Why You Will Never Ever Really Make Big Money At HubPages
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Yes,
I’m talking to you, dear reader. And I am saying that most of you who
are members of HubPages, who signed up with the purpose of making money,
will never really make a lot of money at HubPages. I’m saying this not
with the purpose of taunting, discouraging or disparaging you, but
simply to get your attention and hopefully, by the end of this hub, you
might learn something useful.
As
an engineer, I always find it useful to get a few things straight,
right from the beginning. Human beings tend to generalize things and we
tend to use words like: “a bit more”, “a lot” and “many”. I mean,
imagine a civil engineer telling the contractor that he needs to pour a
lot of concrete into the foundation without specifying exactly how much.
You won’t want to live in that house, would you?
But I digress.
Right
from the start, I just want to clarify that the term “big money” that
is stated in the title of this hub should be taken to mean $1000 per
month from Google AdSense. I feel that this is a good yardstick as
although earnings do vary widely depending on the subject you are
writing about, earnings from Google AdSense should be more consistent as
compared to earnings from eBay or Amazon.
And
$1000 per month should not be too far away from the monthly earnings of
a lot of my dear readers, and as such, would not be considered pocket
change.
Now that that’s done, why do I consider that most of my dear readers will not make it to $1000 in monthly AdSense earnings?
Well, if I was to take a look at the forums at HubPages. there are a lot of
complains of mediocre AdSense earnings. More often than not, the
complains will follow a common thread. The person complaining will talk
about the effort and time that he has spent in crafting his hubs, and
after a few months, has still to reach the $100 minimum payout for
AdSense. He has probably published 10 or 20 hubs, is sorely
disappointed with his earnings and wants to know what he is doing wrong.
While
he might not have explicitly stated in his forum post, he would imply
that the amount of time spent is just not worth it compared to the
rewards gained. Some posters would compare the earnings from AdSense to
minimum wage in their country and find that their AdSense earnings are
sorely lacking.
Do
you have the same thoughts? Do you think that your AdSense earnings
are low compared to the time that you have spent on your hubs, and find
that even a low level off line job pays very much better? If those are
your thoughts, then it is highly probable that you will stop fantasizing
about big money on HubPages and go out and get a real job, where you
can at least earn some real money.
And you will never ever really make big money at HubPages.
What
you are missing, dear reader, is that you need to understand that
making money on HubPages and earning money working for an employer are 2
completely different things. Comparing the two is like comparing an
apple and an orange. While both are fruits and they are sweet, the
similarity ends there and a judgment cannot be made as to which one is
the better fruit.
When
you are earning money working for an employer, you get paid to perform a
certain function, or complete a certain project. You will get paid so
long as you continue performing your function, or when you have
completed your assigned project. The money stops when you are no longer
doing your job, or when you have finished your project.
When
you write a hub and put it out there, it will earn a paltry sum for you
each month. Give that hub a year, and it might not even earn enough to
buy you a cappuccino. But that hub is earning money for you long after
you have forgotten about it. And it will probably continue earning
money for you as long as HubPages is in business. It is like somebody
giving you pocket money each and every month, year in and year out, for a
long time. All you need to do is to spend an initial amount of time
and effort.
I
might have generalized it a little, but that is essentially what making
money at HubPages is all about. Many people fail to realize that, and
when their time and effort does not seem to be paying off, they give up
prematurely. If they had just continued for a little while longer, the
trickle of money could just have turned into a flood.
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Thanks for writing this Hub. It is true that if Google stops liking Hubpages...there goes our income. However, for those who have written for writing sites before, know that you can make money writing. Keyword Research and SEO makes your Hubs earn more.
rb11 - On the one hand, you are disadvantaged by the 60/40 split, but on the other hand, you do get traffic from within HubPages itself, so it is not exactly that bad. And while I do agree with what you said about customer retention, most hubbers are probably just getting their feet wet in online business and HubPages offer a good introduction. :)
tammyfrost - All you need is your writing, a little keyword research and SEO and you get traffic from the engines, and your income. And HubPages is great for that. If they fall from grace, I guess we'd just have to find another HubPages. :)
You have explained it really well. It is a positive thing that articles will keep earning money...even if it is a little...it is still earning. Good hub! :)
Hi Tom, I think that's something that a lot of people starting out in this writing business miss out. :)
Hi Wandererh, I guess HubPages is a great launching pad for newbies. Getting involved here exposes one to all the facets of e-commerce and also the advantage of being able to interact with the dozens of e-commerce gurus whom HubPages host as valuable members.
Great article indeed. Thanks. :)
Hi quicksand, HubPages is definitely a great way to be introduced to the world of online business and Internet marketing. :)
great job dear ur article is very informative
Thanks kingkhan78! :)
I think too many people simply tend to think there's some magical potion to defy the odds. There are probably some people who make their entire living on HubPages. Hell, there are some people who make their entire living simply just doing this thing or that on the Internet. But you are correct to point out that not everyone will have the same success, and certain aspects of each individual's ability to earn at any level are very different.
