Payout at last.

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   Eurofileposted 2 years ago

   Nearly 3 years after publishing my first article on HubPages, I have finally made payout. I know I am a slow writer of articles and social media is not my thing. Recent ventures into Pinterest might have helped slightly.
   Any advice on how to speed up earnings a little would be well received.
   On the plus side, I have enjoyed the writing experience. Connecting with other writers and the editors on HubPages has been valuable. Thank you for your support and friendship. It is much appreciated.

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      CYong74posted 2 years agoin reply to this

      Congrats, Liz. The second payout usually comes much faster.

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         Eurofileposted 2 years agoin reply to this

         Thanks for the encouragement CYong74.

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      Sharon R Hillposted 2 years agoin reply to this

      Congrats Liz! Hey can I have a loan? :-)

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         Eurofileposted 2 years agoin reply to this

         Thanks, Sharon. I think I will need a few more payouts first!

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      chef-de-jourposted 2 years agoin reply to this

      Great news. If you can keep the quality of your articles high AND increase output a little for when the lockdown ends you should be on the road to success. That's what I'd do if I were you - once the pandemic is well and truly over people will be wanting to go here, there and everywhere AGAIN! That includes Sherwood Forest. Your articles could help them decide whether to go and where to stay and why!
      
      By the way, as a born and bred Worksopian, Robin Hood Land is well known to me.
      
      Good luck.

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         Eurofileposted 2 years agoin reply to this

         Thanks chef-de-jour. That's my hope. It's many years since I was last in Sherwood Forest. Maybe that's an idea for an article you can write. I have no shortage of ideas and resources for articles. Time is the limiting factor for me, even in lockdown.

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      powers41posted 2 years agoin reply to this

      Liz, Congratulations. I have yet to make a payout but keep trying.  And, tour articles are always so well written and informative.

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         Eurofileposted 2 years agoin reply to this

         Thank you, powers41. Keep going and you will get there. You write interesting articles on a variety of topics.

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      Thelma Albertsposted 2 years agoin reply to this

      That is good news. Congratulations!

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         Eurofileposted 2 years agoin reply to this

         Thank you, Thelma.

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      NateB11posted 2 years agoin reply to this

      It took me awhile the first time too, can't remember how long; back then I didn't understand how to write for the Internet. You can be a great writer and not get traffic and earnings because writing on the Internet has specific requirements as far as traffic goes.
      
      Anyway, congrats!

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         Eurofileposted 2 years agoin reply to this

         Thanks, Nate. That sounds a little similar to my experience. Boot camp took some getting through, but I am now grateful for what I have learned along the way.

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      Paul Kuehnposted 2 years agoin reply to this

      Congratulations, Liz!  It took me a long time, too, to reach my first payout.  Finding an audience for your articles is very important.  One of the ways I have done this is by joining Facebook groups and targeting articles to the interests of the groups.  It also helps if you have an article ranking on the first page of Google searches.

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         Eurofileposted 2 years agoin reply to this

         Thank you, Paul. Having resisted Facebook for so long, it seems that the overwhelming advice is to plunge in and give it a go.

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      Projectlazyposted 2 years agoin reply to this

      I was about to drop some advice but then I noticed you have more hubs and better interaction than I do. Not sure why payout took so long. I don't even use any social media or pinterest.
      
      Does anyone know if wanderwisdom just pays out low or something?

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         Eurofileposted 2 years agoin reply to this

         Thanks, Projectlazy. The general consensus seems to be that as travel has been hit hard by COVID-19, a knock on effect has been a decline in readership of articles on Wanderwisdom.

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            Janda Rakerposted 2 years agoin reply to this

            My articles on Wanderwisdom and The Sky Above Us have had INCREASED readership during the pandemic! But maybe it's just because of the passage of time, more exposure. But I thought perhaps people who are isolated by the pandemic are bored and ready for some vicarious travel! (But I'm still a LONG way from payout.)

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               Eurofileposted 2 years agoin reply to this

               I would encourage you to keep going, keep writing and keep reviewing your articles. I thought I would never get there. But I did. I hope that you make it quicker than you expect. I am now a long way from the next payout.

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      Jerry Corneliusposted 2 years agoin reply to this

      Hi Liz, meant to say congrats on your first pay out when you started this thread, but i'm pretty rubbish at interacting on the forums (I'm slapping my wrist right now), so apologies for my tardiness and big congratulations.  I think I've technically been on HP about 7 years but have only taken it seriously in the last 3, and my first payment was about 3 months ago - since then my monthly earnings have gone up so expect to hit my next pay out in about another year, which is an improvement.  Onwards and upwards.

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   Beth Eaglescliffeposted 2 years ago

   My advice would be to try and get articles across several of the niche sites. It's always good to spread your target audience. 
   
