When do you know when to throw in the bucket as a writer?

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   clivewilliamsposted 9 years ago

   When do you know when to throw in the bucket as a writer?
   
   If no one is buying your books, you are not getting any readers online...do you think it is time to throw in the bucket as a writer?

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   PegCole17posted 9 years ago

   Perhaps you can try to engage other readers by making comments on their hubs and reading the work of those who have seen success. I find that when I do this, that my readership improves.
   
   I've always heard the expression as "throw in the towel" or "kick the bucket". This is a new one for me, but I would not advise you to give up yet. It takes some writers a long time to become famous and well read.

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   FatFreddysCatposted 9 years ago

   I've never written anything with the idea that I was going to get rich or famous doing it...otherwise I'd cover more commercial topics, and maybe I'd bother to learn me some of that "SEO" nonsense all the kids seem so crazy about. I write for my own amusement/entertainment, and if other people seem to dig it, then that's OK too.

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      clivewilliamsposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      good for you. Some people actually go deeper than self amusement or entertainment. The write as a means to sustain themselves just like any other job. We all love when people read our articles, that's one of the greatest feelings.

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      fpherj48posted 9 years agoin reply to this

      FatFreddysCat......CONGRATULATIONS on your FAT 100 hubber score.  A big fat BRAVO to you!! 

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   M. T. Dremerposted 9 years ago

   I'll admit, I've never heard the phrase 'throw in the bucket'. But, as for giving up as a writer, I'm not sure it's even possible. It's too ingrained in our personalities and lives that, to give it up, would be to give up a piece of ourselves. Sure, it hurts when our books don't sell, or our articles don't get views. But I would be surprised if that was enough to stop us.

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   ChristinSposted 9 years ago

   If you are a true writer, you never stop being one.  You'll always try, always push and always pursue writing in some capacity, even if it just solely for your personal release and enjoyment and not as a career. 
   
   Like any talent, it takes time, skill and patience to build up.  Some make it and some don't, but someone who IS a writer is like someone who IS an artist, it's a part of who you are.

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      clivewilliamsposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      thanks for your input

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   Billie Kelpinposted 9 years ago

   Clivewilliams, Whether this is a question of personal interest or a question in general, I would say, there comes a point when you just know.  But then interesting things can happen:
   1. (Off topic a bit) I've had my online business with my husband creating educational software for about 20 years and have never made any money. No one seems to want our software and two people working a business can't compete with the amazing software available in 2015.  I finally realized that we don't have a business; it's a hobby.  I was ready to give up on it completely and not even look at the website until a friend talked about the volunteer work that she and her husband do.  We don't have time for volunteer work, but kids come to our website to learn.  Ergo:  My company is my volunteer work.  It's valuable and I don't need to shut it down completely. Sometimes the releasse of letting something go or a paradigm shift in our thinking can help us continue onward.
   2. (Back to writing)  A writer here on hubpages years ago gave me a good idea regarding letters from Vietnam which I was posting under a different name.  He suggested they would be better as an ebook. I never did convert those letters, but did create two children's ebooks.  Ebooks can be good, but I haven't been able to actually sell many of my ebooks.  HOWEVER, making an ebook APP... or making an APP of a topic DOES get readers.  I have an app that I made with ibuild app that has had over 5000 downloads.  Do I make any money with it?  No, because buildup requires a monthly fee for over 2000 downloads and I didn't monetize that app the way I should have.  That app has a list of phrases that click into little essays. I don't have control of that app any longer, but now I know how to monetize my next app.  Looking at your hubs, for example, the one on finding a soul mate could actually cleverly be made into an app. that you could upload to googleplay and the apple store.  As long as it's published here first, my understanding (from writing to the hubpage team) is that we can publish it elsewhere as well - just not the other way around. 
   Promotion is an all important part of self-publishing, I'm learning.  When I see how actors have to go to late night talk show after late night talk show, it's apparent that even at that level, people have to schlep around and work really hard to get an audience.

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      Billie Kelpinposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      oops errors "release" not releasse and "ibuildapp" not "buildup" - (trying to do two things at once here

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      clivewilliamsposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      Very informative and interesting comment, i think i will try out some of your suggestions.

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      Express10posted 9 years agoin reply to this

      Very good answer!

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   liesl5858posted 9 years ago

   No, I would not give up no matter what happens. I write till I have nothing else to write about. I am learning a lot on the online world which is good and well someday it might make me some money like my hubs which are doing well at the moment. Not a lot of money perhaps but it is something I worked for and it is nice to spend it.

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      clivewilliamsposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      congrats

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   fpherj48posted 9 years ago

   If nary a soul ever read a thing that I write, I would write anyway.  I write because it is in me to write, just as naturally as I breathe.
   If you're thinking of quitting....throw in the "towel," the bucket could really hurt someone!  OUCH!!

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      tsadjatkoposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      lol maybe he meant "kick the bucket," Naw, he's too good looking and young and good looking and...look at that smile, that alone should sell some books, how many good lookin authors are there anyway? !

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      fpherj48posted 9 years agoin reply to this

      Well, there's John Grisham, who is handsome enough to entertain my eyes for quite some time, not to mention his sex appeal and outrageously gripping talent.  I could read his work  from now until forever.

