How do people have time to be successful on Hubpages?!

1. 71

   RunningDeerposted 12 years ago

   How do people have time to be successful on Hubpages?!
   
   I just recently returned to school after a year long hiatus.  I am working two jobs and going to grad school.  I feel like I never ever have time to get on Hubpages to read articles, let alone write one.  How do people with children and jobs do it?  How does one tell life to back off for awhile and spend time on Hubpages? 
   
   Help!

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2. 66

   relacheposted 12 years ago

   I have time because 1) I don't have kids and 2) I committed several years back to making writing online so that I wouldn't have to have a regular day job.  This is just one of several sites I juggle to make my living. 
   
   If you want to be successful here, you have to make it a main task or top priority, not something you do casually.

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      Skarletposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Wow!  That is truly inspiring!   You don't have a day job?  Good for you.

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      Jackie Lynnleyposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      No day job? I say wow too.

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      somethgblueposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      relache is an inspiration to the rest of us as she has millions of page views to her credit, while the rest of us think more in terms of thousands.

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      Sherry Hewinsposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Yep, she's my role model. I don't have a job or kids anymore either, so no more excuses for me. Although I must say I wish I had started when I DID have a job.

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3. 67

   nakmeisterposted 12 years ago

   I tend to think about hubs when I'm working, plan them out in my head. When I commute on the train I shot ideas and bullet point lists down in my notebook. When I get the chance to write hubs, the actual writing doesn't take that long.
   
   Of course, I'm sure the most successful people on here are invariably ones that don't work or work part time. When you work full time and have other time commitments, you just aren't going to be able to spend the same amount of time writing.

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4. 72

   IOwnposted 12 years ago

   Don't focus on writing a finished Hub in a single day, just write little bits in what spare time you have, you will be surprised at how quick you will complete a Hub. I do this method and find it easier as your mind is fresh each time, if I write too much in a day I get lost for words anyway.

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      Faith Reaperposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Excellent advice!

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      prospectboyposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I think this is great advice as well.

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5. 89

   WannaB Writerposted 12 years ago

   I think  you have to be willing to succeed slowly over time if you do not have at least ten hours a week you can fully commit to writing on just HubPages. I barely have time to write anymore since I became politically more active, have a home business, and several blogs and web sites I have to keep updated. My writing life aside from that is spread between several sites.
   
   I only write hubs when I am internally motivated to make writing a particular hub a priority. That means I have a subject I urgently want to write about and also am convinced that HubPages is the best  place to write about it. Then I make time to write it -- even if it cuts into my sleeping time a bit.
   
   Normally my hub subjects are drawn from the rest of my busy life and events I'm already getting pictures of, so primarily the big job is just to sit down and write the hub. When I'm in the writing process, I don't let myself get distracted with social networking and I don't read anything else online unrelated to the job at hand.  Since I can't churn out hubs quickly, unless I have more time than usual to spare, I only get about one hub a week written on the average. I normally only have time for about one article a week now, and it sometimes goes to some site other than HubPages. Maybe the pace will slow again after the election and I can write more.
   
   It took me a long time to begin getting payouts here, and my goal is to get up to 100 hubs by the end of the year. Only after I had 50 hubs did I start earning money I could see and use. Those who can write one or more hubs a day begin earning faster and earn more than those of us who have to build our hub portfolio more slowly.  Life doesn't back off, but we have to set different priorities if we are to build up the number of great hubs we write. Make a goal and then stick with reaching it.

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6. 71

   SidKempposted 12 years ago

   HubPages is my half-time focus, and i still find it hard. It helps if you love writing. Setting your priorities, learning to say "no," and learning to insist that loved ones and friends all support you are big steps. Two resources that might help: Stephen Covey's 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (See my hubs about that) and The Artists Way by Julia Cameron.
   
   Keeping it simple helps, too. How about a commitment to write 1 hub a week?

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7. 66

   tnvrstarposted 12 years ago

   You can not be successful in Hubpages without investing your time properly here. It would require long term investment of time. It's a place where it takes time to earn money but once you are right in the right direction, you are going to earn decent revenue constantly.
   