There are a lot of actors. But not everyone makes the money Tom Hanks does. There are a lot of novelists, but not everyone earns like Stephen King does. There are a lot of musicians, but not everyone's paycheck from music will match up with Bono's.
If it comes, great. If it happens, great. Hell, shoot for the stars. One has nothing to lose and everything to gain. But to expect that it just happens out of thin air, even WITH some hard work, well...
That just kidding oneself.
Hi Springboard, I think that what works well is to do a little homework, and then just get out there and try it. Let's say you try 10 different things and, if you are lucky, one or two things shows some results. Then you can just concentrate on those things that are showing results and see how you can improve on the results.
I guess it's just about finding your niche, something that you can do better than most of your competitor, and then keep doing and improving on it.
well spoken. Its not about the now. A lot of people are obssessed about making money NOW and easily get frustrated when they do not. Thank you for educating us
Hi xixi12, you make me feel like a teacher. I think I'm just pointing out something everybody actually already knew but didn't really think about. :)
Hi, I think this is a hub that hit the point. When I started out I was told by my peers what a terrific writer I was. I decided to join thinking I would be able to make money right away. Needless to say, I was humbled quite a bit when I didn't make any money and no one was visiting my hubs. I took some time off fully discouraged. I let things sit for awhile trying to decide if I needed to quit hubpages. One day I seen I had a few hits on my site. I started to watch them. It gave me the encouragement I needed to continue. To me, it isn't about the money now. I still haven't made any. It has become about expressing myself with my writings. I don't see myself as good as my peers see me, but as long as I get hits, it means someone is out there reading them. Thank you for this hub.
Great attitude, tlpoague. When we write on Hubpages, we really do not know who is reading our writings. but if we keep at it, we will start to get hits and know that we are being read.
My suggestion is that if you want to get more hits, read up a little on search engine optimization or SEO. Simple optimization of your hubs will definitely bring in some traffic from the search engines. :)
informative and real helpful for a new hubpage member! Thanks!
Thanks mokusei! :)
"If they had just continued for a little while longer, the trickle of money could just have turned into a flood."
- This is very true, indeed.
The thing with passive income is that it takes a while to build and it is a trial and error process, much like building your own business. Most people just dive in to the MMO craze without knowing fully well what to expect.
As for me, I've been observing the IM world for a couple of years now, without getting my feet wet (although now I'm starting to :)
One cannot expect to be earn thousands of dollars having a few sites (or hubs) and a few online income streams.
Rule of the thumb, if it doesn't work no matter how much effort you put to it, then try something else, or try a different approach.
Like I've said, it's a trial-and-error process, despite what gurus may say (mostly they're just trying to sell you that "million-dollar" formula/system)
Hi giegrace, what I have found works well is that instead of trying just one thing, try 10 different things. Most of the things that you try will yield no results, or extremely pathetic results. But one or two of the things that you try will have some result. Concentrate and refine on those, and you might have a winner on your hands. :)
Hi again Wandererh,
I agree with you completely. I just recently returned to hubpages after being gone for about a year. I only left a handful of hubs in place when I left. These handful of hubs that have not been touched, needs complete seo and updating still earned me more than a cup of coffee each month.
I have heard about a couple of go getters who do make more than $1000 a month, but that is because they are getting a return on their investment of time, and research that they put into it. It's good to have the chance to read some of your work again Wandererh.
Hey Whikat, nice to see you back. And nice to hear that you actually earned money while being lazy. Time to put your nose to the grindstone so that you can earn even more money while being even lazier. :)
Interesting hub thank you for sharing. i finaly reached my monthly payout from adsense after 4 months on here which people have told me is good, i have since joined other reccommended sites which i use both for linking and writting and my adsense money is increasing all the time. It is certainly worth the wait.
zoey24 - Four months to reach your first payout from AdSense is good. It's going to get more frequent. :)
This definitely is a perspective that needed to be put out there. I agree with everything you said, thanks for educating people in general!
Box-Monkey - I'm just stating the obvious, something that people already know but doesn't quite register in their consciousness. :)
patience is a virtue sort of hub! Thanks for the reinspiring of my own patience!
Jeremey - I have the same problem. I could never stand in a queue for longer than a few minutes, and that's already too long! But I have every intention of being here until I make my pot of gold. :)
This Hub applies to so many things in life besides just writing on HubPages. Think of how many people on New Years will commit to working out and getting in shape and by February 1st will be done with Why? Because it requires work and effort without immediate reward.
The same can be said for HubPages. For me, to write a Hub I consider worth publishing takes about 1-2 hours. Add that to working all day plus having a wife, daughter and home and there arent many hours left in a day. To this point I have finished 21 Hubs in about 30 Days and have made less than $3. Certainly not an instant reward.