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   Lady Guinevereposted 9 years ago

   I am almost ready to quit, here at least.  I just got my weekly newsletter from Hubpages and my profile views went down 28.6%, my question views went down 11.6% and my hub views went down 10.6%.  It does make you wonder doesn't it?

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      clivewilliamsposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      that's really sad...maybe things will soon pick up for you.

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      Lady Guinevereposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      It is sad and to think that my income says that I am making money.  I am very depressed about this. Ppl tell me that I am a good writer but...you know what I mean?  HP makes me depressed lately. 7 minutes to stay on a hub and read.  Way 2 long 4 m...

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10. 75

    FitnezzJimposted 9 years ago

    I think the answer to your questions is – it depends.  If you enjoy writing, and don’t care about the money, keep at it.  If you enjoy writing, and would eventually like to make a living at it, and can afford the spare time to work on it, then keep at it.  Years from now, the reward will be in looking back and knowing you were willing to work at bettering yourself at what you really wanted to do.
    On the other hand, If you are trying writing as a way to make a living, not having any success, and think of writing as a chore rather than an enjoyable past-time, then yeah, maybe it is time to think about doing something else.
    Either way, what you decide really has to depend on what you want in the long-run, and what you need to meet your needs in the here and now.
    
    And I related to the phrase ‘throw in the bucket’.  I role-play in on-line text based games, and my favorite character recently had an iron bucket land on his head.  He was on the ground, and other characters were engaged in an air battle, after being interrupted while fighting fires with buckets of water on the ground.  Everybody in that battle saw it.  This ended his participation in that particular scene, and earned him some renown as the dwarf that got done in by a bucket.
    
    The guy who created that scene is also an aspiring writer.  With an imagination like that, he will some day be successful at it.

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    TheBizWhizposted 9 years ago

    The answer is never, because you have to think "They haven't bought my books YET."
    
    I recently read an article in the Wall St. Journal Magazine about a 90 year old artist named Etel Adnan, who did not find fame until she was in her 80's. She became an artist at a very early age and continued her entire life because that is what she is...an artist. The new found fame just happened to come along later. That's all.
    
    If you are truly a writer, then you will write. Just because people are not buying your writings doesn't mean they never will. It just means they haven't bought your writings yet. Keep at it!

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       Omer123posted 9 years agoin reply to this

       perfect answer

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    MarieLBposted 9 years ago

    Never.  It is what I do, a part of me.
    I have only started publishing this past year, but before that I still did a fair amount of writing, in one way or another, because it is my medium.

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    Chriswillman90posted 9 years ago

    I agree with many on here that if you're a real writer that you never give up. It's a hit or miss field as all writers know but that breakthrough is out there somewhere, and there's always hope that one day you'll reach your goal.
    
    If you quit, then you were never a writer to begin with.

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       clivewilliamsposted 9 years agoin reply to this

       mmmmm

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    Boots Iaconoposted 9 years ago

    No.  You never throw it in... you keep writing, because it is inside you to do so... even if you never get that bestseller, or gain a following, as long as you are able to communicate something that is important to you, you do it... its the same way with any art form.  You have to do it because you love it, anything good that happens after that is just gravy... just make sure you have a day job to pay the bills.

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       clivewilliamsposted 9 years agoin reply to this

       i approve that dayjob part

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    nochanceposted 9 years ago

    If you're planning to give up then maybe you aren't cut out to be a writer. Learn more so you can write better. Edit so your stuff is top quality. Promote yourself in more places and learn how to speak to particular audiences.
    
    Giving up won't get you anywhere. Writing is hard work and becoming successful at it is even harder.
    
    http://www.literaryrejections.com/best- … -rejected/

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    Omer123posted 9 years ago

    never ever because actually you are writing for your own self to if your punlisg books and written stuff is still under fame so it means you have to write more and more and no body known at what stage you will have the fame and if you are just writing just for the fame then you are doing the most wired thing because if you are not writing then its seem you are killing your self and feelings and if you are writing then its mean you have a enough doze of water so keep writing worth ,most ...

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    1. 74

       clivewilliamsposted 9 years agoin reply to this

       ok bro

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    dandelionweedsposted 9 years ago

    Maybe you just need to learn more marketing techniques. Spend less time writing and more time marketing. There is free marketing- youtube, hubpages, other blogging, twitter, etc., and then there is some paid marketing facebook paid ads or amazon, google. Good luck!

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    reinhardBeckposted 9 years ago

    When it starts becoming a chore. When it feels like work.

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       clivewilliamsposted 9 years agoin reply to this

       good answer

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    tsmogposted 9 years ago

    To answer the last question first I would say I doubt it. Marketing is key. I have a philosophy if what I write is read - completely, by one person I was successful. They may criticize or not, agree or not, like or not, and offer no 'Word - of - Mouth' advertising. As an author who writes I was successful. Then comes the decision of how to measure success, although success remains. I discover delight with that first.
    
    To answer the first question the answer is never. I did journaling for near twenty years before I ran into Hupages. The audience was God, a few or more Angels, and me. I still journal and always will, so I won't throw in the bucket, but if I print it out I may toss it into the bucket (smile).

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