   Just keep writing quality contents as much as you can. Do some SEO research to make Google happy. I have tried many revenue sharing website. Among them Hubpages is the best in terms of all aspects.

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8. 82

   Rosie writesposted 12 years ago

   I'm super busy with children, pets, full-time job, owning a separate small business with 3 employees, and graduate classes, but I find time late at night, early in the morning, weekend moments because I enjoy my time on Hubpages.  I hardly ever watch television - that is probably where some people may get distracted.

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9. 66

   rontlogposted 12 years ago

   Maybe use your holidays - Last year, I had a couple of weeks of holiday to take off work. I couldn't afford to go anywhere as I had already had my summer holiday, so I decided to spend part of my holiday writing one hub a day. The rest of the day I did what I wanted. At the end of that holiday, I had 16 new hubs and saw my traffic and earnings increase.

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10. 87

    Georgie Loweryposted 12 years ago

    I think the answer depends on how you describe success. If you're looking at it in terms of money, well, it will be nearly impossible for someone who works full time away from the internet and who also has a family to do. Personally, I don't have a job outside of the money I earn writing on HP and for some content sites. I also write very quickly and tend to make Hubs about subjects I already know quite a bit about.
    
    I also do not think that money = success. It's a heck of an incentive, but that's not the reason why I'm here. My success is coming in the increase in the quality of the work I'm putting out and the feedback I'm getting from my readers.

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11. 87

    billybucposted 12 years ago

    There is no easy answer for the question you posed.  Work two jobs? Grad school? I don't know how you could do it.  The ones who are really into HubPages, and that includes me, write full-time with no other major obligations.  The ones like you, with obligations overflowing, struggle as you do.  Best of luck to you!

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12. 89

    Imogen Frenchposted 12 years ago

    It depends on how you measure success.
    
    If you are talking of making money then you need to be spending quite a bit of time researching, writing and dedicating yourself to producing good quality hubs.
    
    If you measure success on achieving a realistic goal that you have the time and commitment to reach, then success is much easier to come by.
    
    As you are working two jobs and studying I am surprised you have any free time at all! I would work out how many hours a week you are prepared to commit, allocate a particular time slot to your writing and then use that time as constructively as you can. Remember to have fun with it though, and don't set yourself unrealistic goals, or you will be adding unnecessary stress to your life.
    
    Personally, I work full time, keep animals, grow vegetables and have two nearly grown up children who still manage to keep me busy. I manage to log on to hubpages in the evening after dinner for an hour or so most days, and read a few hubs, answer any comments I might have or start a new hub if I've had an idea that day. I tend to take a few days to complete a hub, or sometimes longer, while I collect information, and take pictures to illustrate it.

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    CZCZCZposted 12 years ago

    I agree with several of the others that have already answered that it depends on hat your idea of success is.  I just enjoy having a great platform and easy tools to use for writing articles about topics that are interesting to me.  I have made a little money (now receive a check every 6-8weeks).  I don't dedicate huge amounts of time to working on hubpages, but have tried to do something active on the site each day, whether that is writing a hub, making a comment, answering a question, etc. and over time this has helped me gain a better presence here on hubpages, but also learned several things along the way that help with the other things I do each day online to make money.

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14. 47

    Ericdierkerposted 12 years ago

    RunningDeer, first off cut yourself some slack. I am married to a wonderful woman who works two jobs and goes to school. And is doing a wonderful job with our 2+ year old. But she has to have relaxation time also. I think for many of us it is our relaxation time. It is just who we are that we write and read rather than something else. Keep in mind though that I am not successful on hubpages -- Yet.

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15. 81

    missa72542posted 12 years ago

    It looks as if everyone that answered before me has pretty much covered all of the basis with advice.
    
    I don't have a job or kids, so my days are free and i can write whenever I wish. I've been trying to keep a commitment of writing at least 5 hubs a week and i've been doing decent so far. I've slipped on a couple days that I've felt sick or just wasn't in the mood.
    