But, I am making myself write at least 100 Hubs before I reevaluate HubPages and decide whether to continue with the site. Fortunately after 21 Hubs, I am still enjoying myself and am confident that in time, reaching 100 will not be painful at all. Hopefully I feel the same way after Hub 50, 60 or 70. We will see.
Great Hub!
bogerk - True. So many people spend their lives looking for easy money that they fail to realize that if they just apply themselves for a reasonable period of time, the rewards will be there. When all is said and done, I think they actually have to work harder for the easy money.
Anyway, since you just started, you are already $3 richer than before. And 100 hubs is a good milestone to stop and see how you have been performing. One thing I have learnt is that you also need to apply some basic SEO techniques or you are not going to get much traffic even when you have 100 hubs.
See you at 100 hubs. :)
Wow-this was a perfect Hub for me to read today! I am very new here and feel that I have stumbled upon something worth my time. I wrote one hub the first day just to do it and then started to realize that the research and planning are really the keys to making money versus just having fun. I really want to have fun but I am really willing to put in the effort to make some money. I have become a bit overwhelmed by keyword-SEO-optimizing process. I understand the concepts but the implementation seems to be the trick. Would you suggest just focusing on trying to learn all I can about the reasearch before I try to write another Hub or should I focus on writing as I work on the others? I feel a bit lost.Thanks again for the Hub it was a good read.
If you were to ask me about SEO, I would just say do the basic and see what happens. Nobody really knows what works and what doesn't, and even if they got it right, there's no guarantee that it will continue working as Google is evolving and improving all the time.
So, in my opinion, all you need to do is to know your keywords. Then make sure your keywords are in your title, your url and in your first paragraph. And then just write great content.
And one of the best ways to learn is to actually do it. So, just write and learn at the same time. And have fun. :)
Thanks for the reply!
Great hub and great writing style. You've inspired me to "do a little homework" and start earning money.
AutumnLockwood - Wow, I've got a writing style. Thanks! :)
Thoroughly enjoyed this read and feel inspired for the trickle or the flood.
L.L. Woodard - If you feel inspired, then I'm going to bet that it's going to be a flood. :)
I love to write and so I am not just writing Hubpages for the cash but to motivate myself in becoming an effective, experience, and better writer. Hopefully, articles for magazines will be next as I also am writing drafts to two books.
Good article!
bettybarnesb - Good for you! Another thing I like about HubPages is that you get to see different writing styles and you learn from them. I did. :)
HubPages is making your fame and creating an uplift the day you signup and post your article. your not advertising for someone else your advertising for your self. Please lets not get this confused.
The title of your hub caught my attention & made me a little defensive at first. However after reading it, I would agree with most of what you say except perhaps your title should be "Why MOST PEOPLE Will Never Ever Really Make Big Money At HubPages".
Most people do have wrong expectations, and give up far sooner than they should. I believe that once you know how to make some money online (even a small amount) you CAN earn more. You just repeat the process over and over again. For example if you can make $1 a day you can make $2, then $4, $8, $10 and on and on. Think about it. It only takes earning $34 per day to make $1,020 per month. That is SO doable, but it takes time and persistence. Never give up to reach and exceed your goals.
Bonzalie - Thank you. :)
NoRR4Me - You got it right, it really is that simple. After you make your first dollar, all you have to do is to rinse and repeat. But so many give up before their efforts bear fruit.
I expected that the title can be taken to be a little confrontational, and hence the first paragraph to put everybody at ease. :)
Wandererh, I now see that actually your title was a brilliant idea. It gets more readers. Congrats on an excellent hub!
NoRR4Me - Well, I wanted to get everybody indignant enough so that they will click through to see what right this yahoo have to declare that they are not going to make any money here at HubPages. :)
Newbie here and thanks for this hub (by the way that is a new term for me as well). Reading this I questioned - What if money isn't the motivation, yet is a reward or by product. The information here is well heeded and as I become familiar with the program(s) and contribute my expectations are a little fun. AND, if as Wandererh stated I earn enough for a cup of cappacino, then I surely will savor it, (smile).
I dread to think that Hubpages will go out of business one day. And I have just started learning the tricks of the trade! I'm keeping this in mind and trying to branch out to other possible online income streams as well.
The whole thing with articles, or any long term royalties based thing, is the long tail, you write it, and it will continue earning. The best thing is - the more you write, the more you carry on earning, and the more you write, the more links you bring to your other articles too. Writing across different platforms and domains helps all the others too.
I am a newbie to hubpages, but an old hand on squidoo.
tsmog - Well, if money is not your motivation, and you work hard at your passion, then you would already have your reward, even if you never receive an Adsense check. And if you do earn enough for a cup of cappacino, I'm gonna bet it's going to taste extra special. :)
The way you presented this topic nice to read, your writing is unlike an Engineer who supposedly writing in an crisp language.
