Is there a Maximum Size Limit for a Hub?

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   Gordon Hamiltonposted 13 years ago

   I have tried the learning centre for this and if it is covered there and I have missed it, I apologise.
   
   I know that ideally we should create a number of Hubs around a topic when we think this might be a problem but in this very specific case and in relation to the idea I am kicking around in my head at the moment, I believe the effect I want to achieve would be lost if I were to break it up. I haven't started the Hub yet but if I go ahead with it, I know it will certainly be longer than any Hub I have ever written before.
   
   I'm not talking about a ridiculous, novel length Hub but I just wondered if anyone knows if there is some sort of guideline as to a maximum length that I should make sure I stick to, even if there is not a hard and fast rule.
   
   Thanks for any help or advice you can give me.

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      R.S. Hutchinsonposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Good question. One of my hubs on dating is very very long but it went through ok and has a high rating.

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      Marisa Wrightposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      There is no set maximum length and some Hubbers have written very long Hubs.  However, all the research indicates that readers' eyes will glaze over after 1,500 words, so the rest of your "opus" will be read by very few people!
      
      Hubs around the 1,000 - 1,500 mark actually do very well so it's a good length to shoot for.
      
      I don't believe there is ANY subject that can't be split up.  After all, in a book you use chapters, don't you?

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         BRIAN SLATERposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         I would have to agree with most of what you have said Marisa, my mountain biking hubs are all broken down to specific topics. However Mark knowles advised me to due a "flag ship" hub on all aspects to encompass them all, ie A great Big List etc etc. This hub is over 3300 words. I have broken it up though with plenty of pictures and videos which helps maintain the readers interest.

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   prettydarkhorseposted 13 years ago

   this is just me, my attention span is only up to 1500 - 2000 words. Divided in short paragraph.
   
   I don't know the maximum number of words that is accepted as a hub here.

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      schoolgirlforrealposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      My attention span is 500-800 words :lol; unless I find it very very interesting, sometimes I read poems because they are shorter

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         prettydarkhorseposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         hi schoolgirl, If I like the topic, I also bookmark it, and come back later on. it is bec. I can't stand to sit down in front of computer for many hours.

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   Cagsilposted 13 years ago

   I have two hubs, which were done to show off some of the women who write on HP.
   
   Each hub is OVER 8000 words long. Just to give you an idea.

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   Reality Bytesposted 13 years ago

   I have several over 5000 words.

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   Amie Warrenposted 13 years ago

   This reminds me of another site where I never get through a post because it is so long and so cluttered with crap widgets and ads. I know you all know which site I mean. I tried writing there, but it seems they don't want good, well written 500-700 word articles. They want the ones that are so spammy that it's sickening.
   
   I have been told by pros who have been doing this long before we were that if your article is over 600 words, break it up into two shorter articles. Studies show that internet surfer's attention span stops about around 500 words.
   
   Personal preference, though. Do what you want.

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   Stacie Lposted 13 years ago

   I don't think there is an official length maximum, only minimum of 400 words. As others as stated, you want to keep the readers attention by maybe breaking them up into more hubs.. JMHO
   

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   WriteAngledposted 13 years ago

   I have read, I think perhaps even on a hub here, that it can be a useful strategy to keep rambling on and on, because some readers will then click on ads as a distraction!
   
   I don't think it's possible to say what is too long. It depends on the topic and the reader. If something interests me, I keep reading, no matter how long and dense the text. I do skim read a lot as well, so 5-10 thousand words is no problem for me personally.

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   R.S. Hutchinsonposted 13 years ago

   I threw pictures in mine... just say'n

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   Lisa HWposted 13 years ago

   I think it depends on the subject, but also on the Hubber and the reader. 2000 words about how to remove wine stain isn't likely to keep a reader.  2000 words about all the issues wrong in public schools - maybe, if the writing keeps the reader.
   
   As a reader, I don't like stuff chopped up.  I want to start at the beginning, keep reading stuff without interruption, and get to the end.  Not everyone likes to operate that way.  My thing is that I don't read anything that doesn't have substance, so if I'm attracted to the thing at all I'm expecting "traditional" reading - not "Internet reading".
   
   I think each person just has to do what he thinks will make his Hub of decent quality, because there are too many different kinds of Hubs, subjects, readers, and Hubbers.  People who prefer quick reading will call long Hubs "boring" or "dry" or "tedious" (because they are to them).  People who expect substance will call chopped up Hubs - well - "chopped up" and maybe even "irritating".  The Hub will either do well traffic-wise/feedback-wise or not.   Then you can think about making some adjustment to it if you want.     I'd never worried a whole lot about what I did with each Hub, but after Panda I just got so I decided to just do whatever I want to do, as a writer because I didn't have much to lose anyway.    Some of the post-Panda Hubs seem to be doing as well as any others (and they tend to be "longies" with little but writing in them. 

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    Aficionadaposted 13 years ago

    I agree that the subject is a hugely important factor.
    
    I don't mind reading long articles, if it is on a subject of interest to me, and if it is something I can absorb.  But once I reach the saturation point, I leave - even if I theoretically want to read the whole thing.
    
