lucrative, but it's not easy to get started.

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    Harmsposted 8 years ago

    Many thanks Marissa. That is a healthy perspective and brings me more into the overall picture of making a living with freelance writing.

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    Harmsposted 8 years ago

    How do you get people to follow your hubs? Can I use friends on facebook and Linkedin to follow?

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       Marisa Wrightposted 8 years agoin reply to this

       This is another limitation of HubPages.   Your "followers" on HubPages are fellow Hubbers, who are writers like you.  You don't earn money from followers.  You earn money from people who arrive at your Hubs via Google, having found them because they were searching for an answer to a question or problem.  Those people don't join HubPages, they simply read - it's very rare for them to sign up to HubPages if they're not going to write, so you will never know who they are.
       
       If you have a blog, people can sign up to your RSS feed so they're notified when you write a new post - although it's far more effective to use a service like Mailchimp and invite them to sign up to your mailing list.   You can then send them a regular newsletter with extra tips and information, and in that newsletter you can market products and ebooks.   Once you have a decent-sized mailing list, you can start talking to advertisers using your list as evidence of your great following - they may then pay for advertising in your newsletter and on your site, which generally pays a lot better than merely putting ads on them.

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          Harmsposted 8 years agoin reply to this

          Insightful. Many thanks. Painfully so, My latest hub has been turned down again. Would really appreciate if you could take a quick peep at it!

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             Marisa Wrightposted 8 years agoin reply to this

             Yes, I'm afraid you have joined the world of "making money online" about five years too late.
             
             Five years ago, I would've told you, "Start a blog on your specialist topic, work full-time on it for two years, and you'll then be able to sit back and watch the money roll in with only a few hours' work each week".   
             
             Nowadays, all the professional bloggers I know are working longer hours than they did in their "real world" jobs.  And in fact, most of the professional bloggers I used to know, aren't blogging at all any more.   You may have heard the expression, "In a gold rush, the people who make money are the ones selling the shovels".  And that's what most of them have done:  they don't blog any more (or at least, only for fun) - they've moved up the chain and are designing websites or blogs for others, or offering SEO or social networking or ebook formatting services.
             
             You can make some nice pin money writing online but it will take serious study and a dedicated work if you want to turn it into an income.

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                Harmsposted 8 years agoin reply to this

                Many thanks, I think your analysis of what is happening on the web is spot on!
                It seems then that the portals for making good money writing online are actually closed, despite all the frantic advertising that wants to prove the opposite. According to you best knowledge what is the best way to go, and if it is pin money, is it worth the effort?

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                   Marisa Wrightposted 8 years agoin reply to this

                   It's entirely your personal choice.
                   
                   It is still possible to make money online but you do need to regard it as a job.  Like any job, to be successful you need the right knowledge and experience and it can take a year or two to get that.  Luckily with the internet world you can gain that while you're working.   Assuming you put in that effort, you can earn an income - but like any job, you get out what you put in.  If you work part-time, you'll make part-time money.  If you work full-time, you'll make full-time money.   In the old days you could write a whole bunch of articles then sit back and let them earn without any further work - it's not like that any more, there is always something that needs attention. Also, unless you're an unskilled worker or living in a third world country, your hourly rate will probably be less than you would earn in a real-world job.
                   
                   Some Hubbers are earning quite a good income from HubPages BUT that's because they are established, with a large number of Hubs which have built up a reputation over time.  Before the niche sites were launched, I'd have said newbies had no chance of achieving the same success.  There are promising signs that some of the niche sites may do very well indeed, and if that's the case - and you can get your Hubs accepted for those niche sites - then you could ride that wave.
                   
                   The safest way to go is to start your own website or blog but as I say, it's a big commitment and you'll have a learning curve ahead of you.  However HubPages is quite a good place to learn the ropes.
                   
                   On the other hand if you love writing, or sharing your expertise, as a hobby, then any money you make is a bonus.  Let's face it, how many hobbies are there where you can have fun AND earn from it?   The only problem is if you start with an expectation that it will pay a good hourly rate.

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                      Harmsposted 8 years agoin reply to this

                      Thanks, yes that seems to be the bottom line. There is a tendency to expect an easy well paying job after retirement. But I can tell you one thing...it is MUCH easier to get a very good income as a substitute teacher than trying to make it on the internet.

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                         Marisa Wrightposted 8 years agoin reply to this

                         Indeed you are right.  I started working online eight years ago in my spare time.  When my husband retired early, he wanted me to retire too and I was doing pretty well online, so I decided to try to create some passive income streams by writing on HubPages and running some blogs.
                         
                         It was all looking good until 2011, I was forecasting an income of at least $20,000 for that year even if I didn't write another article - and then Google changed the way is search engine worked, HubPages (and other revenue-sharing sites) lost 75-90% of their income.  It has never been quite the same since.  Like you, if I want to work for a living, I can earn a much better hourly rate doing almost anything else, even cleaning toilets!  So I treat it as a hobby these days.

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                            Harmsposted 8 years agoin reply to this

                            Many thanks again. I've sent an e-mail to your fanmail.

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    Harmsposted 8 years ago

    Can you please check your fanmail. Thanks.

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