Why do HP insist on submerging writing of prose & poetry, and not let work stand

1. 72

   Twilight Lawnsposted 10 years ago

   Why do HP insist on submerging writing of prose & poetry, and not let work stand on its own merits?
   
   What is it with the HubPolice that a poem (for example) needs a singing and dancing description of the contents of the Hub with lots of lovely pictures and videos and tables and quizzes and all the rest of that padding when HubPages is supposed to be a site for the sharing and exposure of writing, written creativity and writing skills?

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2. 79

   brblogposted 10 years ago

   I agree,
   
   One size fits all seems to be the Hub Pages policy but that does not always capture the best work  . . . as an Architect, I have a special place in my heart for the idea that "less is more" . . . and that can apply to a hub as well.

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3. 59

   Sinbadsailormanposted 10 years ago

   Its all about the earning capacity; more is less and less is more. But yet we the public endorses the reverse 99% of the time especially on the web. Give us more, more, more doesn't matter what they just fed us the stuff we seek we want more! Images being the #1 thing we seek for we are visually minded. The HUB knows this and it is what readers are seeking except these aren't readers their scanners scanning and feeding like ravenous wolves tracking a dieing buffalo herd.  FEED Us as they howl at the moon light madness. Everything for a discounted price.

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      Twilight Lawnsposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      sinbadsailorman, thank you for your wonderfully insane and descriptive comment. 
      You are so right.  In my foolish way, I thought that HubPages was a literary site created for writers, poets and those of an artistic bent, but maybe I was wrong.  The

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4. 72

   Twilight Lawnsposted 10 years ago

   This to brblog, whose comment I replied to and accidentally deleted. His comment struck a chord, and so I reply to him here.
   brblog, I agree with you so much, and perhaps I could have saved myself some time when I wrote all the above, and just used your words: “less is more”.  That encapsulates my thoughts precisely.
   Sometimes, when I am writing, I ramble on and on and my stories, descriptions and poems turn into some thousands of words (and that is very time consuming because I am the slowest writer, ever). But at other times, I have said what I want to say in just a few lines... any more would be hyperbole. 
   But when the HubPolice come to call, they frequently declare my little effort thus: “does not receive sufficient engagement” or worse,” does not reach our quality standards”.

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      brblogposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Hub Pages believes they have to do what they do to stay in good graces with Google (after the Panda release – the Hub platform was severally penalized by that release). Unfortunately, there is no magic bullet so Hubbers often suffer the consequences.

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5. 81

   M. T. Dremerposted 10 years ago

   Well, HubPages is a business and it needs revenue to stay open. They make their money off of advertisement clicks for their partners and, no matter how much we love our creative writing, it just doesn't generate traffic. Not because it's bad, but because audiences don't know to look for it yet. I will admit that it's kind of annoying when they come up with a new restriction, but I view it like Barnes and Noble selling things other than books. Sure, it kind of cheapens the experience, but if it means Barnes and Noble/HubPages gets to stay open, then I'm willing to make that concession.

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   1. 72

      Twilight Lawnsposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      M. T. Dremer, a rather bleak response from you but I feel you may be right.  But what is the point in keeping HubPages alive and functioning when one has joined to share and to show off one’s writing- whether good or bad.  They may make their money f

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   2. 81

      M. T. Dremerposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      It is kind of bleak, but business usually is (try publishing a book through the traditional market and you'll lose a lot of optimism). We can still showcase and link to fiction on HP, we just can't expect it to be featured or make any money.

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   3. 72

      Twilight Lawnsposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      By "publishing a book through the traditional market" I assume you mean those paper and board things?
      I suppose Kindle doesn't count, because that's self publishing.  Did I hear "Vanity Press"?

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      M. T. Dremerposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      I meant the old school query letter > agent > publishing company method. It's all about marketability and what is hot, not whether or not the book is good.

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   5. 72

      Twilight Lawnsposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      M.T.Dremer, i would love to find a literary agent, but where and how? It's a minefield. A friend is a highly respected writer of Women's Issues and Islamic Issues but as I only write pretentious stuff (Yeah right!) I can't even ask to share hers.

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   6. 81

      M. T. Dremerposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      If you're interested in finding a literary agent, I wrote a hub about it. I included links to all the agencies I tried. It's mostly for genre fiction, but it might help you out. The 2014 Guide to Literary Agents is also a great resource.

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   7. 72

      Twilight Lawnsposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Thank you, M. T.  Your advice has been really useful,  I just went and looked at your hub.
      Daunting!
      I don't think I'm man enough.  Good enough for some hard bloke like George Sand, but wow, what a lot of work!

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6. 91

   Cardisaposted 10 years ago

   Let's define Hubpages first and maybe that will answer your question. HP is not a site for freedom of expression or for "or the sharing and exposure of writing, written creativity and writing skills"
   
   Hubpages is a business which allows writers to publish within their (HP) guidelines. They are not here to help the writers express themselves. They are here to make money by allowing you to publish. In order to make more money you the publisher/writer needs to make them money with your writing.
   