    For the few weeks that I've been here, I've only made a total of $3, but it seems to go up a tad bit every day and I can definitely see the potential to make money here, but you HAVE to work hard at it. You need to treat it like an actual job to make a decent amount.
    
    I wish you the best of luck

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16. 68

    Nellieannaposted 12 years ago

    As many have said, it depends on how you measure success here, first of all; and then what other priorities there are in your life.  "Priority" is the keyword, whatever one's motivation for writing hubs.  My thought for someone with a full, possibly a bit stressful schedule such as yours who also loves to write, would be to use Hubpages as a respite, a way to relax and express yourself as suits you without pressure to focus on other kinds of success here.  That IS a valuable 'success' in itself.
    From there perhaps the perspective for other aims for it would more naturally emerge.
    I've had limited time for it when I had to 'steal' my time for it from my sleeping time.  I still have a schedule of priority duties but they're less diictated by others' needs and more in my control. But it always requires juggling time.  It  can become either an obsession or a burdensome 'added chore'.  It's up to us to keep it in balance.

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17. 90

    Jlbowdenposted 12 years ago

    I believe Relache hit the nail on the head by answering this question for you.  But if you do have a full plate already with grad school, two jobs and any children, then it certainly can be difficult to juggle a full-time freelance career here on hubpages for example. 
    
    Some of the moms who are successful and make good monthly income here, are stay at home moms for the most part, and home school their kids. This is at least the case with a few of the writers here.  But if you have the desire to write for hubpages for example, you can be at least a part-time successful freelancer.
    
    You have to incorporate some excellent time management skills for one, and find some free time to pencil into your calendar, to either write in the early morning hours, or late hours of the night, to write, for at least two hours at a time.  Possibly take a slot of time....let's say 3 hours on a Friday evening, and 3 hours on a Sunday afternoon to do your writing, if this can be managed into your current time schedule.  If there is a will, than there is a way...as the saying goes!  Hope this helps you out a little and good luck
    
    Jl

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    Duchessoflilac1posted 12 years ago

    You make time. You answer questions when you have something you can offer.
    Your dilemma is a time management issue. You are juggling, work, school and children. If this is something you want to do, pencil it into your busy schedule. Good luck.

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    alvairsposted 12 years ago

    Well first of all, life never back off. Life comes at you with everything that your chosen path has to offer, the good, the bad, the ugly, and the indifference.
    You can only try to put things in an order that allows for your me time to explore your hub interest.
    My personal view on how to be successful on hub pages are, creative writing, content that captures the readers interest, humor plays a big part in captivating an audience, knowledge of the topic illustration, good writing, proper spelling, and determination to produce great topics. Good luck with school.

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20. 92

    vocalcoachposted 12 years ago

    I spend every free minute I have on Hubpages.  I have alot going on in my life, but I manage my time in such a way that I can ususally find 3 or more hours a day for Hubpages.
    
    I "shuffle " other projects around writing, reading and commenting. My goals might be something like this:
    
    1.  Read and comment on 6 hubs.
    
    2.  Reply to 8 comments.
    
    3.  Begin a new hub or complete one in the works.
    
    4. Share 10 hubs I have read on social networking sites.
    
    5. Do some hub-hopping.
    
    6. Answer at least 1 question each day.
    
    7. Welcome 4 new hubbers.
    
    8. Find  2 new hubbers and read and comment on a hub.
    
    9. Spend some time revising and updating hubs with low traffic.
    
    10.Update 1 old hub.
    
    1l. Collapse

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    1. 89

       WannaB Writerposted 12 years agoin reply to this

       Amazing! I used to have that kind of time, but now I have had to add about eight hours a week in meetings due to new commitments. That comes from my writing time.

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       SidKempposted 12 years agoin reply to this

       Thanks! This is an amazing list, and you've inspired me to accelerate my efforts.

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21. 79

    Lwelchposted 12 years ago

    What is success for you?  I came here to share information about pulmonary embolism survival.  Hubpages is easier than starting my own website as they manage my stats, tell me about dead links, and take care of page layout.
    