   By specializing in travel, your readership has been low over the last 12 months. Stay-at-home travel bans linked to the pandemic, and no overseas holidays mean that people haven't been searching for places to visit. However, the vaccine roll-out should change that. Good luck. I've already noticed a small uptick in views for my WanderWisdom articles.

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      Eurofileposted 2 years agoin reply to this

      Thank you for your advice, Beth. That makes a lot of sense. I think the slight uptick pushed me over the wire to payout. I noticed that a review of a Heathrow hotel briefly shot up. I wondered if it was being used for quarantine.

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         Janda Rakerposted 2 years agoin reply to this

         Congratulations! I have just finished my first year out of Boot Camp, and I am working toward my first payout, but it sure is slow! Like you, articles for Wander Wisdom (and the Sky Above Us) are what I enjoy writing, and maybe the pandemic has slowed down the readership on those sites. I do post a bit about it on Facebook, but not much. And I know I should post MORE articles. So now I need to follow these great suggestions and look at Pinterest! I appreciate your post and getting others to chime in.

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            Eurofileposted 2 years agoin reply to this

            Thank you, Janda. I think if we were here for the payouts, many of us would have given up long ago. It's the enjoyment of writing and the camaraderie of other writers that keeps us all going on HubPages. I hope you make payout soon.

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               Janda Rakerposted 2 years agoin reply to this

               Thanks, Liz! Payouts are just a bit more validation, prove SOMEBODY is reading what we post! :-)

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   ChitrangadaSharanposted 2 years ago

   Congratulations Liz.
   Yes, it takes a while to make the payouts, in the beginning.
   Sharing your work on social media platforms does help. There are many Facebook groups, exclusively for writers, authors, poetry etc. Pinterest, Twitter are some of the other sites, which can bring traffic to your articles.
   Wish you all the best.

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      Eurofileposted 2 years agoin reply to this

      Thank you for your good wishes, Chitrangada. Maybe I will have to take the plunge, after all these years, and sign up to Facebook.

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   ravirajan01posted 2 years ago

   Congrats Liz. This is a good motivation for all new writers in Hubpages.Thanks for sharing your success story.

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      Eurofileposted 2 years agoin reply to this

      Thank you, ravirajan01. I would say to new writers on HubPages that perseverance pays off. Keep going and eventually you will reach payout.

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   Kenna McHughposted 2 years ago

   Congratulations! FB and Pinterest works for me.

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      Eurofileposted 2 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks for the advice, Kenna. I might yet turn to Facebook and change my ways.

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   DrMark1961posted 2 years ago

   Nice to hear that update! I dont think there is going to be much you can do to speed things up since there are fewer people travelling now. (And, as CYong pointed out, the second payout will come along faster.)
   You are a talented writer. Have you thought much about other subjects?

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      Eurofileposted 2 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks for the advice, DrMark. I have one on Owlcation and a couple on Delishably by default. They were about cafes and restaurants we have come across on our travels. Hopefully the travel industry will eventually recover. In the mean time I will give your suggestion some thought.

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   Peggy Wposted 2 years ago

   Congratulations Liz.  As Chitrangada wrote, posting things to Pinterest, and other social media sites seem to help.  I get quite a few views from Pinterest.  I was late to jump on that bandwagon.  Live and learn!

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      Eurofileposted 2 years agoin reply to this

      Thank you for your encouragement, Peggy. I was a little late too to try Pinterest, but it seems to be generating a little interest now.

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   KT Dunnposted 2 years ago

   Congratulations, Liz! Your articles are great, and I think the best thing we can do is keep writing. Like you, I tend to write travel-related articles, but that avenue has sort of stalled out for now and I haven't been very active lately. But as others have said, once you reach your first payout, more will follow!

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      Eurofileposted 2 years agoin reply to this

      Thank you for your encouraging comment, KT. I have plenty of material to keep writing. Time and the lack of it limit my productivity though.

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   Robie Benveposted 2 years ago

   Congratulations!
   Keep updating your best articles and keep writing new ones. I'm strong on the updating part, not very efficient at publishing new content, but monthly payout is possible.
   Now you've broken the ice, it will get easier, especially if you keep your best
   articles fresh.

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      Eurofileposted 2 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks for the advice, Robie. I am improving on the updates. I now try to schedule an article review every 12 months. It is very manageable at the moment. Not sure how that will work, as I increase my portfolio of articles.

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      Janda Rakerposted 2 years agoin reply to this

      I'm reading all these good suggestions, thinking how I can increase my earnings. But I'm not clear as to what I can do to keep my articles "fresh" and updated. Mine are intended to be "evergreen," so I can't think of how to "freshen" them. Anybody on here have thoughts on this topic?

