O.K I'm Ready For a Reality Check! How Are My Hubs Really??

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   markbennisposted 14 years ago

   I'm new to hubpages and writing, also i have only done 3 hubs in nearly 2 months.  Most of my time i have been trying to get my head around all the affiliated stuff, plus promoting, signing up here and there.  I'm very glad to have found hubpages or as i believe, hubpages found me.  I really admire the writers here on hubpages and really would like a reality check from you.  I would like to think i could make it but now i think it would be, a good idea if i got some advice from the professionals.
   many thanks, mark bennis

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      warchild75posted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Always good to see another brit on here, i liked your 2 afghan hubs and it seems like you have a lot to say on the subject of soldiers and war,maybe you should use your expeirence to write some more hubs related to the topics you know most about as your knowlege will naturally shine through,also maybe try and brake up the long paragraphs with a video or photos just to keep people like me with a short attention span interested,other than that they were all good.

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         markbennisposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         Thanks warchild75 for your reply, I'm glad you liked the Afghan Hubs.  Yes i guess you are right the paragraphs are a bit 'meaty', i will go back and edit those hubs a bit, spread the photos around a little and add some video's.  Thanks for the feed back it is very much appreciated.
         Thankyou...

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   CMHypnoposted 14 years ago

   Hi Mark, your 2012 Hub is really interesting and has great info.  Maybe it could be a bit longer and a picture or two would have been great?  Also check your capital letters at the beginning of sentences.
   
   Patience is everything when you start at HubPages, Just keep writing and enjoying yourself, as I am sure that you will be a big success!

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      markbennisposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks CMHypno, i very much appreciate the advise.  The structure of the Hub seems to be a factor here, placement of photos length of details.  Also taking the time to evaluate your Hub before publishing, as i know i'm in to much of a hurry to get it out there.  Your right i should keep writing and most of all enjoy myself.  Thankyou so much i really am taking all the advice on board and appreciate all the help i'm receiving here, thankyou so much...

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      tobey100posted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Ditto Mark.  You're on the right track, if you're accepting advice from another new hubber (3 mo.)

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         markbennisposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         At my early stages here I will gladly accept all the advice I can get.  I have to admit I'm just beginning to understand how hard you hubbers work and the level of commitment involved.  I had stumbled upon this site accidentally  and i thought? I will have ago...And in doing so i have well?.. I can say for sure I'm hooked!!  Plus i would like to do well at it.

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   Cagsilposted 14 years ago

   Hey Mark,
   
   Just to let you know, while you are in the extreme hub makeover section of the forum....you can POST your links that you want reviewed or critiqued.
   
   I'm posting them for you. It's always easier if you post your link to the Hub you want reviewed. But, since you are new here and have only 3 hubs it's not too difficult to figure out.
   
   http://hubpages.com/hub/2012-what-will-really-happen
   http://hubpages.com/hub/Through-the-Eye … 006-Part-2
   http://hubpages.com/hub/Through-the-Eye … istan-2006
   
   I'll check them out and get back to you.

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      markbennisposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Ah that was very kind of you Cagsil, i really didn't think of doing that.. Cool thankyou..

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   Cagsilposted 14 years ago

   http://hubpages.com/hub/2012-what-will-really-happen
   
   The above hub is too short. Plus, you can utilize at least one or two more capsules for your text. This allows for more ads for clicking.
   
   There seems like you're not directing your reader to anything?
   
   Like an amazon or ebay, no video, no poll, no extras to add content to the hub.

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      markbennisposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Yes i now see your point great advice.  This was my first hub and i really didn't know what i was doing, still trying figure out all adsen and stuff.  I'm certainly going to go back and revamp my hub on your advice, i need to pay more attention to these details, thankyou Cagsil.

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   Cagsilposted 14 years ago

   http://hubpages.com/hub/Through-the-Eye … 006-Part-2
   
   The above hub is good length. However, use multiple capsules and shorten your paragraphs to like 4-5 lines each. You can setup however you want.
   
   The attention span of your reader will get lost in too big of paragraphs, which leads to them being bored with your hub. They most likely won't finish reading it.
   
   Again, you also have no extras, like feeds content which automatically changes. The freshness of your content plays a factor.

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      markbennisposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Ah yes the paragraphs, this point seems to be a common factor i certainly will be refining them thanks.  The feeds? I haven't really got my head around them yet, but i will look into them straight away.  I really do appreciate all your efforts here Cagsil, i cant believe how helpful and friendly everyone has been here, i have allot of respect and admiration for all you guys, thankyou...

