I Wish I Could Write Like You... Can you make money on Hub Pages?

While perusing hub pages recently, I was struck by the number of great writers contributing here. The profound insight of Ken R Abell.  The poignant poetry of Micky Dee. The thought provoking commentary of AEvans. Painful personal growth shared by Oneputt. And I felt way out of my league. 

I am glad I began writing hubs before I began reading them. The great quality and sheer magnitude of the writing on hub pages is not only overwhelming, but intimidating. My ego mind would knock me for a loop if I let it. I have no business here, sharing my pitiful ideas. Fortunately, I started writing first.

I know why the caged bird sings. It's the same reason the writer writes. Because inside, our hearts are free. Regardless of the external circumstances of current situations, or the trauma or drama of past experience, we writers write to free the song that wells within.

To the great chorus of voices on hub pages, I add my small, squeaky voice. Although it may sound out of tune when taken on it's own, it reflects who I am. When added to the many already singing, it takes on it's own life. And I write because my heart is free. 

Write on friends. And Namaste.

I didn't begin writing on Hub Pages to earn money. In fact, I wanted input on a book I was writing. Initially, I read other blogs and got a feel for what was happening here. More than ten years ago, I didn't believe it was possible to earn money from blogging.

How times have changed. These days, we hear all about "Mommy Bloggers" earning millions while they sit at home, taking pictures of their latest cake creation and writing blogs about cleaning dried boogers from the bottom of the counter.

That's not my style.

As I said, I initially began writing on Hub Pages to get input from real writers about a book I was working on. I posted each chapter as a separate blog. The comments began pouring in, and soon I was inundated with advice that I had solicited.

I continued working on my book, and eventually published it. The Married Girls Guide to Great Sex. While it's not yet a best seller, I do sell a few on Amazon and in local book stores.

What the book did for me, however, was it allowed me to see myself, for the first time, as an actual writer. Then, I began writing blogs on Hub Pages. I have written more than two-hundred blogs. And my head is always swimming with new things to write about.

For a couple of years, I mostly forgot about Hub Pages, as I worked on publishing my book and working at a local newspaper.

One day, I started receiving lots and lots of comments in my email in box. I decided to go back and check on my blogs, since it had been a few months.

Imagine my surprise to see that one of my blogs had gone viral. It had nearly one million views. I couldn't believe it. And the other blogs were also enjoying large numbers of views. Since then, I have regularly contributed to the Hub Pages community.

I realized that being a part of a writing community means more than just writing an occasional article. It means participating in conversations, reading other people's work, and being a part of what is going on.

And yes, I earn a few dollars every month. Not enough to retire on, yet. But the big one is coming. I'm sure of it.

In the meantime, I've published my second book. Twenty Hours in Tonopah tells the true story of an emergency landing and detainment I experienced in Tonopah, Nevada.