Thanks for sharing
divacratus - I have said that a good salesman will never hungry, as he has a skill that is very much in demand. It doesn't matter what product he sells, it is the skill in selling that is of value.
Similarly, if you can make it at HubPages, it doesn't matter if HubPages go out of business because what you have learnt can be easily ported to another site. But of course it does not hurt to hedge your bets by branching out as you are doing.
All the best to you! :)
You have to do a lot of work upfront for free; however, you can make decent money if you do the proper research. There are a lot doing it on Hubpages. Most give up after seeing only pennies. If you look at people like Nelle Hoxie, etc. they stuck with it and have seen the payoffs. You have be very persistent. That's part of the KEY.
dannystaple - If you are an old hand at Squidoo, then you already know how all this works. Keep writing! :)
Friend of Friends - I'm glad that you like the way I presented this. I may be an engineer, but I try my best not to write as an engineer. :)
Awesome Hub! It is all true! I look at my Articles/Hubs/Lenses as Residual Income! Write it once, promote it, Update it, link it, back link it, and then move on to the next Articles/Hubs/Lenses. I take it like this, what I do today will pay off in 3 to 6 months down the road. Quality, Quantity, Diversification, and Patience is the key to making money writing on the Internet.
It took me almost 3 years to reach $1000 a month Adsense payout. Not all of that is from hubs, either (I own several blogs too). Hard work, SEO, social networking and backlink creation are all required - its not just about writing a few articles and waiting for the money to start flowing in.
jaymelee23 - I guess the key is persistence. Just keep doing whatever you are doing, pause for a while to see if you are going in the right direction, and then keep going. :)
cluense - I guess that's what we all really want - residual income. And I have nothing to add as you have actually said it all. :)
stephhicks68 - You took 3 years to reach $1000 a month. Nice going. And I definitely agree that it's not just about writing articles. Even if you were to rely solely on HubPages, I believe that a little bit of SEO is definitely required or your articles will get next to no traffic.
Wow! Never realize that you can really make money on hubpage. I read some writers saying that they don't earn much on hubpage but after reading this wandererh i think there is a potential good income on it.
Great advice. I don't make ANY money from Google Adsense. They canned me after I clicked on some of the ads they placed in my hubs - I thought I had a right to know what kind of ads they were attaching to my writing - and they accused me of trying to boost my earnings by clicking on the ads, and would not listen to reason.
Clare - The potential is always there but as it is with everything else, hard work, persistence, ingenuity and perhaps little luck is needed. :)
Kat07 - lol. But Google does have a habit of not listening to reason when you click on your own ads. :)
100 hubs? I guess I have a long way to go...
Will try to persevere, but it's hard without any signs that you're at least going in the right direction. I mean, even some pennies would mean at least something is going right...
Oh well, maybe in time...hopefully.
kblover - All I can say is that you should keep going. But take the time to learn, observe and experiment as well. If it is any consolation, in my first few months here, I think I have had days in which I did not have even a single visitor to my hubs. But it gets better. :)
Very well said. After all, it still comes down to doing the work and putting forth the effort. Remember, all things come in their own time.
MRDPRINCE - Very true. Simple to say, although at times, rather difficult to execute. :(
I make less than $5 bucks a month here, but I keep trying:)
Most people learned this after writing for some months. You can make serious money here, but you need to devote serious time - dozens of hours per week...
princess g - That's the spirit. But don't forget to learn and work smart as well. :)
ForrestDrake - Yep, you are right. Serious time is needed, but I think for most, the rewards are there.
You definitely need to keep at it and let articles 'age' a bit on Google. Age on good, "evergreen" articles always seems to do more good than bad. Before Ehow switched over to Demand Media I used to contribute regularly, then I quit when they changed their writer/article selection format. The articles I wrote way back then are earning more now than when I was active on that site. It all just takes time and patience. Thanks for the great article. voted UP useful
TurtleDog - I think I notice that as well. Like you said, it just takes time and patience. :)
I think creating Hubs starts with the right keywords. It's like taking a reading on a compass before you start a journey (before the days of GPS) - if you are 2 degrees off from the start, you will just keep getting farther and farther from where you need to go. Starting with the right keywords - ones you know that are winners (pay high and have low competition) will pay off. Send quality links to them and you'll have more than just pocket money every month.
Good topic!
tcstix - That's a good idea. But it could take a while to set up the quality links. Thanks for the tip. :)
Very well said. Persistence is key. I get a decent check from Google every month now and it's because I understood that this was not a get rich quick scheme. Some people expect results right away and this is not the way HubPages works. Patience patience and more patience!
Thumbs up!
