Dreaded Black Circle Not Featured - Quality

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   GA Andersonposted 5 years ago

   It has been a long time since I published here, and I have forgotten the process.
   
   I have a recently published hub, (5 days ago), that exited pending with that Dreaded Black Circle - Not Featured - Quality. (I do have other Featured hubs)
   
   I don't see any indicators of why, or what to fix, and I don't see any choices to fix and resubmit.
   
   
   Here is the hub if you would take a look: https://hubpages.com/entertainment/Easy … toryteller
   
   Where do I go from here? Is this post even the right way to address this?
   
   GA

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      Wesman Todd Shawposted 5 years agoin reply to this

      I would add some text to the first text capsule. Once you edit anything on the page at all, then it will go through the quality looking over process, and become featured again, almost certainly.
      
      I also see you have some text capsules in the body where you don't have them sub-titled. I'd think of sub-titles for those. I'm certain if you do those things, especially adding the sub-titles (although I think that first text capsule could be a more fleshed out intro) - then it will absolutely get featured again, and stay that way for a long time.

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         GA Andersonposted 5 years agoin reply to this

         Thanks for the suggestion Wesman, I added text and now the hub is pending again.
         
         GA

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   2. 85

      TIMETRAVELER2posted 5 years agoin reply to this

      I took a quick look and see several issues.  First, your photo should come after your introductory paragraph.
      
      Get rid of the white space that follows it.
      
      You are using far too many dashes.  Get rid of them.
      You also are keyword stuffing...the words "story" and "storytelling" appear far too often.
      
      Your article seems scattered rather than concise.  I would go back and stop the repetitions.  Tighten up your points and let the capsule subheadings work for you.
      
      Many of your sections are far too long.  Cut them into shorter, more easily readable paragraphs.
      
      I know this is a lot but if you want to pass QAP you're going to have to make some of these changes.
      
      I would also use a Made for Pinterest photo for my first image and also it would be a good idea to add captions to your photos and make sure they are properly credited and that you have permission to use them legally.
      
      Although you have other hubs that have been featured, you may find that every time you edit one of them and they go through a new QAP they might be defeatured.
      
      I suggest you take a look at one or two of my articles to see how I've formatted them.  Every single one is now on the niche sites, which is where you want yours to be also if you want to get views.
      
      You have  a fabulous article here, but it does need work.  If you want to email me, I'll go over this one in more detail for you privately.

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      1. 89

         GA Andersonposted 5 years agoin reply to this

         Well damn Timetraveler2, that was a plateful.
         
         First, thanks for making such an effort to help. I do appreciate it.
         
         Second, I am sure you are right about the keywords, I had that feeling as I proofed it. That will be a sure fix to do.
         
         All good suggestions, and I will check out your format.
         
         Thanks again.
         
         ps. gonna be hard to break that "dash" habit ;-)
         
         GA

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   3. 92

      Jean Bakulaposted 5 years agoin reply to this

      So it seems like everything is all sorted out now? I read the article and liked it. The only thing I would do is shorten the title and mention you are a pro storyteller in the first paragraph.
      
      I don't publish as much as I used to either. I've noticed if the staff isn't busy, it takes hours to get Featured. But it can take as long as two weeks as well.
      
      Also, while advice is always good, remember once you ask, everybody is an expert! You know what you want to say. Don't take it all to heart! When I first came to HP, I wrote about a rare tarot deck. At 78 cards, it turned into a 7 piece series, and the bane of my existence. Everyone told me it was way too long, and I was crushed. It's turned out to be my most successful series, and is still doing great after 7 years! Trust your feelings.

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         GA Andersonposted 5 years agoin reply to this

         Thanks for weighing in Jean.
         
         I do trust my own style, but it has benefited from the suggestions here.
         
         Your title suggestion puzzles me. Maybe you saw the "old" version of the hub.  "How to Become a Great Storyteller" seems about as short as I could get it.
         
         But the a mention of my storytelling experience does seem like a good idea.
         