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         Eurofileposted 2 years agoin reply to this

         Not sure if this helps, but I have set myself up a timetable of reviewing articles annually. Often I read them through and make a few alterations or check and revise admission prices where applicable. Having gained a little more experience on HubPages, sometimes I return to earlier articles and think of 'better' ways to do things. Beware though, large scale changes might take too much time and not gain much.

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    AliciaCposted 2 years ago

    Congratulations, Liz! You write great travel articles and deserve success. I certainly think you should continue writing them, but if you can experiment with writing articles about other subjects, that might help you reach the next payout sooner.

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       Eurofileposted 2 years agoin reply to this

       Thanks for the encouragement, AliciaC. I tend to be quite thorough in making sure I get details correct in my articles. Travel is a great interest of mine. I think I hesitate to diversify for fear of making mistakes.

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          Janda Rakerposted 2 years agoin reply to this

          I feel the same way! Besides, travel is SO MUCH FUN to write about, working on getting readers excited to go experience that place for themselves!

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             Eurofileposted 2 years agoin reply to this

             You might find, Janda, that diversification happens by chance. Some of my travel articles which focus on food and drink have ended up on Delishably. Sometimes another topic crops up, as it did when I met Tony Foulds in a park in Sheffield. He had captured the nation with the story on breakfast news of how he tended a memorial to American airmen, who crashed as they avoided him and his friends who were playing on the park during World War 2. That article ended up on Owlcation.

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                Janda Rakerposted 2 years agoin reply to this

                Thanks, Liz, for these ideas. My article on camping in Hawaii was intended for WanderWisdom, but because it specialized in camping, not primarily the "travel" of Hawaii, it was put in The Sky Above Us. That might be advantageous, getting some "camping" readers interested in my travel articles. So that too is an example of "diversification by chance"! Thanks for pointing that out. I'll watch for such opportunities.

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                   Eurofileposted 2 years agoin reply to this

                   I am currently working on an article about refreshment stops in Gran Canaria. Although I see it as travel, this kind of article tends to go on Delishably.

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    Abby Slutskyposted 2 years ago

    That is wonderful. Congratulations.

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       Eurofileposted 2 years agoin reply to this

       Thank you, Abby.

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    bhattucposted 2 years ago

    Congratulations and keep it up. All the best. God bless you.

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       Eurofileposted 2 years agoin reply to this

       Thank you, bhattuc.

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    lobobrandonposted 2 years ago

    Congrats, and yes the second payout is usually faster.
    
    One tip would be to write about cities surrounding cities that are receiving a lot of traffic. You could get some internal traffic that way if you link out to the new articles.

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       Eurofileposted 2 years agoin reply to this

       Thanks for the advice, lobobrandon. I have hesitated with linking articles, as I was under the impression that HubPages are not overkeen on links.
       Some of my articles tend to be long. I have wondered whether aiming to write shorter ones might be advisable.

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          Janda Rakerposted 2 years agoin reply to this

          Great questions!

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    Chuckposted 2 years ago

    Congratulations Liz.  Given the quality of your articles and accompanying pictures I was a little surprised that you had to wait 3 years to earn enough to get a payout.  I say a “little surprised” as, having joined HubPages in the fall of 2006 shortly after HubPages was launched and the Internet so starved for content that even a monkey with a keyboard and Internet access could have generated clicks and a few dollars..  However, HubPages was different from similar sites in that they had done their homework prior to launch enabling them to not only market the site well but share knowledge with us on how to be successful.  While they offered, and still do, advice on how to succeed freely we have always been free to take or leave the advice.  One of the things I realized early on was that to succeed  one had to write on topics readers wanted as well as write about things I like.  This has required effort but has both broadened my writing horizons as providing a great learning experience.  Another thing I learned was to produce “evergreen” articles - these have long run appeal as opposed to focusing exclusively on what is popular at this moment.  Currently popular can generate some immediate clicks and income but quickly fades and this is where the “evergreen” articles can continue to generate income after a fad passes.  I have tried to learn what people want and to write “evergreen” articles both along with things I want to write about including writing about trending current  and fad topics.  That strategy has worked well for me.  In recent years with our children grown and out on their own, along with having the time and money for my wife and I to travel I have taken a break and only written a few articles.  While my HubPage income has gone down I still generate 3  to 4 payments a year on the few articles I have written along with contributions from my past work.  One last thing, HubPages has continued to grow and attract both readership as well as new writers, many of whom are talented professionals who have had to move from print to digital.  This is a challenge but those of us who stay focused and keep open to change and new ideas can still make a decent side income writing for HubPages.  Good luck and keep up the good work.