Dorsi - I'm actually one of the most impatient person that I know. It's sort of ironic that I'm trying trying to make money at HubPages where patience is not only a virtue but a prerequisite. Maybe I'd learn the virtue of patience while I'm here. :)
Very nice article. I am a newbie here and have not posted anything yet. I am just learning right now the tricks of this website before I make my first move. Undoubtedly, making money online requires alot of patience and persistence
ashraf999 - Yep, it does take a lot of patience and persistence to make money here. But you really don't have to wait. Just write and post something. It doesn't cost you anything and you can always delete it later. And you do learn by actually doing.
As your hubs get older, though, don't they tend to get less traffic? So you have to keep creating new ones. It's like a circus plate spinner, trying to keep more and more plates spinning, all at the same time.
TimArends - That's actually an extremely good question. I think there are many variables in play so I don't think that it's a clear cut yes or no answer.
It is true that your hubs will get less traffic as they get older due to the some of the following:
- you will get more competition at Google for your keywords.
- newer hubs at HubPages will probably get featured more than your older hubs.
- your hubs will get fewer visits as many would already have visited your hubs.
However, your hubs could also get more traffic as they get older:
- as you write more, you get better at it. Your author score increases and HubPages will feature your hubs, old and new, more.
- if your hubs are good, more people will know about you and you get more links and hence more traffic as your hubs get older.
- if I'm not mistaken, Google seems to prefer older hubs. And older hubs with more incoming links will definitely rank higher in their results.
All in all, with persistent and focused effort, I think your hubs should get more rather than less traffic as they age.
Great article on managing expectation. whilst i am new to hubpages I am not so to Adsense and all too often you see people in forums saying Adsense is not worth it.
Not so - as you point out the recurring income is very useful. The set and forget mentality allows you to build up a portfolio of hubs/sites/blogs etc that regularly bring in money whilst you are off doing other things.
People looking to quit their job over night should look elsewhere... Adsense is a long term strategy and best used as a side income to other business projects. at least in my experience. But that doesn't mean I don't rate it - in fact Adsense has helped me make a fair amount of money in the last year or two.
Great article.. thanks for sharing :)
HerbalMarvel - I do agree that AdSense should be considered a side income rather than a main income for a start. It takes time for the income to build up and you can never be sure of how much you are going to make as there are many variables involved.
But, as you put it, it's great to have your hubs/sites/blogs make money for you while you are off doing other things. :)
kaoskakimu - Thanks! :)
Your Hub was very enlightening for me, I just signed up, and I have been trying to read everything on the Hub site, before I begin my "Hubbing". I'm not going to say that any money at this time for me will not be handy, since I am unemployed and, have no income, but my question is: Do you believe this would be a good way for me to begin writing? I have always wanted to write a book. Is this a good way to start out? I would appreciate your advise.
Hi, I agree, the existing model is only beneficial for the owners of hubpages. I hope that they would not mind me saying this.
Anyway, out of my frustration stemmed the desire to make this a reality by taking matters into my own hand. If I can't make money blogging then I will help other people make money off of me - in return for some articles.
That is why I am going to pay 1 of you, for one day - $1 for a single blog post.
May I?
LovelyLioness - I would venture to say that my writing has definitely improved since I started here and yes, I think this is a good testing ground if you intend to write a book.
But making money here is a long term thing and you cannot be assured of any kind of significant income in the first few months. So, if you say that you are unemployed and are looking to HubPages for a stable source of income within a few months, then I will say that you would probably be disappointed.
My advice would be to go look for a job and write for HubPages in your spare time. While you can make big money at HubPages, I think it will probably be years before you can earn any significant money.
dannybuntu - Interesting idea. But I don't know if this is the correct place to post your offer as if my readers subscribe to what I say, they would probably want to keep their article for themselves as in the long run, the article should earn them more than $1.
Anyway, it doesn't hurt to offer. :)
Hi wandererh,
Thanks for your hub. I am very new to hubpages (3 hubs only so far) and it is tempting to check how many people are looking at your writing or if you have earned anything yet.
I am trying to ignore that side of things for the moment and enjoy writing some quality hubs. Who knows in three months I may have a nice surprise with some earnings. If not at least I am enjoying the challenge of writing and hopefully getting some positive feedback from like-minded fellow hubbers.
Thanks again for your hub. You do write very well for an engineer (I work with engineers sometimes it is like reading a different language! :-))
Miss Hellen
Good article! I know alot of writers who are going to be turning to Hubpages now since Helium has stopped their payouts and will probably go bust as a result.
Miss Hellen - Hey, don't make fun of engineers, we work very hard, you know. But their writing do tend to be a little....boring. But then again, if they are not boring, they won't be engineers, would they?
Just kidding. :)
If you are new and have only 3 hubs, I'm guessing that you would have had only a handful of visitors to your hubs, if you are lucky. Just continue writing quality hubs for the fun of it, and more visitors will come. But do read up a little on SEO and keep leaving comments on hubs and you'd be fine. :)
bluejasmine - I didn't know that Helium has stopped their payouts. I have a account with them but never actually got round to writing any articles.