         I am sure that once the rust is cleaned off I will be back to my typical "wordiness." ;-)
         
         GA

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            Jean Bakulaposted 5 years agoin reply to this

            Oh, then it was the old version I saw. It's fine then!
            
            When our son was young, my husband used to take the Scout group hiking and camping too. It's such a great experience. We found some of the parents were wary. Many Dads took them to McDonalds and to play mini golf on their weekends. I was a Girl Scout too, and it was supposed to be about broadening the children's horizons a bit. My Mom was our troop leader. She was Irish, and made us sing all the time, lol.

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               GA Andersonposted 5 years agoin reply to this

               No way. No McDonalds or singing. Especially no McDonalds.
               
               GA

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2. 94

   AliciaCposted 5 years ago

   You've got a lot of good information in your article. I enjoyed reading it. I think you should remove the link on Garrison Keillor's name. The link takes me to a list of his performances, which seems promotional. I would also remove the links to the Google and Facebook storyteller groups, since people can search for these themselves without the links.
   
   It might be a good idea to reduce the bold print where possible, too, such as in the bullet tips, since there's quite a lot of formatted text in the article. Removing the formatting in the note for new storytellers section and on Garrison Keillor's name would also be a good idea.

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      GA Andersonposted 5 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks AliciaC
      
      I appreciate you taking the time to check it out. Those sound like good suggestions.
      
      GA

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3. 89

   GA Andersonposted 5 years ago

   Timetraveler2, AliciaC
   
   Used your suggestions, are you up for a re-visit?
   
   https://hubpages.com/entertainment/Easy … toryteller
   
   GA

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      TIMETRAVELER2posted 5 years agoin reply to this

      Sure.  Why not.
      
      You're still using those dashes here and there.  They are not necessary and are incorrect grammatically.
      
      Also, forget the bolding, the quoting and the extra periods.
      
      finally, Head your capsules either as "Step one" or actually state the topic. 
      
      Your video example does not need explanation.  Just post it and let it speak for itself.
      
      There's more, but this should keep you busy for awhile lol!
      
      Remember that most people like to browse rather than read.  They want the info fast and easy.  If you clutter with too many words, they simply walk away.
      
      You want your audience to stay put, and so does Google.

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      1. 89

         GA Andersonposted 5 years agoin reply to this

         Wow, tough audience Timetraveler2 ;-)
         
         But I do appreciate the effort. And hopefully you saw that I thought I had implemented your suggested changes. (I have to go check, but I thought I only left in ONE dash)
         
         I am feeling a bit argumentative about the video explanation. I feel it has a purpose directed at points to focus on  - so hopefully you don't take that as being unappreciative of your effort.
         
         I can see the capsule headings thought. I will revisit them
         
         But, about the bolding. It was only used as an identifier for an explanation of a dissection of the quote. It seems you are saying just dump the bolding in total, and maybe just quote each segment with an explanation?
         
         GA

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            TIMETRAVELER2posted 5 years agoin reply to this

            Sorry about being so tough...I was a Language Arts teacher so have a very critical eye when checking people's work...including my own.  Quotes are never good to use in an article, especially if you use a lot of them...Google doesn't like them.  Also, it's widely accepted now that bolding, italics, et all are not good, either.  I'll look again at the segments to see if I can add something of value there, too and will get back to you.

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               GA Andersonposted 5 years agoin reply to this

               No worries Timetraveler2, your "toughness" has made a great improvement on it's appearance, and perhaps its readability too)  and this is for you too Beth
               
               I think I have implemented most of your suggestions.
               
               I doubt I can say the content is any better, (that job is on me), than it was, but it sure looks better.
               
               Thanks ladies. And I look forward to more "fine tuning" tips Timetraveler2
               
               ps. TT2, I must have glitched one of those edits. When I went back this last time, ALL those dashed were back. But they are ALL gone now.
               
               GA

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                  TIMETRAVELER2posted 5 years agoin reply to this

                  I just sent you an email because I did a full edit on your article.  If you want to see it, email me back and I'll send it to you as an attachment from my home email.  You'll get it from Sondra Rochelle.

