Drinking and Deleting - Or How I Spent My Second HubPages Anniversary

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   Nelle Hoxieposted 12 years ago

   Well it was a pot of tea that I was drinking. But I did delete most of my Nelle hubs. It was just time for them to go. I have started a new website using my real name - which is Nelle Hoxie and it is about Cape Cod travel, culture and arts. I also want to write these kinds of hubs under my name as well. It just didn't seem like a good idea to me, to have people come here to read about Cape Cod and then see that I sell pressure cookers on the side. So the only hubs left are those relating to Cape Cod travel and the arts.
   
   I had originally thought to move them to another identity, but in all honesty I just don't have time for the rewrite they need. I've got to catch a tourist season which is almost upon us. (And I do have a lot of hubs under other names.)
   
   So there's no great gossip as to why I deleted my hubs and no great flouncing going on. I'm just changing strategies a bit, well actually alot. Hey do you do we have a map capsule?!? It does feel a litle funny to be writing hubs with picture and map capsules and no amazon or ebay.

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      recommend1posted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Hi Nellie - in all three of my disguises I have followed you with interest, as an old hand and as a voice of reason with authority.
      
      I have just launched my website which is a bit more specific than just travel but we are also planning a travel site and I am starting to favour the idea of specific places in detail - I am in Guilin China and need to do some form of detailed round up of the place, another in our 'group' has a spectacular NZ site done in pictures if not in cafes
      
      Maybe we would beenfit from some judicious 'across' linking where it fits ? 
      
      This applies to anyone else making a specific 'place' site, or even hubs I guess ?

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   rebekahELLEposted 12 years ago

   I'm sure you're going to do well Nelle. You have direction and a plan and you do the work! 
   Travel hubs get decent traffic. And they are fun to write about your own area, it gives a nice touch when the author knows the area well.
   
   lol, yes, the map capsules are awesome!

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   lrohnerposted 12 years ago

   I certainly hope the Nelle hubs weren't the ones you spent time editing the past few days! I already miss them, though. I learned a lot from the Nelle hubs when I first started here, and now I feel like I've lost my security blanket. But I do totally understand why you've done it.

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   Mutiny92posted 12 years ago

   wow!  I don't know if I ever told you, but you were my main inspiration for writing on HP.  Even my wife stops to listen when I say "Guess what Nelle Hoxie just wrote."
   
   I built a lot of my hubs after studying yours!
   
   Good luck with the endeavor!

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   Edweirdoposted 12 years ago

   Well, Nelle, I hope that you and the "little Nelles" will remain active here on HubPages!
   
   I too, was inspired by you when I started out, and your "voice of reason" here in the forums continues to inspire me and keep me motivated
   
   Best of luck with your Cape Cod site!

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      Nelle Hoxieposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Trust me, I'm not going anywhere. That's actually why I posted this topic. At first I wasn't going to. And then my husband reminded me that every time I post in the forum people can see my hub count. I figured a conspiracy theory might get going.
      
      I've got about 50 hubs planned for the next few weeks. The map capsule is positively addicting - it's so much fun watching it change.

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         Marisa Wrightposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         Nelle, thank goodness you posted an explanation or you'd probably have caused mass panic!
         
         I am a fan of Google Maps although I haven't written many travel Hubs so have had no need to use them here.  I've been trying to get them to work for my Australian Belly Dance Directory website - each post is a different dancer in a different location, and it would be so cool to have a map for each and a "summary" map showing them all.  A bit beyond my skill level right now though!

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   Nelle Hoxieposted 12 years ago

   Well those Nelle hubs didn't stand the test of time. And no lrohner they weren't the ones I just edited. I've had it in the back of my mind for a while. So when the rules changed I worked on other identities first. When I saw how much work I have to do to make them first class hubs, I couldn't let them stay on my flagship identity.
   
   Mutiny92 I had no idea... My new website is listed in my profile if you want to see what's next. It won't be just travel. I'll be writing about regional theater, interviewing authors, telling ghost and pirate stories and all sorts of fun stuff. I am humbled that you pay so much attention to me.
   
   There will be lots of new hubs to love, I promise.

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   Mighty Momposted 12 years ago

   Thank you, Nelle, for sharing your strategy with us. I hope it works well for you.
   I also wish I had a trip to New England planned (more concretely than in my mind). I soooo miss MA. Sagamore Bridge -- gotta love it .
   Cheers and happy map capsuling! MM

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      Nelle Hoxieposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I think you're the only one who misses the Sagamore Bridge! I live 3.2 miles from it. On most summer Sundays, the traffic is clogged by my house and beyond for the next 10 to 15 miles.