Noob here and I'm ever greatful for this article and the reality check. But I'm a big dreamer so I'll keep at it. Well, that and I can't stop writing - it's like breathing you know?
Thanks Wander,
And do forgive me for the intrusion. You are right, that's why I am going to make my own hub. I hope you read it, so you will also know why I am doing this.
Cheers!
Rouillie - Well, if you can't stop writing, then HubPages is made for you. :)
dannybuntu - Don't worry about it. And give me a shout when you finish your hub and I'd drop by. :)
Great hub, I do feel that people expect too much profit in a short amount of time on Hubpages, which is ridiculous. There are a lot of factors playing against how much potential your hubs can make. I like how you put it tho, many people just feel it's not worth the time and effort.
brandonakelly - Thanks. It might actually not be worth it for many people but for some, when they look at it over the longer term, it is time well spent. :)
Great hub wandererh! At first, I read the title and said to myself, "well wow, that's kinda discouraging..." But then I read it, and you make some very good points. Often people make a foray into online business and expect it to be as stable as a regular job. But once you know the nature of the system, things start to make sense and your expectations become more realistic.
And I agree -- HubPages is an excellent introduction to online marketing and freelance writing. It has been for me! It's just a matter of continuing to do the hard work :-)
Rated up!
wandererh - true- through hubs you do not make 1000 and it is like working for someone else as without money but hope and only hope! The readership at hub is not yet defined so it would be impossible to target your content, your readers are not returning to hubs, no repeat sales, no one likes to click on ads as if it will affect their adsense account... many phobias traits of Hub page visitors writers make it complex to define what exactly will bring dollars here...let us keep pondering. You did a good thinking
You couldn't have put it more better. It is a numbers game, but at the same time, quality counts too. I've seen different examples from various people, and there are different sides of stories to their success, but almost all have one thing in common to think of: That it takes time and dedication to build those revenue. Hub up.=)
BennyTheWriter - Well, the title of the hub was meant to get your attention, making you want to click through and see what right the author has of saying such an atrocious thing. I guess it did its job. :)
vims - You're right. There are many undefined variables determining your profitability on HubPages, and I think many of the variables are constantly changing. I guess that only way we can do is just to keep trying. :)
hubpageswriter - Revenue from HubPages is also like free money - once you get it up and running. But as with all free money, it comes with a price, and the price is the effort needed to build it up. And I think in the long run, quality counts too as Google is getter smarter.
great hub... soon to be a follower
MeanGreen - Thanks! :)
i love the title and it fits perfectly with your content. the more comments you receive the better your article, hub or post.
many believe that writing for a living or to earn income is an easy process. when they discover that you have to work, they quit.
if they do, this may not be their niche.that simply means more for the rest of us.
a fellow hubber referenced stephen king and i wanted to share that his first 5 books were rejected. persistence paid off for him which is great and should motivate true writers even more.
smcopywrite - Whenever writing becomes a drag, I'd have to remember that about Stephen King, and I certainly hope that more people quit because writing for a living is hard word. ;)
This is the only hub that I have read from start to finish, including the comments that I've never done before because of time constraints. Your title is so challenging and at first I thought how Hubpages published such an unfriendly and maybe damaging hub for them. But as I was nearing the end I began to understand why you did it. It's a great hub especially for a Filipino like me and as a trying-hard writer. Thanks for a nice article. Consider me as one of your follower from now on, not only because I like your hub, but also since I am connected with the construction industry. I completed my day discussing with architects, engineers, designers, and workers. I am not an engineer nor an architect, but my position is a mixture of architect's, engineer's, and designer's. I am a construction executive with expertise in furniture; hence my profile is "furnitureman."
furnitureman - Wow, you have been here for a month and I'm very flattered that my hub caught your attention. As you have read in the comments, the title was meant to challenge and annoy, and I'm glad that it did its job. :)
Hi ! im a student from the philippines , i would love to follow you ....since you are asian too ...hehhe , But will you help me suggest what topic should i write ? or ...really i dunno where to start ..., but i am willing to do the hard work .
Thanks . ?
another qustion ....does it matter the country im in ? and , how will i earn ...through adsense ..., is it really possible that someone might click the ads ?
Thanks again.
princess talisaysay - I would go with the general advice and say that you should start with topics that you know about. This way, you will shorten the time it takes to research your article and you can write with greater authority and conviction.
Some will advise you to go for the higher paying topics, but remember that that also means greater competition and probably, less visitors.
Whichever way you decide, I would suggest that you get your feet wet first and start writing. And then you can slowly decide on the direction you want to take.
And yes, Adsense is available in the Philippines, and they will pay you in your local currency.
