My Best Advice for New Writers on HubPages

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   EricDockettposted 3 years ago

   New to HubPages and struggling to figure it all out? Before you write another word, try my top three tips for new writers:
   
   1. Read the Learning Center. All of it.
   2. Read the Learning Center again. Seriously.
   3. Think about what you read in the Learning Center.
   
   The Learning Center has the answer to almost any problem you could have around here.
   
   Not sure why you keep failing QAP? Have you read the Learning Center?
   
   Confused about why you can't get accepted to a niche site? Check the Learning Center.
   
   Unsure how to use Amazon products? It's in the Learning Center.
   
   Stupefied when it comes to finding legal images to use in your articles? Find out how in the Learning Center.
   
   Befuddled by terms like "Spammy Elements" or "Draft article". Illumination is only a few clicks away in the Learning Center.
   
   If you start writing here without looking at the Learning Center, you are willfully starting yourself out at a disadvantage.
   
   Remember: Knowledge is power!
   
   Also: Reading is fundamental!
   
   So, read the Learning Center and give yourself the power to succeed on HubPages.
   
   And even though it should only take about thirteen seconds for a motivated person to find it, since I know someone will ask, here is a link:
   
   https://hubpageshelp.com/

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      OldRosesposted 3 years agoin reply to this

      The best advice for writing on this site!  Thank you for posting it.  Now, if there were only some way of making this a permanent post on the forums where it can be seen by everyone.

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      bravewarriorposted 3 years agoin reply to this

      Right on, right on, right on, Eric!
      
      The forums have been inundated with people whose English is poor at best asking fundamental questions that can be found in the learning center.

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      AliciaCposted 3 years agoin reply to this

      This is great advice, Eric.

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   PaulGoodman67posted 3 years ago

   This is good advice.

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   Urwa786posted 3 years ago

   Thanks alot Eric for the help

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   Rupert Taylorposted 3 years ago

   Yea Verily Eric.

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   FatFreddysCatposted 3 years ago

   Good advice all around, sadly it will likely be ignored by the newbs who need it most, i.e. the ones who signed up because some guy on YouTube told them they could make money by copy/pasting any old random crap here.

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      ReViewMeMediaposted 3 years agoin reply to this

      That guy was probably doing it for clicks on his video because the editors never let copied content up here, at the worst, it stays up for two days before being flagged as copied content and taken down.

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         CYong74posted 3 years agoin reply to this

         The best part is, he's probably making more money than all of us add together. Thanks to these *****s watching his videos.

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            FatFreddysCatposted 3 years agoin reply to this

            Which is why we need to round up a posse, find that guy, and break his legs.

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               bravewarriorposted 3 years agoin reply to this

               Or his typing fingers!

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               Miebakagh57posted 3 years agoin reply to this

               I thought that is up to HubPages, or we should take leave from Hubpages and do it.                                                           And seriously, how about pulling down that youtube video? Months on to date, those who had sight the video are hidding the link instead of sharing.

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      theraggededgeposted 3 years agoin reply to this

      And still they keep coming Writing lumps of text without researching what HubPages requires.
      
      When will HubPages implement a basic automated English test?

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         OldRosesposted 3 years agoin reply to this

         I agree.  The top two items on HubPages' list of fixes should be:
         
         1.  Making comments available
         
         2.  Implementing a writing test

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            FatFreddysCatposted 3 years agoin reply to this

            Don't forget "get rid of those annoying video adverts at the top of every article"

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               bravewarriorposted 3 years agoin reply to this

               Amen to you and Amen to OldRoses!
               
               Years ago I wrote for CopyPress and had to pass a writing test before I would even be considered.
               
               Since I've become more active in the forums (pursuant to losing the ability to comment directly on articles), I've seen such poor writing and those poor writers asking why their articles aren't featured, it boggles my mind. That said, I've read articles in the niche sites that should never have been accepted, in my opinion. Many of them are rife with poor English, bad (or lack thereof) punctuation, typos, etc. With the upcoming Google algorithm change, we're doomed if HP/Maven doesn't tighten up the ship. Or is that the plan?.... Phase out HP? It's crossed my mind more than once.

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   theraggededgeposted 3 years ago

   This should be pinned

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   jansharesposted 3 years ago

   This made me smile, Eric.