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                     GA Andersonposted 5 years agoin reply to this

                     Sure thing, Thanks.
                     
                     GA

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   Beth Eaglescliffeposted 5 years ago

   There's lots of great information here but you need to remove the following 2 links:-
   
   1. a promotional link to your own website with The Broom Town Curse. That will be snipped.
   
   2. the link to Garrison Keiller's Wikipedia page is unnecessary.

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   1. 89

      GA Andersonposted 5 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks for taking a look Beth.
      
      The Garrison Keller link was only there because I thought Google liked relevant internal links. You are right. It can go if it isn't helpful for Google rank.
      
      But, about the self-promotional link. It is my link, but it was intended as a source link for the quoted text used. I thought quoted blocks of text needed to be sourced. If that is not good practice, that link isn't important to me. I wasn't using it for promotion.
      
      I will look for some feedback on both issues and follow your suggestions if what I though isn't the case.
      
      GA

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5. 94

   Beth Eaglescliffeposted 5 years ago

   Rather than putting an in-text link to your website (which is considered by HubPages to be self-promotional) you can give the source of your text by saying something like -
   
   The following story is written by me.
   or
   Here's an example of a story I have written that illustrates my point.

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6. 89

   GA Andersonposted 5 years ago

   Okay folks, now my stubbornness has kicked in. I know I am probably asking for more than I should but here's the deal.
   
   I have rewritten the hub being discussed - https://hubpages.com/entertainment/Easy … toryteller -  based on previous recommendations in this thread.
   
   I think those recommendations made a huge difference. t least it looked and read better to me.
   
   Now I get the final email that it failed again. Either because it was spammy, or quality issues.
   
   It is not spammy in the context of links or product capsules or overly promotional, so it must be quality issues.
   
   Now, here is the salt in the wound - a recent second related hub did get featured! It is the same style and voice and format as the first - so I am stumped.
   
   Here's the kicker, thanks to a Timelesstraveler2 edit suggestion, (through great effort on her part - thanks again),  I am going to completely rewrite the hub - even if it had gotten featured, but my stubborness insists that I know what was the quality issue was with the first one.
   
   This hub failed: https://hubpages.com/entertainment/Easy … toryteller
   
   This nearly identically voiced hub, (written after the first one),  passed: https://hubpages.com/sports/How-To-Tell … ory-Teller
   
   What the hell?
   
   ps. I promise to return the favor of your effort, or even devote an effort to pay it forward, but I have to know what the quality issue(s) is.
   
   GA

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      TIMETRAVELER2posted 5 years agoin reply to this

      It could be that the second one repeats some of the ideas voiced in the first one.  Also, I think the first one has more focus than the first one did.

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7. 94

   Beth Eaglescliffeposted 5 years ago

   I can see both of them when I'm logged out, which means they are both currently featured.

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   1. 89

      GA Andersonposted 5 years agoin reply to this

      It is still showing as unfeatured on my articles liste Beth. But it is a moot pointy anyway.
      
      I am off to delete it now - and replace it with an obviously better version - thanks to the help offered in this thread.
      
      GA

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         theraggededgeposted 5 years agoin reply to this

         Wait. You do know that a black circle with an H means that it is featured, yes?

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            GA Andersonposted 5 years agoin reply to this

            Yes I do Bev, unfortunately, mine was just a black circle - I could see all the way to Disappointmentville through it.
            
            GA

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               theraggededgeposted 5 years agoin reply to this

               Aw...

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8. 89

   GA Andersonposted 5 years ago

   All those edit suggestions worked. New, edited hub featured less than 5 hours after publishing.
   
   Thanks all.
   
   GA

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      Titiaposted 5 years agoin reply to this

      I wanted to take a look at it, but it seems to be unfeatured again. I got a 404 message.

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      1. 89

         GA Andersonposted 5 years agoin reply to this

         Hi Titia,
         
         Thanks for trying to look.
         
         Yes, the link in the OP was deleted when I finished with a better version - and a better url.
         
         Here is the featured result; https://hubpages.com/sports/How-to-Beco … toryteller
         
         GA

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