Wow, great hub, yes people expect too much too soon! I have other things I could add but cannot at this point. There is something else about AdSense that people need to know is joining other affiliate sites, that adds to your income! The sites are individually owned and operated, and each with their own rules and regulations. I have over 50 hubs, and it's fun watching yourself get that new accolade! I think things like that make Hubpages fun, and also finding people you actually like and become friends with and through them it branches off to find new people to learn from. Some put up silly poems, serious poems, very very well planned and thought out informative hubs to really learn from! My last hub I believe was a "general" -hey let's put a thought or idea or just say hello fellow hubber- here hub and I put up a poll with plenty of options, and I found that some people just like to laugh and found the silly photos funny and that's great for them! It's NOT a money making hub! I have a hub with the lolz cats sayings that I made and they are royalty free and are encouraged to make them, pass them around the net and enjoy making others laugh! I made it about the animals saying they basically want attention to or from hubpages! So I got a bit of feedback from that, but it wasn't a money maker either, but something to give people a smile for the day. I have ONE subject at another site that I am constantly making money from, and with that one writing, far exceeds what I make from hubpages, but it's a different medium.
I think hubpages is a GREAT way to get writing, and learn from each other and meet new people. The people who made the site, set it up so that we can do this!
I personally have learned that if we just write, and interact, and have fun with it, your earnings DO increase, but I kind of feel like SO WHAT if it makes a lot of money, my interest on here began as a way to write and get started from easy to being a bit more intricate on details. Finding like minded friends to interact with and learn from is enrichment of another kind.
Yes, and NO CLICKING YOUR OWN ADS! That is not right, and I actually don't click ads on the pages of the people I associate with the most so there's no wrong doing or unfairness there. There was a nail polish ad that kept popping up on MY page! ARG! I WANT THAT NAIL POLISH! I went to other hubs and finally found it, then the whole add was misleading and didn't give me the opportunity to even BUY the nail polish from that ad! I was going to buy the whole set! After all the other article had just paid me, so I wanted to buy the nail polish!
BUT OVERALL I think that if you STOP focusing on every little bit or click from hubpages and just write what's in your mind or heart and have fun with it, you will make more! I'm not asking anyone to come to my hubs, but if you did, you would see, they are NOT all about tons of research and the ONE time I put a lot of time and work into making one, it wasn't even considered by the person who picks the winners, but the top prize went to the same person twice in a row. So, there's no more researching for me, no more hard work and seeking out anything. I'll just make a hub now and again and respond to the friends I have made, and have fun with it.
Even in the last contest before hubnuggets closed, I followed every rule to a tee. Including writing something that had NOT been covered EVER before, only to see.. a down vote. Um, just makes you wonder.. unless of course, you happen to be a former webmaster yourself and can look at the page properties and find out where it came from. ;)
As per "princess talisaysay" by saying "Hi ! im a student from the philippines , i would love to follow you ....since you are asian too ...hehhe" is considered racist in America, and that is politically incorrect and a racist statement. I would never tell a fellow hubber that I would follow them just because they are "American and White." Also, it might help you in your writing, if you spelled your country's name with a capitol letter as well as your ethnicity. It shows pride. Also, try to focus on writing people can read without wondering if those things are issues with you! Good luck with that and I would like to read some of your hubs, although most people do tend to steer away from racist comments. :)
Lots to think about. New to Hubpages and making some Cappuccino money was not really on my mind, but I did make .20 cents so far. Anything worth while takes time to build. When you are starting out, just write good content, and use keywords and CEO techniques. Thank you, will continue to read and learn.
Katharella - Wow, nice comment. 828 words - that's actually a hub in itself. Not sure what more I can add, but I will give it a try. :)
I guess HubPages is about having a little bit of fun and not all about making money. I'm here to make money but as you have said, if you would just have fun with it, you would make more.
And I won't be too concerned about a down vote. We really have all kinds of people browsing HubPages and for all you know, that down vote might actually be a compliment. I mean, it could be someone from a competing hub that saw quality in your hub and didn't want it ranked high. :)
And, one last thing, if I ever make a nail polish hub, you must come over and click on an ad. :)
LOL Sorry for the book! Yes, if you make a nail polish ad, I'll be right over! :) lol
Hubs do make money but not for the authors.
Hubpages, Google and others.
They can take very small amounts of money from every hub and multiply it by the total number of hubs and it must add up to some serious money.
Excellent observation OpinionDuck! My friend has only been on here 6 months and only 2 checks! I however am signed up at every affiliate possible and just a few more bucks til I get my first check!! grr! lol! :)
Katharella - Don't worry about the book, really flattered that you consider my hub noteworthy enough to publish your book. And hope you get your check soon. :)
OpinionDuck - It really is quite difficult to make serious money writing online. But I think it's a good stepping stone for those who want to give an online business a try as you can dabble in SEO and Internet marketing here and make a little money as well. :)
nikashi_designs - $0.20? You are off to a good start. You have the right attitude in thinking that anything worthwhile takes time to build. Just keep writing good content, keep and reading and learning, and you'll do fine. :)
wow , i really like the way this guy talk ... , ok , i will just keep learnin and learning ...until i think like you.
princess talisaysay - I'm assuming that you are talking about me so...thanks! :)
Wandererh
It has been nine months for this hub, how much did it earn for you?