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   Miebakagh57posted 3 years ago

   The learning center is fundamental to us writers.

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   davrowpotposted 3 years ago

   A simple and solid guide of advice for new writers, indeed. Take me, for example, when I was just starting out in HP. I have to read a bunch of articles and learn from them for about a month until I managed to publish something worthwhile. The learning process can't even stop there because I have to learn new things step-by-step and continuously. Didn't matter if the process takes long, though, because I know that the long-term benefits that I'll have will be more useful.

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    Jodahposted 3 years ago

    This should be at the top of all forums. Great advice.

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    CYong74posted 3 years ago

    The problem is that many newbies wouldn't do it, because:
    
    1) Some are here only because they think they can make hundreds with one or two hastily assembled articles. Reading a help center is simply too much work.
    
    2) To be blunt, the worst ones give the impression that they rarely read properly written English articers, i mean articles. Otherwise, how could they not know there are things like full stops and caps and paragraphs in English? And so even if they read the learning center, they wouldn't understand what's being taught.

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       theraggededgeposted 3 years agoin reply to this

       I know you meant to write 'articals'

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          CYong74posted 3 years agoin reply to this

          Ah yes! I got the spelling wrong after all. How embarrassing!

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          TessSchlesingerposted 3 years agoin reply to this

          GDPR Deleted
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             Miebakagh57posted 3 years agoin reply to this

             Okay. Now how about articels? Lol!

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       PaulGoodman67posted 3 years agoin reply to this

       I believe that it's known as the Dunning-Kruger Effect: People who are really bad at something often think that they are good, because they lack the necessary skills, experience and knowledge to appreciate how truly bad they are. Who needs a learning center when you are already great at writing?

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          Miebakagh57posted 3 years agoin reply to this

          'Who needs a learning center when you are already great at writing?' I could not help laughing.                                           And besides, who among us has attain the height of writing? Writng is a tool that is developing every day.                                            Imagine these days that I had difficulty in spelling the word professor. I had to consult the dictionary countless times to correct myself.                                                                   So how come or who told ya I don't need the learning center? I reason such guys should better get lost.

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          CYong74posted 3 years agoin reply to this

          That's interesting and good to know. A topic for a stellar Owlcation hub too!

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    Naved Tyagiposted 3 years ago

    Thanks for your advice

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    Miebakagh57posted 3 years ago

    I think it's high time HubPages look into the youtube video, make coments of caveat?

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    EricDockettposted 3 years ago

    I'm glad this post was well received by the community. I know a lot of people are just as frustrated as I am.
    
    I think there is a second part to this problem, and I know I risk upsetting some people by explaining. I feel like many kind HubPages veterans enable this behavior in new members by constantly interacting with them and answering their mundane questions. 
    
    Some people here are so nice, kind, and helpful. I believe there is a place for that, but I also know what I suspect a lot of you know as well: Online writing is a tough business, and people who can't pick themselves up and solve problems for themselves don't get very far. I'm not sure it is helpful to lead a newbie by the hand and solve all of their problems for them.
    
    If someone asks, "How do I get to New York City?" it is kind and helpful to show them the way. On the other hand, they could have pulled up Google maps and figured it out for themselves, probably in less time than it took to ask in the forum. The idea that a person would ask for help when they could easily solve their own problem boggles my mind.
    
    A better question would be, "I am traveling to New York City and from my research I see there are many ways to get there. I've never been there before. Anyone have some advice on the which way is better than another?"
    
    That is the kind of question I expect to see from a newbie. It shows they have already don't some work to figure it out, and they are looking for other perspectives.
    
    My proposal is that any question asked in this forum which can easily be answered if they would just take a minute to look at the stupid Learning Center be answered with a link to the Learning Center. This is only a suggestion. I am not trying to tell anyone what to do.
    
    And I know there is a fine line between handholding and legitimate problem solving. I am not appointing myself or anyone the arbiter of that. All I am saying is some questions are so blatantly basic the community should not be wasting its time when it easy for the newbie to figure it out themselves.
    