    I had success because I filled a gaping hole.  I write 4 articles a month.  Sometimes, when I have less time, they aren't as good as others, but it is done no matter what.
    
    I don't backlink.  i do share my hub on survivor sites and other places when I read a relevant blog (I leave my links in comments). 
    
    My main success came from time.  It took 1.5 years to get my first check from google.  On Amazon I have only earned maybe 15 dollars in my time here.  Now when the hubpages earning program started that was a boon.
    
    The longer I have been around, the more hits I get.  One page gets 200/day.  I never started for income.  I allowed ads as it would offset a fraction of my time writing.  My success is my readers and my gift to the world.  Writing in this manner though has grown my income here as well.  I am aiming for $100 in earnings this month.  I get about that once a year from Adsense.  As you see earnings here are much better!
    
    HP takes care of the grunt work of owning a page.  I just have to write something every now and then.
    
    I would recommend using hubpages to help you study.  Why not write about what you are in school for.  Writing a researched hub really will make you learn about a topic.  This will combine studying and hubbing!

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       purnimamoh1982posted 12 years agoin reply to this

       Really appreciate your strategy. Thanks

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    spartucusjonesposted 12 years ago

    I am not going to add too much, because everyone else basically covered it with their answers. I do have one possible tip which could help write hubs more quickly. Depending on what you are going to school for, some of your research papers or essays may be able to be modified and converted into hubs.
    
    Because I am in the hubpages apprenticeship program I am required to write 8 hubs a month. Because life gets in the way I may fall behind (and I am not nearly as busy as you). So usually I have some backup hub topics (which I already have the titles saved) which I can write fairly quickly because I have already done previous research or writing on it.

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    Deborah Brooksposted 12 years ago

    The Hub is my job.. and sometimes and a lot of times I  fall short of keeping up on the hub.. I sometimes have to take a step have to....  but I keep trying..
    hugs..
    Debbie

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    MichaelJohnMeleposted 12 years ago

    I find that a wiffleball bat with spikes on it is a good way to get life (and people) to back away from you when you need alone time. I'm not one for violence, but some times you just got to go all hammer time on folks to get your point across.

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    Heather Saysposted 12 years ago

    I personally have to make time for Hubpages.  I spend about an hour a day "working" in some fashion, whether it be writing or cooking a meal and taking pics that will later become a hub.  I try to do actual writing early in the day so I can't use the excuse that I'm exhausted.  Sometimes, to give myself a boost and sense of urgency, I'll tell myself, "I need to finish this article by 2:00 o'clock."  Giving myself a deadline like a real task or job is helpful-- sometimes I use an egg timer so I don't waste time on facebook!  I know it can be tough.  I divide my time between working, my husband, our dog, hubpages, and (trying) to keep our large house clean.  There aren't enough hours in the day but if I really force myself, I can be pretty productive on Hubpages for a mere 15 minutes.

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    mackyiposted 12 years ago

    I guess it boils down to time management! Honestly, when you have passion for writing or have the desire to earn a few extra dollars to supplement your income, sometimes you have to burn the candle at both ends!
    
    In your case, it seems as if you are swamped with school work and job responsibilities.  A few years ago, I was in your shoes, and believe me, it was rough. In fact, I wasn't even blogging at that time, because I couldn't find the time to research and write.
    I suggest that each time you have a little time to spare, you can make jottings on anything you would like to write about, before you know, you might have enough information to create a beautiful hub or two!

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27. 79

    Johnrr631992posted 12 years ago

    Well for me, as I am a college student as well, this is particularly my job. I don't really read many hubs sadly, but I do earn enough each month to keep me satisfied. I try to set aside certain times to do Hubpages, and in the end as long as I see a payout every month, I have no problem spending time here.

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    GoGreenTipsposted 12 years ago

    I agree its difficult trying to juggle all of life's responsibilities...and then add something else into the mix. I work full time, have two other blogs I try to keep up on and have to do some juggling, I can imagine what it's like having two jobs and school.
    
    I set reasonable goals for myself, ones I can achieve. I write one hub a week, and one post for each of my blogs. It seems to work. It gives me the time to enjoy what I'm doing, which I think is a big part of finding the time. If we enjoy what we're doing..well we find the time.
    