OpinionDuck - I'm not tracking the income from this hub so I do not know how much this hub has earned for me. However, I'm sure that it is not as much as you think as the popularity of hubs at HubPages does not automatically translate to better earnings from Google although you should earn more from the HubPages ad program.
Hello wandererh, thanks for this hub. It seems quite active though it has been around a while, and it is nice to see you are keeping it active too.
Hubs like this should be required reading for new hubbers. I've been around hubpages about 2 years now, even introduced a couple of people, but it saddens me to see people join, be all enthusiastic, and in weeks complain and be disenchanted and give up. Because they didn't get a check at the end of the month.
I am a tortoise, if I make tem, twenty or whatever dollars a week or month, that is something my hubs have made for me. It accrues and builds and I enjoy the riting as much as the community. One day the check will come, and it does.
In my experience it is ok to do a little here, a little on other sites, a little with other online businesses and have a couple of day jobs too. That way for me I am not dependent on any one income but can enjoy lots of small incomes, which earn me a good living. By good living I just mean, I have a nice home, have food in the larder and time to enjoy what I do rather than fretting over what will happen at the end of the week or month.
That for me is true riches, not even the $1,000 every month from Google. But if Google would like to put my name on such a check, I'll still happily give it over to my bank account. LOL
Bretsuki - My visitors have been kind enough to drop a nice comment or two when talking about my hubs but this is the first time that any of them has suggested that my hub should be "required reading". Thanks ! :)
I think that in the online world, what you said about doing a little here and a little there makes a lot of sense. Despite what all the experts will tell you, no one is sure of what will work and what will not. So, if someone was to write a little at HubPages, start a small website, try to sell something at ebay, etc, keep track of their progress, and do more of what seems to be working, they might do pretty well online.
BTW, I'm sure that Google would love to put your name on a $1,000 check, but you gotta drive $1,000 worth of traffic to them first. :)
Hey, wandererh, great article and I am now following you. I have a few hubs myself in this topic, but your advice hit right on the money. I am still new at Hubpages and have written 21 hubs in a month, but I know that it is too early at this point to make real money. When the time is right, like you said, the money will turn into a flood.
hotwebideas - Hey, 21 hubs in one month? You are off to a good start. And when that trickle turns into a flood, do remember my humble hub where you left a comment when you were just a little guy, and come back and tell everybody that you have a flood on your hands. :)
wandererh, I will make sure to tell my followers that your hub inspired me.
hotwebideas - Thanks! :)
Thank God my daughter was able to read this excellent hub! She registered me here forcefully more than a week ago and no regrets now.. ha ha ! A true writer writes by passion and money is just a plus. When one reads something you write and bothers to leave a nice comment is a joy and when it's earning money you will just become more happy. I was very happy to get a comment after hours my first hub was published, but of course i don't know if it will make money in the future but whatever is OK. There are lots of writers who are better than me and really I am still learning things yet. Thank you wandereh!!
Rhoda Talisaysay - Looks like a pretty smart daughter you got there, probably takes after her mother. And you got a comment hours into your first hub? That's a very nice start. I wish you all the best and do drop by to say hello once in a while. :)
Dark sky here but you brighten it up suddenly. Yeah, a smart daughter she is, a very unique one and she is turning 20 soon. She is my editor here. If she doesn't like my hub she will delete in entirely without notice. Anyway that was a single comment i got hahaha but it inspires me greatly. Thank you again wandererh, i wish i knew your real name. I will read more of your hubs soon.
If I may venture a guess, I'd bet that your daughter has aspirations to be a teacher and thought that she would practise on her mother first. :)
No need to wish, all you needed to do was ask. The name's David and I'm pleased to meet you, Rhoda. :)
Thank you for publishing this, I am a dabbler at the moment and using hubpages to improve my overall writing and my abilities to research and outline articles. I was watching the money a little wondering if I could make money here. It seems I may be able to but the real benefit will be more in terms of giving me a platform to learn about online publishing and improve my skills
wendi_w - I think you are doing exactly the right thing. HubPages is great as a starting point and to learn about the world of online marketing, promotion, SEO and all that. Eventually, if you really want to try your hand at making serious money online, you will have to decide if HubPages and writing online is your cup of tea, or of you are better at other ways of making money.
rb11 21 months ago
There are a few hurdles to making the kind of money you stated here with Hubs. You have to overcome the 60/40 split. Next, since they own the space, you have to adhere to their rules. You remind us of a good point, if Hubs happens to quit or Google takes them out of favor, your income disappears.
Here's my biggest caveat, not only with Hubs but with any 2.0 property, it's customer retention. You spend all that time driving traffic to a Hub, and most of it passes right through your fingers. Most of those visitors will never be seen again by you.