    I hope I didn't upset anyone and I am not trying to tell people what to do. I tend to take a hard-headed approach to things and maybe I come off a little jerky but I don't mean it that way. I have nothing but respect for the Hubbers who try so hard to help the newbies in these forums. There is surely a special place for you in Heaven.
    
    I want to see new writers succeed here. I just think they need to understand that a big, big part of success on this site is the willingness to put your nose down and work until you figure things out.

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       bravewarriorposted 3 years agoin reply to this

       Well said, Eric. When I began writing here nine years ago, I didn't ask anyone for help. You're either a writer or you're not. Practicing the craft and doing your research is what separates good writers from poor writers. The proof will be in the pudding, so to speak.

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       PaulGoodman67posted 3 years agoin reply to this

       I agree, it's generally best ignoring the posts you've described, and just letting them slide off into oblivion. I don't always do that, but I try to.
       
       I don't know what the future is for the forums nowadays. One day, HP is going to make some really important announcement on here and nobody will see it, because we've all stopped coming here, because we're so disillusioned.

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       Miebakagh57posted 3 years agoin reply to this

       Glad to hear you spite out all these.  It's helpfull.                                  However, to say that the learning center is stupid is liken to saying that the Google map is a sand dune. I greatly detest that IMHO.

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          EricDockettposted 3 years agoin reply to this

          You're right. I never meant to suggest the Google map is a sand dune.

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          theraggededgeposted 3 years agoin reply to this

          That's not what Eric meant. He means that newbies dismiss the Learning Center as 'stupid', or dull, or boring, or too much hard work to spend time reading and understanding it.

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    lobobrandonposted 3 years ago

    It seems like I missed out on some interesting forum posts over the past couple of days.

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       PaulGoodman67posted 3 years agoin reply to this

       The good news is that you've also missed out on a whole heap of uninteresting ones too!

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          lobobrandonposted 3 years agoin reply to this

          Haha, that's true.

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    Miebakagh57posted 3 years ago

    Eric & Bev, okay I understood. You both are welcome.

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    Rupert Taylorposted 3 years ago

    I'm with you Eric. When I started here I offered advice to folk whose command of English was dodgy. But, I found I was dealing with the same issues over and over again. So I gave up and now only direct newbies to the Learning Center, such as this morning's gem who asked "What is boot camp." I was tempted to say it's a place where gay people go to get shoes. I'm glad I resisted the temptation.
    
    I'm with you too Shauna. I see offerings (they aren't articles) that somehow make it onto the niche sites when they don't even belong on HubPages. What's the point of publishing this dreck? It's the practice that shut down so many content providers that published whatever came in.
    
    I'm also with Bev. You selflessly give your time to newcomers and sometimes get abuse in return. But, don't stop, because I sometimes learn from the advice you are giving to "how i become riter good" people. And that goes for Linda Crampton too.

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       bravewarriorposted 3 years agoin reply to this

       The inundation of sub-par, non-English speaking people are going to be the death of us when the new Google algorithm is launched next month. HP will once again be deemed a site to stay away from when researching, as we have too many ill-written articles that HP feels are worthy of the niche sites.. We'll be lower on the totem pole than ever before.
       
       Is that the underlying intent? Did Maven buy HP to eradicate the site from the Internet? Maven's format has it's pluses, but has more negatives, in my opinion as a writer, researcher, and reader.

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          lobobrandonposted 3 years agoin reply to this

          Badly written articles is the least of our worries when it comes to the Google algorithms. Instead, we should be worrying about the horrible user experience with the video that follows you around, ads that pop up on the phone, etc.

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    Moondot1822posted 3 years ago

    Not every newbie asks silly questions! I can say for sure that the first article of mine was written with no help. I approached the Learning Center and wrote the article, and my article was rejected because of photos.
    I was reading the hubs regarding the correct use of photos but couldn't understand that what to do. So I asked for help from the HB community.
    Bev g and Alicia, these are the two names I respect sincerely. They both helped me each time.
    Eric, you have written the whole situation decently. This forum is not for "my daily life routine".
    And by the way, not everyone here writes for money.

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    varunsdposted 3 years ago

    As per my experience, a writer should approach Hubpages with an honest intent of informing and keeping the audience engaged. I always try to approach my writings with these two principles.
    
    And of course, never be afraid to fail as there are friends in Hubpages to help you out with!

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