Please I need an Answer to this Problem

1. 69

   BEAUTYBABEposted 14 years ago

   This to all Team Management and to all other Hubbers/Poets
   
   I keep getting told how well I am doing with my poetry. Even getting told that they are good, and times they ae excellent, but I have had hardly any comments. What am I doing wrong. Why am I being told this if it isn't true. I thought I was doing well, but these statistics tell me differently.
   I don't profess to being a poet at all but I see all the comments on other people's poetry who have been in about the same time as I have, and I have to ask is it worth continuing with this or should I just give up now.
   
   I am starting to feel that this is going nowhere and I should stop kidding myself that I am going to ever be any good at this.
   I feel very strongly so please if anyone thinks should keep going be honest with me and tell me now, otherwise I am seriously thinking of forgetting ever being a capable poet.I have enjoyed writing my poems as I felt this was my answer to helping me get through my tough times and everything I write just comes to me and I write it down, but now I feel it has been a waste of time. I don't know if anyone else has felt like this, I suppose they probably have, but I just felt I needed to express my feelings about this and see what the general feeling is amongst the other hubbers (poets,etc.)
   
   I will wait to see what transpires when this is read and make my decision from there. I would like to wish everyone else all the very best in their endeavours for 2010. Thank you for listening to me  Beautybabe.

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   1. 0

      Poppa Bluesposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      The key question for you to answer is why do you write? If you write for your own enjoyment, then of course you should continue. If you are writing to garner wealth and a following, then you may need to spend more time on promotion.

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   2. 61

      DogSiDaedposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Hey, I'm a poet too, and experience a similar thing. It's mildly frustrating, but at the same time, without HP, NOBODY would have read them at all, so it's a plus for me There was a site I've occasionally used called www.thepoetsanctuary.net , which is a forumlike system where you submit your poems there, they normally get a fair few views and comments I'm sure there are other sites out there but don't leave HP! I'm going out in the foot or so of snow we now have here, but I've made a note to read your poems when I return

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      PeeGeeposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Hi - I guess it's about why you write and why you post?
      
      Do you need validation, criticism and guidance or are you feeling out the market to see who likes your work enough to buy it....
      
      I think HubPages work because it seems to be about just the sharing bit - the reading other work and putting your own out their to see if it touches people every now and again.
      
      I wouldn't beat yourself up over it and don't stop being creative - any creativity is beautiful.

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2. 86

   Marisa Wrightposted 14 years ago

   Beautybabe, the fact is that unless you participate in the forums, most Hubbers won't notice you.  If Hubbers don't know you exist, they're not going to read your Hubs.
   
   Most comments come from fellow Hubbers, so the solution is to make yourself known by joining in.  You'll find some forums are very contentious (not to say vicious) whereas others are gentler and more friendly.  So pick wisely!

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3. 59

   megs78posted 14 years ago

   BeautyBabe, if you enjoy writing, keep doing it and do it for yourself.  I know it seems strange not to have comments when others of the same ilk are getting tons, but like Marisa says, you have to participate in forums to get some attention.
   
   Having said that, I wouldn't worry so much about it. I've been here 8 months and have very little comments on my hubs, but I DO get traffic, so I feel thats all that matters.  Keep writing and Happy New Year to you!
   
   Megs

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4. 69

   myownworldposted 14 years ago

   I just read some of your poems and I think they are beautifully written!
   
   I know it matters to be appreciated for your work, but don't give up on writing because of lack of enough comments. For internal traffic (from people within HP) stay in the forums...read other people's work...and continue writing with your heart. it will all happen for you!

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5. 69

   BEAUTYBABEposted 14 years ago

   I do participate in the forums as much as I am able to. I am not well and sometimes I can't use my computer a lot. I have written 32 hubs, eight of them poems.  BB
   I have answered  alot of questions, joined in games nearly every night, what more do you have to do to be noticed around hubpges.

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      myownworldposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      we are still talking about internal traffic here, right? It's not just the forums but finding time to read and comment on other people's work that matters too (they will in return make time for yours)
      
      External traffic is another story altogether...! There, poetry doesn't get as much traffic as information hubs (which are actually what hubs really are as opposed to just 'blogs')

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6. 79

   kirstenblogposted 14 years ago

   I feel for you
   I wonder if you have tried any of the other sites out there that host/publish content like HP does but with a main focus on poetry? Or even if they are out there
   HP seems like a great place to get read but it does seem to be better for certain types of writing, like info hubs, they seem to do great here. I love HP but am realistic and can see that it might not  be the best for all types of writing. Perhaps others know of sites that are better suited to poetry?