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       Eurofileposted 2 years agoin reply to this

       Thank you very much for sharing the benefit of your experience, Chuck. Your comments are very useful. The feedback you have given here demonstrates for me one of the great strengths of HubPages. It shows the willingness of more experienced writers to spend time helping those of us who are learning the ropes.

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          Chuckposted 2 years agoin reply to this

          Thanks.  I'm glad the info I provided was useful.  You are a very good writer and I enjoy your articles on HubPages

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             Eurofileposted 2 years agoin reply to this

             Thank you for your encouragement, Chuck. I appreciate it.

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    Misbah786posted 2 years ago

    Congratulations Liz,
    
    I am happy to know you received your first payout
    
    Blessings

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       Eurofileposted 2 years agoin reply to this

       Thank you, Misbah.

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    Charles Emerenwaposted 2 years ago

    Congratulations, Liz! You deserve it. It’s time to reap the rewards. Keep on writing and following your passion in doing so. Many more blessings coming your way, Liz!

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       Eurofileposted 2 years agoin reply to this

       Thanks for your good wishes, Charles.

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    Jodahposted 2 years ago

    Congratulations Liz. Yes, it usually takes time to get your first payout. It took me four years but I didn’t publish very often back then. Your articles are top quality so once the world starts opening up and traveling again I am sure your articles will get a lot more readers and your earnings will accumulate quicker.

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       Eurofileposted 2 years agoin reply to this

       Thanks, Jodah. Your poetry is top class and much appreciated on HubPages. It is interesting and encouraging to hear about your payout experience. We have all benefited from your perseverance and enjoyed the wit, humour and insight of your writing.

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    ChitrangadaSharanposted 2 years ago

    @Janda Raker.
    Updating the article means, adding a little bit of  new or fresh information, adding a new picture or changing the prime picture, adding another video, or another relevant link etc. to the already published article.
    If you read your articles after some time, you may feel the need to add some new or fresh information, related to that particular article.
    When people search content on a particular topic, they prefer to read the latest article/ information. And, when you edit your articles, from time to time, the latest dated articles fair well in searches.
    Hope that helps.

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    Janda Rakerposted 2 years ago

    Thanks very much! That does help. So if I edit an article, does that change the date on it so it "looks" new in a search?

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    Gregory DeVictorposted 2 years ago

    Liz, congratulations on your first payout, and I sincerely hope that you have many more to come. I remember meeting you soon after you joined HubPages three years ago. My, how time flies! Your articles are comprehensive, detail-oriented, and informative. Keep up the fine work.

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       Eurofileposted 2 years agoin reply to this

       Thank you for the encouragement, Gregory. I sometimes wonder if my articles are a little long and I would have earned more from a greater number of shorter ones. But, as a traveller, I prefer to find information in one place, rather than having to sift through several articles.

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    ChitrangadaSharanposted 2 years ago

    @Janda Raker
    If you edit an article, the updated date appears just below the title of the article, on the left side. And, yes the same date is seen in the searches too.
    However, the first or the originally published date remains the same, at the bottom of the article, on the left side, with a copyright mark.
    Thank you.

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       Janda Rakerposted 2 years agoin reply to this

       Thanks, Chitrangada! I looked back at a couple of my articles and see how all that is presented. This is very helpful information! I need to do more updating, if for no other reason than to get a more current date on the articles.

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    Projectlazyposted 2 years ago

    That makes so much sense I'm surprised I didn't catch it.

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    Gregory DeVictorposted 2 years ago

    Liz, I thought of you when I heard about this increase in airline travel in the U.S. Hopefully, this development will affect the travel industry elsewhere and will bring more traffic to your travel-related articles. According to NPR.org:
    
    “As COVID-19 vaccines roll out across the U.S., more travelers are taking to the skies.
    
    Friday marked the busiest day for the nation's airports since the middle of March 2020, when COVID-19 caused air travel to plummet.
    
    About 1.36 million passengers passed through security checkpoints Friday, according to figures from the Transportation Security Administration. That is the highest volume since March 15, 2020, when checkpoints reported more than 1.5 million passengers.”

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       Janda Rakerposted 2 years agoin reply to this

       Yay, Gregory! Thanks for sharing that info. Sounds like good news for those of us who are travel writers!! And travelers, as well!

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          Gregory DeVictorposted 2 years agoin reply to this

          You are welcome, Janda!

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       Eurofileposted 2 years agoin reply to this

       Thanks for the update, Gregory. It's interesting to hear how things are going in the States. In the UK the government has just announced a fine from next week for holidays abroad.

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    KDB VERSATILEposted 2 years ago

    The Harder you work for something. The greater you'll feel when you achieve it. Congratulations

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       Eurofileposted 2 years agoin reply to this

       Thanks KDB. That's a good thought to keep in mind.

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