   As far as content is concerned, HP is more concerned about informative articles because these make more money, they are more searchable (gets more traffic) and they are more Google friendly.
   
   It's not about you but about what makes more money or what makes Google happy.

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      PoeticFailosophyposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Amen sister.

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   2. 72

      Twilight Lawnsposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Well, that's me roundly and soundly told off.
      Perhaps I should slink off and find somewhere else, or perhaps toe the line and lick a few arses.
      Regardless, Cardisa, I thank you for your comment, but feel that I have misunderstood the whole concept. .

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      brblogposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      If you read the "about us" tab at the bottom of any HP page, you will see that HP states it is exactly a "sharing and exposure of writing, written creatively . . .etc." though they don't use those exact words - you should check it out.

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   4. 72

      Twilight Lawnsposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Svetlana, once again you amaze me and entertain me in a way no other person has ever done. Your slant in life is so clever and so off the wall, but never do you come over as being bitter,  Just brilliantly entertaining and cleverly deep  all at once.

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      kallini2010posted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks, Ian. I am not going to place any more comments because if there are too many, HP will close the question as the one being not a question but a forum.  The best thing to do? Laugh it off.

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7. 58

   PoeticFailosophyposted 10 years ago

   Actually, this is a commercial site, not a creative writing site or a writers' networking site.  How-to articles are the money-makers. People who don't want to face that are going to be continually disappointed by HubPages' policies to hide creative writing from the site.  But I guess some people just like to find things to be upset about. If you don't want to be upset or surprised by all the new policies they come up with, then face the music and post your creative writing on a site that is actually designed for creative writing.  This isn't rocket science.

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      Twilight Lawnsposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Couldn’t you have tried a little harder to be offensive, PoeticFailosophy? I am not one of those persons who just like to find things to be upset about; I just feel that greed & lack of respect for attempts at creativity to be somewhat pitiable

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      brblogposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      I believe they do want creative writing, the original question was about short pieces not getting featured (like poetry) but if you write a very long creative piece and add a few bells and whistles, it is certain to be featured . . .

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      PoeticFailosophyposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      I will try my best to be more offensive.  You apparently signed up for this site with no idea of what its purpose actually is.  Creativity is largely unwelcome here, and people with sense figured that out and left a long time ago. Start your own blog

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      Nellieannaposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      PoeticFailosophy, may I ask, how old are you?

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8. 81

   kallini2010posted 10 years ago

   When less is more, Ian, my favourite line of yours in this discussion/ventilation of creative angst was "Couldn't you have tried harder to be offensive...?"
   And I came across it in the very beginning of this question and answer dance. It was not pretentious, it was lively.
   
   I don't have to answer your question for it seems to be rhetorical or as my son says "Historical".  In this case, it is historical, it has been the policy or intent or the higher purpose of HubPages all along to publish "How Tos" from "Those Who Have No Idea How but Pretend They Do."
   
   The question (rhetorical or historical) "To Be or Not to Be?"  or "Let them be"
   
   lends itself nicely to a lot of topics:
   
   How to be:
   
   1. Don't stop drinking (water) to avoid dehydration (another topic is How to Avoid Dehydration)
   
   2. Continue eating.
   
   3. Keep close to the tribe....
   
   How not  to be:
   
   1. Stop drinking water.
   2. You may consider doing it underwater so as to stop breathing (do it at your own discretion).
   3. Stop eating.
   4. Avoid being force-fed.
   
   and now you can see how many "essential, unique" topics you have for your creative writing. Topics that no one has covered before.
   
   Well, you know, write a hub on any of those and everything will be peachy.
   
   Or how to be or not to be pretentious... 
   
   How to write:
   
   1. Take a piece of paper.
   2. Take a pen.
   3. Start writing.
   
   However, that is probably the reason I am not writing anything. I don't want to sit in any traffic that generates a waste of time.  I'd rather read one of those printed books by long dead authors.  The ones that did not care about the traffic, but listened to their inner voice and were just in time to get published.
   
   I gotta rush before the society forgets how to read and comes back to hieroglyphics.

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      Nellieannaposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      As always, Svetlana - you are witty, concise (in your own inimitable way) and a genuine pleasure to read and to know!  I love and miss you!

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      kallini2010posted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Thank you, Nellieanna! I miss you, too.  Your "deep well of knowledge". This response is a long version of "All Writing is Creative".  Creative non-fiction is what we know as history. A great writer always has a strong and unique voice.

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      Nellieannaposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Yes, I agree!  As subjective entities, all our human observations &  responses are 'creative', for sure; - which naturally involves 'fictitious' as compared with objective facts which are outside our subjective realms! ;-)

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      brblogposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      I hope you do write because it is a pleasure to read your ramblings (and I mean that in a nice way) . . .

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