    Since I enjoy writing hubs and that's the entire process, researching, writing and editing. I find the time. And as long as my goals are achievable, I feel good afterwards.

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29. 73

    AEvansposted 12 years ago

    I have time because I take the time out of a hectic day to work toward my writing goals. I set aside at least a couple of hours a week and consider it time to relax and enjoy for a little while.

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    Alucard_1990posted 12 years ago

    Write about something that you know intimately well (or potentially could) that you think people will run a Google search for.
    
    (>'.')>

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    watergeekposted 12 years ago

    I don't know, I don't have time to answer this question (jk). I'm currently drawing unemployment and using this as my "job" to keep myself active and workish. Otherwise, I would be writing nights and weekends - maybe 2 short hubs a week. With your schedule, I can see why it would be hard to find time.

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    tillsontitanposted 12 years ago

    Like anything else, you get out of hubpages what you put into it.  It is not always easy to find time and someone in your position definitely has a lot going on and I would imagine not much time for HP.  All you can do is your best.  Some evenings or weekends perhaps.  Don't beat yourself up for having a busy life....your time will come.

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       Faith Reaperposted 12 years agoin reply to this

       What a great answer!

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    Millionaire Tipsposted 12 years ago

    Kudos to you for working two jobs and grad school.  You have a lot on your plate, and you really need to be adding something enjoyable instead of adding another job.  You need to take care of you and not get burnt out.
    
    You may not have any free time at all, but it depends on how many hours you are working and going to school, and doing homework, etc. 
    
    When I have too much work stuff to do, and not enough time to play, I give myself a few minutes - I spend 15 minutes a day to do the thing I enjoy most.  It isn't a lot of time, but it is me time, and I find that those little minutes add up to a lot of productivity over time.  For writing hubs, you can spend time thinking about what you are going to write at other times of the day, and then just spend those 15 minutes to write it out, edit, gather pictures, even research.

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    Faith Reaperposted 12 years ago

    I hear you, as I am just a part-time hubber, and it still takes tons of time to comment and write.  I work in the city from 8:00 to 5:00, and have an hour commute to and from work during the week, but there is always the weekends.  Still, with other life responsibilities it is difficult. I try to comment early in the morning before leaving for work and then in the evenings after I get home.  I have only been on HP since April, but have met a lot of gifted writers and enjoy my time here, and it is a wonderful community.  I do not write to earn money, so it is not as if I have to write, in lieu of writing, as Nellieanna put it, a respite of sorts.  My children are grown, but I usually have my grandchildren up for the weekend every other weekend, so they are top priority!   I wouldn't worry about the score thing too much, especially being only part-time.  If you are looking to make money, if that is what you believe as successful, then I have no answers for that!

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    phillippeengelposted 12 years ago

    While their peers and friends are playing multi-player games online, these dedicated and meticulous Hubbers are busily honing their writing skills while they receive a sense of accomplishment after publishing an informative and incisive Hub. That is how they succeed - by making the best out of limited time.

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       Nellieannaposted 12 years agoin reply to this

       Exactly!  It's really priorities for discretionary time.  If one chooses to spend it with other, more social pursuits, then, of course, it leaves precious little time to write, which, after all, essentially a solitary pursuit.  It must be deliberate.

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    anupmaposted 12 years ago

    I don't have enough time to spend on hubpages. Actually I m teaching in an Engineering college and my working hours are around 11 hours in a day. But writing is my passion. So I come when ever I get time. I know Rome can't built in a day, but I know little drops of water make a mighty ocean.

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37. 71

    RunningDeerposted 12 years ago

    Thank you everyone for all your helpful advise!!!  Time management is a huge issue.  So I turned off the TV, closed out Pinterest, and got a hub written!  Thank you all so much!

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       Nellieannaposted 12 years agoin reply to this

       Good advice to cut out the plethora of writing blogs, especially.  One might multi-task with passive activities or low-attention demanding ones, but no way to write in and for more than one writing place simultaneously.

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