    When I read an article that I find interesting but also challenging, I am much more likely to stay with it to the end, if it is spread across several pages.  That way, I don't feel overwhelmed by the volume of text.  But if I decide to take a break and come back later, it is easier to find my place.  Since we can't divide into pages here, the closest comparison would be linked articles, IMO.
    
    I like the idea that readers might click on ads as a distraction, if the article is too long.  Maybe I should include that as part of a strategy!
    
    Lisa HW, I like your new profile pic - very nice!    And I like this too:
    

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       Lisa HWposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       Oh, thanks, Aficionada.  I'm not sure about it.  It's already been back to the old blue-Earth picture a couple of times since I changed it.     I give it a couple of days. 

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          Aficionadaposted 13 years agoin reply to this

          I know what you mean!  I think that the first time I saw it, I didn't even realize it was you, since I'm so accustomed to the blue earth.  But I really do like the look of this one.  I like both of them!

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             Lisa HWposted 13 years agoin reply to this

             Again, thanks.    I like that transparent Earth.  Besides, I've got some left-over shyness (I've never been able to overcome) that makes posting a regular, real, picture of myself a pretty big challenge for me.  I feel like a three-year-old.    Anyway, after years on the Internet I decided to start working my way up from a color-tinted, part-face to an actual real picture (or maybe not       ).

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    K9keystrokesposted 13 years ago

    It's pretty typical to write successful hubs in about 400-500 words. The contest here on HubPgaes stick to this criteria as well. I have a couple of hubs well over 4K words that do well. I tend to write 800 to 1500 word hubs. The richer the contend, regardless of word count, makes the hub. You write good stuff Gordon, so go with whatever it is your brilliant mind thinks might work. You might just teach us all a thing or two!
    Good luck~

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       Marisa Wrightposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       Well, not really. 400 words is about the minimum acceptable length.
       
       Several prominent Hubbers did extensive testing about a year ago, and came to the conclusion that longer Hubs were more successful - 800 to 1,500 words.   Alternatively, three or four 400-word Hubs on the same topic, interlinked, worked too.
       
       HubPages used to have a Flagship Hub program
       
       http://hubpages.com/hub/How-I-got-my-hu … first-page

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          K9keystrokesposted 13 years agoin reply to this

          Thanks for the input Marisa~
          I agree that a series of hubs ranging around 400 - 500 words each could be successful. That was kind of my meaning when pointing out contest options. The major point I was making however, was regarding quality of content. But thanks for the cool link you provide above.

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    MyMastiffPuppiesposted 13 years ago

    I scanned over all the answers and there was some really good advice about the length of hubs. I am not a pro and have only been here a little while so I can only go on what I have learned from others who have been here longer.
    
    I don't have a lot of really long hubs but I agree that you lose many readers if they are over the 1500 words but... If you could find a breaking point and make 2 or 3 hubs out of one, you might capture your readers. You could make each one up to 1500 words or so, keep your readers interested and wanting to read the next section. There is something to be said for anticipation... anyway just a thought, lots of luck!

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       CASE1WORKERposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       I have an extremly long hub on draft , that will be published one day! I have just read a hub by James Watkins on Andrew Jackson. It really was a large cup of tea hub, but so good. I believe there is a place for long hubs but I also suspect that you won't get much in the way of casual traffic, just a small but interested readership. Which is fine by me!

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    Mark Ewbieposted 13 years ago

    I did one that was just over 311 words once.  That was amazing.  It took me for EVER to write the thing. It now has over 3 views and this guy left a comment saying if I followed him he'd follow me back.

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    Charles Jamesposted 13 years ago

    I once posted a hub that weighed in at over 20,000 words. It was the Food Labelling Regulations 1996 incorporating all the amendments made since 1996 by over 30 documents. I later took it down for marketing reasons.
    
    Why does one put up a hub? If you want people to read it, it must not be too long, and it is best broken up with photos. Remember, we want the readers to click off our article onto an advertisement.

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    Wesman Todd Shawposted 13 years ago

    Absolutely not - there is no size limit at all.  I've got 5000 and 4000 word hubs.  Someday I might do a 10000 word hub.  James A. Watkins continually produces lots of very long and very awesome hubs.

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    Gordon Hamiltonposted 13 years ago

    Thank you very much to everyone who has posted here for your wonderful information and advice. You have collectively answered my question a thousand times over and I can assure you it is very much appreciated.
    
    Given that this Hub for the moment exists only in my mind, it was not easy to "guesstimate" the number of words but I had the figure of 6 or 7,000 in my head. Clearly, from what I have read, that would be acceptable in a technical sense, at least.
    
    I promise I do know the value of breaking Hubs up in to segments/different Hubs. I just can't get my head round how I could avoid losing the very specific purpose and origin of my idea in this particular instance.
    
    What I have decided to do is hedge my bets. Rather than create a Hub (unpublished) and thus a URL and commit myself, I am going to write the Hub on a Word Document only and once it is pretty much written, I'll make the final decision at that time.
    
    Thanks again to all.

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       lambservantposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       I don't know the answer, but there have been some really really really long hubs I have gone to that I gave up on. A good writer will know how to whittle down their piece so that this can be avoided. I think if someone really has more information they want to give, dividing it up into three or four hubs is much more likely to draw people than to try to read an interminibly long hub.

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