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   Cagsilposted 14 years ago

   http://hubpages.com/hub/Through-the-Eye … istan-2006
   
   This one you put more pictures into, but again you would be better off using more capsules. Then you can put more pictures along side, without messing up the placement of ads on your hub.
   
   I hope I helped.

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      markbennisposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Yes you are right Cagsil.. I will go back and experiment with the capsules placement, i have certainly allot to learn and have picked up some great advice here, thankyou ever so much.
      Regards mark bennis

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   WriteAngledposted 14 years ago

   Hello Mark,
   
   I am by no means a professional hubber, but nevertheless would like to comment.
   
   Your two Afghanistan hubs are very good. I was interested to read them because my partner was in the TA, a Major in the RAMC, although he was too old to see any action before he retired.
   
   BTW, I am absolutely horrified to learn that you were invited to volunteer to risk your life for £35/day!
   
   However, I do have a couple of criticisms. Firstly, I think some of your text capsules are too long. You could do with using more capsules to break the text into a larger number of sections with subheading. You could also put in a couple of picture capsules or Amazon capsules (potential earnings!) between text capsules to break up the text.
   
   Secondly, a lot of your writing reads like stream of consciousness, with long run-on sentences. I suggest you do some editing on that. Also, you need to check spelling and grammar. You have a number of errors that spellcheck won't pick up, for example, there when it should be their, poor when it should be pour. In the first Afghanistan hub, you keep writing i instead of I. Perhaps this sounds like I'm nit-picking, but things like this will cause some people to stop reading. Also, I was able to ask my partner what "bergan" means, but other readers will be left puzzled.
   
   Hope you don't take this the wrong way. If you want any assistance with editing matters, feel free to contact me at tehuti at gmail.com. I do have experience in editing original texts and translations.

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      markbennisposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Hello WriteAngled, thankyou for your in depth analysis I have noted all the points you have raised here.  My grammar is a problem and i can definitely see your point thankyou for raising them, I will pay more attention to detail as i know it will only in-rich future Hubs.  There are allot of good points here and i certainly will go back and work on all of them.  Thankyou for the offer on your editorial and translating experience, I would appreciate that thankyou.  Oh and my little grumble of the £35 matter, yes its true but i guess if i was their a bit longer at that time, also done a few courses i would of got a little bit more.
      Wow!! I have really learnt so much from everyone here, thankyou all very much.. Your all a true Hubpages friend and a beginners dream mentor, I think you know what I mean.
      Many thanks mark bennis..

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   sunforgedposted 14 years ago

   Mark,
   
   What is your purpose?
   
   Are you most interested in writing to a readership for the joy of it, getting the most possible earnings ..or some kind of happy medium?
   
   It makes a difference as far as the direction a critique would take as sometimes those two purposes can have conflicting methods.
   
   For example, your 2012 hub has an almost perfect layout for optimizing for adsense earnings but Cags' points are valid for readability concerns

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      markbennisposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      To be honest Sunforged, I'm not to sure as I'm still discovering myself well I'm a beginner here and there's no doubt about that.  I would like to think i could achieve a comfortable writing stage but that will take time.  Now i would say making the most amount of money would be a good start but i guess, good writing skills and commercial hubs go hand in hand..  If i can grab the basics of both i think that may well be a  good start in the right direction.

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   WriteAngledposted 14 years ago

   Incidentally, Mark, perhaps I should make it clear that when I offered help with editing if you wanted any, I wasn't touting for paid work. It was just a friendly gesture from one UK hubber to another

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      markbennisposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      I appreciate your gesture and i didn't think for one moment you were touting, i am sure i will take up your friendly offer with my future hubs.
      Thankyou WriteAngled.

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    WriteAngledposted 14 years ago

    You are already doing well, Mark. You have good hubs and a fantastic personal hubscore.

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       markbennisposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       Thankyou WriteAgled I really do appreciate your help and your honesty.  Can i say I respect your experience that you have achieved  in your career, also i am very interested also in Egyptology and Sumerian history.  Plus the religious aspects of these great civilizations.  Plus i love Wales, and have traveled many a mile up and around Pen Y Fan of the Brecon Beacons and other locations their.  I hope in the good spirit of things that we are o.k.
       Regards mark bennis

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