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   IzzyMposted 12 years ago

   Thanks for the explanation Nelle
   I would have been worried had I noticed even though I know you have other names that you have been busy editing. Good luck with the new project

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   Mikeydoesposted 12 years ago

   With all of the new improvements to Google Ads and Hubpages ads, plus me losing Amazon, I really need to start looking in to this. Might have to try several without ads, too bad it is not going to be for a while! Too busy!
   
   Good luck!!

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    WryLiltposted 12 years ago

    All I can say is... wow!

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    Nelle Hoxieposted 12 years ago

    Thank you for all the good wishes and support. People do have to remember that I still have lots and lots of hubs, just not under Nelle.
    
    I have to say that it's a lot of fun actually interviewing people and visiting shops and hotels. After 10 years of working alone on the couch, being out with the world is a very different experience.
    
    There's the most beautiful gift shop as you come into Sandwich, owned by a woman and her father. Their golden retriever greets you when you enter. Then there was the bakery with the best giant cupcakes. But you'll be reading all about stuff like this in the months to come.

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       shoganposted 12 years agoin reply to this

       Nelle, I love the Cape.  My mother's family is all from West Dennis, originally.  It would be hard not to love romping about out there.

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       netlexisposted 12 years agoin reply to this

       The Internet is always changing and to keep up with it, we all have to change with it. Good strategy, Nelle, and I'm sure very well thought out. I can't wait to read your new hubs about Cape Cod. It's one of those place I hope to visit one day.

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    lrohnerposted 12 years ago

    A little OT, but I love the slideshow! What kind of camera do you use? My pics never, ever come out that perfect.

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       Nelle Hoxieposted 12 years agoin reply to this

       Leo gave me a super duper fancy Nikon for Valentines Day. I'm terrified of it! It has a huge memory card and can take about 16,000 pictures before it poops out on me. I need to take that many to get a good shot!
       
       I'm glad you like the slide show, it will hold 15 items, which is convenient because there are 15 Cape Cod towns.

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    Nelle Hoxieposted 12 years ago

    Recommend1 there are a lot of us getting into travel. I'm not sure if a link between Cape Cod and China makes sense - or any of the other venues.
    
    Although perhaps we could have a cultural exhcange. There are tea shops in china and tea shops on Cape Cod, and other places like I'm sure London. We could then link to the other tea shop hubs.
    
    Just a thought.

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       recommend1posted 12 years agoin reply to this

       Travel is travel Nellie - and traffic is traffic.  People search on travel first and then the plce, but more often on the 'type' of holiday they want - and they browse and cruise around.  Links are just a way of making a loose group of sites uder a joint travel heading to pass our vistors along to each other instead of to the commercial directory sites (one of which I am an affiliate)

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    rebekahELLEposted 12 years ago

    Nelle, your site looks great! I really like the layout and the color. It's very inspiring and giving me some ideas..
    I'm sure you're going to find even locals visiting a hub about their area, especially with interviews, etc. good luck!

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       Nelle Hoxieposted 12 years agoin reply to this

       I have to thank Bill Manning for that theme. He's the one who introduced me to it. It has a lot of the same linking structure as HubPages - and I think that HP is a masterpiece.
       
       I'm glad it's giving you ideas. As we move away from Amazon we have to find our creative spirit.

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          Bill Manningposted 12 years agoin reply to this

          Your welcome.
          
          Your Cape Cod site is looking great and I'm sure it will do very well. Down the road you can make pages listing local hotels, eateries, attractions and so on.
          
          Then you can charge for ad spots on your site for them. I recently started a local Orlando pet services site and I am already asked what I charge for ad spots.

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             Nelle Hoxieposted 12 years agoin reply to this

             Actually I'm using categories to fine tune the listings. There'll be Sandwich Gift Shops, Sandwich Route 6-A Gift Shops, Sandwich New Age Shops, Sandwich Antique Shops etc. And then they'll be under the larger Category Sandwich Shopping and they'all all be aggregated under Shopping. I'm hardcoding the categories into a menu on the side.
             
             I've decided to include all of the listings for free. If they want a link back to their site - it's going to cost them.
             
             The adsense is kicking in quite nicely though.
             
             (I have to admit that while I was out taking pictures and chatting today, I kept noticing pet shops!!!)

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    Mishaposted 12 years ago

    Drinking and deleting should be outlawed!

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    Nelle Hoxieposted 12 years ago

    Recommend1, we will keep talking then and working out ways to get us all heaps of traffic.

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       recommend1posted 12 years agoin reply to this

       When we are more set up and advanced I will contact you to see how we might build a few sky bridges

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