My First Year on Hubpages Anniversary

My First Year on Hubpages

My one year goal post is just on the horizon. I have almost made it one whole year on hubpages. And I have learned a great deal but not everything I need to know. So while I will share my lessons I must concede I have many others to learn to be a master of the HP experience.

Where I Started

My beginning on HP came from the death of my Mother. I was grappling to find something to do to distract myself from my all consuming grief which I held inside. HP lured me with the valid offer of earning income while piecing myself back together after my Mother’s death. It wasn’t easy but I did jump in and began to write. And I wrote with great discipline each and every single day. This was a feat because my memory was completely shot from the trauma of my Mother’s untimely death. And so before I knew it I had 50 articles up but hadn’t figured out how to put the google codes into the articles. I think I had to take a week or two off from writing just to figure out how to insert he codes.

So before you leap into publishing on hubpages read the learning center. I have read it several times and I still can’t figure out everything but I have a lot of things down. So my advice is;

• 1) Write your articles in word and wait to publish.
• 2) Read the learning Centers advice and follow it to the best of your ability.
• 3) Read others work as it is inspirational and it give you different ideas for layouts for your article.
• 4) Write a minimum of 500 words unless it is poetry. I have many hubs way over this and some under but as a general rule under 500 words is a substandard hub unless it is poetry. Poems are the exception.
• 5) So start by finding writers who you admire and would like to be like and then follow their format.
• 6) Everyone on HP is pretty generous and sensitive so take their advice even if it seems harsh. We are a thick skinned lot as writers and sometimes we dish it out much better then we can take it. Endure. It will be better for you in the long run.
• 7) Learn and then set out to publish your first article.
• 8) Aspire to win awards there is a hub nugget contest which I never won but would have liked to in the beginning days of writing. But the way I came to hubpages made it unlikely my work would be very good in the beginning.
• 9) Don’t worry about SEO and backlinks. I learned this lesson the hard way in the forums. It is something that I don’t really think a first year hubber should even concern themselves with in my opinion.
• 10) Write, write and write. It takes a long time to be good at writing for the internet and there are really great writers on hubpages. It is very humbling. So take in the fact your are now in a community of wonderful artists and learn from them.

How Many Hubs Should You Publish a Week?

This answer depends on whether you work or not and what your family situation is. I try to publish at least 3 a week. I have averaged about 10 a week and I have taken months off to work on other projects. I doubt I will publish at such high frequency in the future as I am become more involved in my independent research and I have technical publications and presentations in the near future.

If you can swing 2-3 publications a week then you are doing great but work at your pace. As artists we all have individual clocks and are as diverse as our work so follow your own clock.

What About Writer’s Block?

What is that? Just kidding!! I write until I can no longer write and then I read others work. It has always been how I have worked on HP. My thought is contribute, contribute and continue to contribute and then read others work. If you can write keep writing until you have writer’s block and then read other hubber’s work.

Lesson’s Learned

I made several starting but I will go over the big ones with you.

• People are people and don’t get into it with anyone on HP.
• I believe freedom of press so I was unlikely to moderate my hubs. That was a huge mistake. If someone writes something negative on your hub; moderate.
• Read other people’s hubs and leave positive comments.
• Strong readership is built by building strong relations on HP.
• I have written great articles only to seem misspellings in my summaries. So spell checkyour summaries as they are your hook.

Contests

I highly recommend everyone new to HP enroll in the contests. It gives you an opportunity to be appreciated for your hard work out side of just earnings.

Earning

If you stick with HP and work on you hubs you will earn money. I have and it was not my original intention. Have no doubt you can and will earn on HP. But your focus should be on your work and the rest will simply fall into place.

Discoveries on HP

First I would have never thought i would have lasted longer then a month.

Second, I am shocked at the sheer quantity I have written. If I would have not taken several months off for field research I would have surpassed the 4 year mark of 624. As it stands I am only 93 hubs away from completely that goal.

Third I am surprised what my readers love and respond to but then again I am grateful they like anything I write.

Fourth, I am completely shocked at the talent pool on HP. And if everyone weren't my my dear friends I would fear the fierce competition to be read. But fortunately they are all my good friends.

It has been a very fast year here on HP. I am surprised how quickly it has gone by and how many wonderful friends I have had the good fortune to meet. I have met so many wonderfully talented people and am so grateful for the experience that when I finally earned a little income it was just the cherry on top of the Sundae of working for HP. I wish all of you well and may your first year be as joyous as mine has been.