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7. 69

   BEAUTYBABEposted 14 years ago

   There is hardly any traffic either. I feel like I have a big blad cloud hanging over me. A clairvoyant keeps telling me this and now I am starting to believe her. All the hubs I have written that were first ones, were up in the high 80's now they are hardy registering 60 if they are lucky. I am doing as much as I can and that isn't enough then what is the point.  BB

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      CMHypnoposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Don't listen to anyone who tells you there is a 'big black cloud' hanging over you, even if they are a clairvoyant.  Think positively and keep on writing poetry if it is what you love doing.
      
      It will all come together in time and if you project yourself as a happy, outgoing person, you will attract more hubbers to your Hubs.
      
      Good luck!

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      Marisa Wrightposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      BB, the big black cloud is your illness, why should it be anything else?
      
      Hubscores depend on a lot of things, and one is the length of the Hub.  Poems are short, so your poetry Hubs may be getting penalized because of that.  You could try starting each Hub with a paragraph or two about the poem - what brought you to write it and when - then finish with some links to your other related poems and articles.  That might also get you some comments from people who aren't poetry fans.
      
      The reality is, though, that poetry rarely does well.  The few Hubbers who get "loads of comments" are the lucky ones.  There are lots of reasons why they've got noticed and you haven't.  Take some time to look for differences - what category are they listing their poems in?  What are they about?  Check where the Hubbers are posting in the forums - are they popular or contentious threads? 
      
      You would get a lot more traffic (though not necessarily more comments) if you wrote more non-poetry Hubs about your passions, like singing and dancing.

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8. 69

   BEAUTYBABEposted 14 years ago

   I comment on a lot of hubs as well but only hear back from a few of those too. BB

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9. 61

   aoiffe379posted 14 years ago

   Poetry is like the path less travelled as in Robert Frost's poem "The Road Not Taken". Once you choose the poetry path, you have to decide if you want to continue on it.The speaker in the named poem said that choosing the less travelled path has made a difference. Anyone who has read Cummings know that he uses lower case letters for his poetry. One time I wrote a poem and some people believed I was trying haiku.It looks haiku,sounds haiku but it does not qualify as haiku. Haiku has a syllables pattern.
   
   One time when I was just starting  with poetry a friend asked me to write a poem; and it was used on a radio program.I was excited and shared the good news. One relative asked if it had earned me enough money to buy bacon and eggs.Poetry is my forte; but I have not become rich from it.It does not bring a lot of comments because not everybody has developed a taste for it.I eat fish; but I will not try caviar or catfish or barricuda or horse-eye(hog eye) jack.
   
   As was pointed out, become active in the forums. Then, discover other websites that feature poetry.I write for Gather; and if the viewers there like your poem they will comment.Maybe it is time to publish a book or think about publishing.In  any event, stay motivated and continue to write. Writing poetry is more than genre writing; it is my niche. Is it your own- a place of comfort and excellence?

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   1. 69

      BEAUTYBABEposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      I am a professionally trained singer and my career was singing and dancing on the stage in Musical Comedy and Light Opera productions.
      I loved it with a passion, as I started singing when I was 3 and had voice lessons when I was 17, then when onto the conservatorium and started my voice training techniques, which led to singing with the Queensland Light Opera Company, which I also loved with a passion.
      When I was diagnosed with my illness, and found out it was terminal and eventually it was going to affect my diaphragm, which any trained singer knows is where you sing from not your throat. This upset me and I thought I have to find something to fill this gap when I can't sing. At the same time, all these ideas for poems started to emerge in my mind. This is the very first time anything like this has ever happened to me. All I have ever done is write school essays. I thought this is a sign of what I am meant to do, so I have pursued this with a passion also not a view to seeing how much $$$ I can get from it. I am writing poems from my heart and as I said they just come into my head and I write these lines done as they arrive there. That is how I do it not for any other reason, not yet anyway. Just trying to give some pleasure to myself and others like I did with my singing, I didn't do that for profit either, except when I sang at weddings, but that was different.   Beautybabe.

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10. 61

    hospitaleraposted 14 years ago

    I would suggest that, after the poem, you do ask for feedback, pose a few questions about the experience of others to the same subject, if they agree/ don't agree (as far as one can agree with a poem ;-)) etc. Sometimes I read something very nice but don't see any incentive to leave a comment, if you know what I mean, just my 2 cents, SY
    
    PS Also moderate your comments, don't let everything (links/ spam) creep in.

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11. 67

    bearnmomposted 14 years ago

    Beauty - I write poetry also but don't rely on those hubs for my biggest traffic.  If I'm noticed as a poet I'm happy.  If not, then I work more on my other interests.  My best traffic comes from my recipes and even those have fallen off after the holidays.  I also have some religious hubs that seem to do okay as far as daily traffic.  You just need to get known and read a bit more.

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    1. 67

       2uesdayposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       Beautybabe bearnmom is right about traffic having dropped after the holidays so that could be part of it. Also I do n't think poetry does not get as much traffic as other hubs on 'practical subjects' because of how it is. 
       
