Six-Year HP Veteran Writer Chooses Unpublished Status

1. 75

   Marie Flintposted 7 years ago

   A brief explanation of this decision can be read on my Profile page.
   
   I will not be following this forum post, but wish to thank all followers, past and more recent, for their wonderful community support.

   replyreport
   1. 94

      MizBejabbersposted 7 years agoin reply to this

      I certainly understand your frustration. I'm sorry to see you back away but I understand. I realize that they have ground rules that are needed, but after all, we are creative writers, and we should have a little leeway to create.

      replyreport
   2. 76

      TIMETRAVELER2posted 7 years agoin reply to this

      To Marie and all others that think they don't have to follow HP's guidelines, threaten to leave, etc...this team has worked really hard to remain online and their labors have benefited all of us who follow their rules.  This is a business.  They have to do whatever it takes to stay competitive.  Their efforts have increased income for many here and, in my case, certainly have helped me to improve the quality of my articles.  Writing is hard work.  The internet changes daily, which makes it even more difficult.  If you are not willing to do the work, then perhaps you do need to do as Marie Flint has done.  I wish her well, but I disagree with her reasoning.

      replyreport
      1. 77

         wildernessposted 7 years agoin reply to this

         Well said.

         replyreport
   3. 75

      Marie Flintposted 7 years agoin reply to this

      Matt of the HubPages team has responded favorably to my request.
      
      I plan to follow-through, however, with my profile statement.

      replyreport
2. 83

   theraggededgeposted 7 years ago

   To be honest, I prefer it the way it is now. The guidelines might be frustrating but they are pretty clear (most of the time). It gives a better framework for creating articles.
   
   Once you have learned the knack of adding Amazon links in a natural way, it becomes easy. And, of course, not all articles are suitable for adding them.
   
   I get round the book thing by using a quote that fits in completely with the text. Part of the flow.

   replyreport
3. 58

   FatFreddysCatposted 7 years ago

   And apparently that went over really well...

   replyreport
   1. 76

      TIMETRAVELER2posted 7 years agoin reply to this

      +1   Threatening people is not really the way to get good results!

      replyreport
      1. 83

         theraggededgeposted 7 years agoin reply to this

         The other thing that the OP mentioned on her bio, is that the Amazon link/capsule in question was on a 'very personal hub'. Those kind of articles are not generally able to support an Amazon product.

         replyreport
4. 84

   Kenna McHughposted 7 years ago

   We all try hard to do our best. I hope for all involved the results are success for each.

   replyreport
5. 78

   EricDockettposted 7 years ago

   I can certainly empathize with an author who gets so frustrated with HubPages editors  that they feel like quitting. Especially when a writer has been here for a while, through the bad as well as the good.
   
   However, I can see HP's side of it as well. While I do think it is in their best interest to work with established writers for the betterment of the site, and I don't think editors or moderators should bully authors by digging in their heels on minor issues (a single amazon capsule is a very minor issue), HubPages can't and shouldn't make decisions based on threats.
   
   This seems like an extreme outcome to what could have been a manageable situation had both parties stayed cool. I have no idea how well the OP does/did here, but this seems like cutting off the nose to spite the face.

   replyreport
   1. 99

      DrMark1961posted 7 years agoin reply to this

      I do not think the Amazon capsule is such a minor issue. If they decide to let her have it, even if it is inappropriate and some product that she did not use, why not let all of us break the rules?
      It does seem like an extreme reaction.

      replyreport
      1. 86

         ReViewMeMediaposted 7 years agoin reply to this

         I've only had one article rejected as overly-promotional here, I just took it off and put it somewhere else, if this was such a personal post to her, she should have put it on her personal blog and she could have had an Amazon affiliate link.  She just sounds like she's being extremely upset and if she wants to make money with her articles she should just put them on her own site if she doesn't like Hubpages anymore, she just seems like she's being too extreme in backlash.
         
         Also threatening the editor with unpublishing articles is not very threatening, they have ads on thousands of articles, it's not like they're missing the people who leave the site as long as they get the ad revenue, even though she unpublished her work, there are always articles that are going up to take her place when it comes to lost traffic.

         replyreport
   2. 76

      TIMETRAVELER2posted 7 years agoin reply to this

      I would remind you that you are only hearing one side of the story.  I'm betting there's much more to this than an Amazon capsule.

      replyreport
      1. 99

         DrMark1961posted 7 years agoin reply to this

         You are correct, but how many times have you and I heard "if HP does not do ____ I am going to delete all of my hubs and stop writing here"? 3 or 4 times a year, at least, and I bet others do that without even getting on the forums. (They do go to the Better Business Bureau and write scathing reports about how they have been ripped off by Hubpages though. I have read quite a few of them.)

         replyreport
         1. 76

            TIMETRAVELER2posted 7 years agoin reply to this

            Yep.  It's hard for some people to be realistic about situations that they basically create themselves.

            replyreport