Introduction - Any Tips & Tricks?

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  1. Slipperhat profile image59
    Slipperhatposted 7 years ago

    Hello all!

    Just thought I would say hello to the community as a new Hubber. I apparently registered four years ago, but I published my first hub last night! I've always found writing very cathartic, I figured I may as well publish my ramblings somewhere.

    I would appreciate any tips & tricks to getting started on here, perhaps something you wish you knew when you first started? Cheers!

    1. SakinaNasir53 profile image94
      SakinaNasir53posted 7 years agoin reply to this

      Hi Slipperhat! Welcome to HubPages. smile

      1. I believe it is always better to write about topics that you are genuinely passionate about.

      2. Avoid too much bold and italics.

      3. While linking, be careful to only link those that are absolutely essential.

      4. Amazon products, if included, must be directly related to the title of your hub. Also, you need to write at least 300 words as to why you recommend that particular product.

      5. Callout capsules are good to highlight important points.

      6. Tables are great to minimise information. Polls increase reader engagement.

      7. Use bullets and numbering format to give your hub a neater look and make it easily scannable.

      8. Always add images that are your own or those in the public domain  (copyright free). Pixabay, Pexels.com and Morguefile.com are great for free images. Flickr is good too. But you need to search for images in the Creative Commons there.

      9. Author Bio is a must for every hub. You can make upto 25 bios. Make sure you use them appropriately.

      10. We are always here for any help in the forums. Good luck with your hubs!

      1. Marisa Wright profile image85
        Marisa Wrightposted 7 years agoin reply to this

        Sakina, most of your advice is excellent - but where did you get the idea that you have to write at least 300 words about the product?  That's not correct.  One sentence is enough, although a paragraph is better.  The important thing is to convey why you recommend the product, and there is no word count rule.

        I think you are confusing the ratio of products to text.  The rule is that you can have a maximum of one product per 300 words of text in your Hub.  So, if you have a 900 word Hub you can have a maximum of 3 products.  But the words do not have to be about the products! 

        As you know, in practice you will never be anywhere near the maximum, because HP is so strict about products being relevant to the title of the Hub, and for most subjects you would not find enough perfectly suitable products.

        1. SakinaNasir53 profile image94
          SakinaNasir53posted 7 years agoin reply to this

          Thank you so much Marisa for clearing this. smile I got the wrong idea somehow.

    2. profile image0
      Christy Kirwanposted 7 years agoin reply to this

      Welcome to HubPages and congratulations on writing your first article! These forums are a great place to come if you have any questions. smile

      1. Slipperhat profile image59
        Slipperhatposted 7 years agoin reply to this

        Thank you Christy smile

  2. deventraveler profile image39
    deventravelerposted 7 years ago

    Welcome Sliperhat to hub community.
    Post what you you like and experienced. It can't be copied from anywhere on internet. Avoid promotional content here. Your content should be meaning full and grammatically error free

  3. theraggededge profile image87
    theraggededgeposted 7 years ago

    Welcome to Slipperhat (Harry). Congratulations on a well-written, well-researched, grammatically correct, beautifully formatted, original hub. Very interesting.

    Welcome also to deventraveler. Love your advice and look forward to reading your first hub.

    1. Slipperhat profile image59
      Slipperhatposted 7 years agoin reply to this

      Thank you Bev for such kind words!

    2. deventraveler profile image39
      deventravelerposted 7 years agoin reply to this

      Thank You theraggededge!  nice to found such noble person here.. Happy to connect with you.

  4. theraggededge profile image87
    theraggededgeposted 7 years ago

    Also an author bio for every hub is not essential. Even for niche hubs. I haven't got round to doing one yet smile I'm so lazy!

  5. wilderness profile image89
    wildernessposted 7 years ago

    Congratulations on posting a great hub!  Are you sure that you don't have a couple of dozen under your belt already? smile

    (I did find one error in the hub: "specialised" is spelled with a "z", not an "s".  You Brits need to learn to spell! big_smile )

    Best advice I could give you is to spend some real time, as in hours or days, studying the learning center.  It was invaluable when I began several years ago and has been much improved since.

    1. Slipperhat profile image59
      Slipperhatposted 7 years agoin reply to this

      Thank you very much, it's indeed my first!

      Ahh you Yanks wink. Is it okay to stick to British English spelling and grammar?

      I had no idea about the learning centre, but I'll be certainly checking it now.

      1. theraggededge profile image87
        theraggededgeposted 7 years agoin reply to this

        Yes, it's fine to use British spelling.

        I use a stupid mixture of both because I write for American publications all the time and I try to gauge what version of English the person I'm responding to uses.

      2. wilderness profile image89
        wildernessposted 7 years agoin reply to this

        LOL  Yes, it's fine.  Just a little poke at our friends across the pond. big_smile

        Joking aside, I have seen opinions that the language needs to conform to US standards because that's where the large majority of HubPages readers come from.  Not sure that I agree, but the opinion is floating around out there and that "specialised" did kind of jump out at me.

        Personally, I find the differences in both spelling and terminology (what in the world is a "pram", or a "loo"?) to be interesting and rather fun.  Broadens the horizons a bit, don't ya know?

        1. Slipperhat profile image59
          Slipperhatposted 7 years agoin reply to this

          What's life without a little bit of rivalry between the Yanks and Limeys!

          I think for myself, not being a writer and having never written for American publication, I would have to take a huge amount of care to ensure American spelling. I'll stick with British for now and if I'm picked up I'll adapt smile.

          Speak for yourself big_smile! Pants are worn under your trousers in this country wink.

          1. wilderness profile image89
            wildernessposted 7 years agoin reply to this

            lol

    2. theraggededge profile image87
      theraggededgeposted 7 years agoin reply to this

      Either is acceptable, Wilderness - after all we've been writing English for a very long time big_smile

      1. wilderness profile image89
        wildernessposted 7 years agoin reply to this

        Oh, I know, ragged, and even find both spelling and terminology interesting and fun.  It was a part of what I enjoyed in the Harry Potter series, and it would be sad if those poor, disadvantaged Brits ever learned how to speak or write correctly! big_smile

  6. theraggededge profile image87
    theraggededgeposted 7 years ago

    Learning Center (or Centre, for Brits) https://hubpageshelp.com

  7. hiichichi profile image59
    hiichichiposted 7 years ago

    Wow, the most important thing is that you did a hub at last. Well done.

 
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