       I think part of writing here is that it is a learning curve and at different times you might sometimes feel like giving up (I know I feel like this some days.)
       
       I like your poetry but poetry is never going to be the most popular thing on HubPages. Have you thought of having a Blog as well as making Hubs and posting links from the Blog to HubPages? It is easy to do - there is a links feature on everyones Hubs. Or putting a link on Stumbleupon which is also there. This might bring traffic into the Hubs you have written. Try not to worry about the numbers (scores) they do vary at times. Also if you go to the statistics page and at the top where it says Group - have you put your poems together there in a group under a name - like poetry or poems, then they will appear on other poetry hubs you have posted so that people who want to read your poems can follow from one to another.
       
       I'm sorry if I have not read your pages lately or left a comment, I feel a bit guilty about that.
       
       One of the other things that happens is that reading and leaving  comments especially when people follow quite a few people can get so that you have no time to write, so the writing becomes a priority and the commenting gets squeezed into the time that is left. I hope this helps a little and I hope you will continue to write here Beautybabe.

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    Pearldiverposted 14 years ago

    BB - The first thing that one notices about your site is how Positive your Bio is.  In fact, if YOU read it again yourself; you may well have answered your own questions from a Self Doubt perspective.
    
    Several here have offered you some excellent advice; that would be completely lost to a Negative frame of mind.  Many of us are poets and write for exactly the same or similar reasons that you have stated, you do.
    
    If you feel the need to always 'be noticed' then follow the advice that has been given so far: Plus Join 30 day challenge and lodge your URLs to be 'Noticed' Plus once in a while expose a hub to the Extreme Makeover and have your work 'critiqued.'
    
    What I have also noticed about you is: That you have been here only 3 months - yet you have almost accumulated 100 fans.
    
    Good on you for 'having a go' Aussi... Now Start Believing in Yourself and you will 'Notice' some really good reasons Why You should continue to explore and grow your talents.
    
    Besides: Why do kiwis always have to motivate aussies huh?
    Always Remember what you already know as a performer: No One Will Believe in You If You Don't Believe In Yourself! (Didn't Susan Boyle show you something about that?)

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13. 60

    pbwriterchickposted 14 years ago

    If writing through the tough times help you, then it is worthwhile. In the end, that's what it all comes down to anyway. Those people that comment, they matter not. Do it for yourself and yourself ONLY. The success will be measured within yourself as peace. Good luck..
    With that said, I know feedback can make a difference. If you really want to break into any site, you have to be everywhere. The more things you participate in, and the more people you comment, the more people will reciprocate. What I've found on a lot of sites is this:
    They have founders, an inner circle. These people will always remain at the top and count on the masses to bring them success... throwing them a bone from time to time to keep things moving. So please don't ever let 'people' make you feel bad about your writing! I've seen sooooooo many highly talented people go unnoticed and hence, discouraged due to not understanding the system. Write. And don't ever let anyone tell you it's bad by omission of their presence.

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14. 76

    Shadesbreathposted 14 years ago

    Hubpages is NOT, and I repeat, NOT a READER site. However, as was said before, you will get SOME readers for your poetry, which is better than NONE.
    
    However, if you really enjoy poetry, join a poetry group in your town, workshop with people and really tighten them up, polish them till they shine, and then submit some to poetry journals.  Collect rejections slips and hang them on your wall, and keep writing and sending, and you'll build this wall of fortitude, testimony to your will, and you will, I promise, ultimately get some published. 
    
    Participate in a poetry community, better with real people than online, and revise and really hammer them out till their perfect. 
    
    Hubpages is a terrible place to formulate an opinion of your writing as a poet, so don't.  It's a money-making site that has a tiny fraction of people who might actually read. So don't take it as an indication of any clouds over your head. It's not, and there are no clouds.

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       Marisa Wrightposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       Shadesbreath posted this while I was posting mine!
       
       Shadesbreath is right, the primary goal of HubPages is to write for the big wide world of the internet, not to write for the little Hubber community. 
       
       There are people who use HubPages primarily as a writer/reader community, but it's not designed that way, so getting that interaction going can be difficult.

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    lovebuglenaposted 14 years ago

    I would say there are a lot of people that enjoy reading poetry but either do not like to leave their comments or are simply not sure what to write for the feedback (maybe because they don't understand what the poems are about). DO NOT stop writing poetry because of this. And DO NOT think that you are a bad poet.
    
    Hubpages might not be the best place for you to display your poetry. If you really want to share your poetic creations with others and get feedback on your poetry I suggest joining sites like writing.com, or authorsden.com, where you should get plenty of (valuable) feedback, as there are a lot of poets and poetry readers on those sites. I am a poet and actually a member of those two sites myself. Check them out.
    
    Hope I've been of help to you and please keep on writing.
    
    All the best,
    Lena

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