The Who, What, and How of Hubpages

I love HubPages because it allows me to be creative, keep my copyright and make money. Unlike some other user-generated content sites, HubPages lets you choose your own topic and run with it. Their only restrictions include no pornography, no hate speech, and no spam. That is, if you are going to sell, your text should offer information that is of value to the reader, and not just an advertisement filled with "spammy" links.

What do people write about on HubPages?

Everything! Some use their HubPages to promote specific products, others use it to display their poetry and short stories (there are some VERY talented people over there). You'll find political hubs, photography hubs, social issue hubs, health hubs, sports, fashion, travel, reviews of books, movies, products and services, and "my hometown" kind of hubs. You'll even find hubs that describe the day-to-day lives of people making their living on HubPages, such as , Peter Dickinson, who has given up his possessions and traded a home for travel. Great hubs!

How do people make money on HubPages?

Hubbers make money with Adsense and affiliate links. HubPages shares ad revenue and allows you to post affiliate links. The most popular affiliate links are to Amazon and Ebay. When you consistently produce quality hubs, you can also add some referral links to the body of your hubs. Truthfully, I make most of my Google AdSense money through HubPages.

Hubbers also make money via referral links. When someone joins through a referral link and then writes hubs, the hub referrer receives a portion of HubPages profits on those pages. Another way to refer and be paid for it is to add a referral tracker to links to others' hubs. Personally, I love that fellow hubbers profit by reffering to my hubs - it's a win-win situation!

Of course, advertising is not profitable if nobody sees your hubs, so hubbers must promote their HubPages. Hubbers do this in a variety of ways, including using quality keyword phrases, linking to hubs from outside blog posts, writing directory articles that link to their hubs, posting to Facebook, Tweeting...

Hubbers promote themselves within HubPages. HubPages is a community-minded site. When you follow others and they follow you, each of you will see an increase in traffic. Hubbers comment on others' hubs and add value to the page. I've gained follows from readers who liked my comment and followed to my hubs. When you spread the love, it multiplies! Many hubbers participate in the forums, question and answer sections, and get involved with contests.

How to Get Started on HubPages

Interested? Click the banner at the top of my page :). As soon as you've signed up, be sure to check the FAQ's and use the search box to find How-to's on creating fantastic hubs, set up a great profile page, and introduce yourself in the forums! 

See my post: Make Money on HubPages and Love What You Do

What It Takes to Make Money Online as a Freelance Article Writer

Making money online as a freelance article writer has four non-negotiable requirements:

1. You must be a decent writer.
2.  You must write fast, or be prepared to work long hours. You will be writing on a multitude of topics and mastering a variety of formats. If I know the topic well, I can produce a couple of articles an hour. If I do not, it may take me two or more hours to finish an article. I’m not all that FAST. So what did I do? I worked 16 to 20 hours a day. The result: Major mental and physical exhaustion. If you are a fast writer, you will do well in this line of work. 
3. You must be able to adapt to the wishes of your clients, even when you feel their wishes destroy the work. Do not be attached to creative license and do not think for one second that YOU are the boss of you; in fact, you will have several bosses. Some people work well this way. Others do not. 
4. You must promote yourself (this is true for any type of online writing):

• Set up your own blog and upload a portfolio.
• Join social networks.
• Join and contribute on sites like HubPages, Squidoo, Bukisa, Qondio, RedGage... Make some extra cash while showcasing your talent.
• Write and submit directory articles under your pen name and linked back to your portfolio or blog. This exposes your writing to would-be clients while benefiting you with backlinks – the all-important part of good search engine optimization. It is all about being seen.
• Hand out business cards.

Alternative Ways of Making Money Online Writing

Write about that which interests you most:

Write for HubPages

Write for Squidoo

Feel free to share your thoughts below!

Foot in Mouth Disease - Notes to Self

The worst thing about putting your foot in your mouth is that getting it back out again tends to be much more complicated and often you end up with it lodged even more deeply than it was in the first place.


Foot in Mouth disease is a recurring problem. Though it is incurable, there are three steps you can take to suppress the symptoms:

1. Review the thought
2. Consider its value
3. Remain silent or speak/write with love

The Pound for Pound Challenge: Give yourself the gift of good health while providing food to the hungry

If you are on a weight loss plan or are looking for ways to motivate yourself into getting on one, The Pound for Pound Challenge is the perfect reciprocal charity for you. For every pound you pledge to lose, that much food is donated to hungry families. If you don't need to lose weight, you can pledge to maintain your weight and fitness level. This counts for five pounds.

Of course, fulfilling your pledge is completely dependent on YOU. Pound for Pound won't come to your home and make you get on the scales to prove you have lost the weight. It is that much more important to take your pledge seriously. A pledge to the Pound for Pound Challenge is a pledge of self-discipline.

Join the Pound for Pound challenge and provide food to the hungry through your local food bank.

Kate Gosselin's Horrible, Messed Up Day

Life - It's 10 percent circumstances and 90 percent how you react to circumstances ~ Sarah Palin

I caught a clip of Kate Gosselin on Sarah Palin's show. I have to admit that I did feel a little sorry for poor Kate - (a little - as in I'm playing the world's tiniest violin). The idea that dealing with a little weather made her break down and give up within two hours had me laughing - and then considering how Kate represents a large portion of the general public - and it isn't just women who have gone way too soft - don't even get me going on the "new" men.

To be honest, I never liked camping all that much. I don't mind doing it for a day or two, as long as the weather is nice, but trudging around in the rain and waking up with a backache from sleeping on the hard ground... no thanks. AGAIN, though, I know what it is to do it, and I am fully capable of handling it. You can be sure I'd handle it if I were crazy enough to agree to it -- and I wouldn't stand under the tarp while others were getting it all together, either.

More than the camping, this speaks to how our definition of hardship can make a day enjoyable or take it completely down the drain. I didn't grow up with money. We made do with the little we had, and sometimes that meant dealing with conditions that others now feel are "too much", but that I was raised to see as "life". I guess I never knew just how "bad" I had it. I've been enlightened.

As for Sarah, the more I see and hear of her, the more I like her.

Watch Sarah Palin and Kate Gosselin Clip

Duran Duran 80s to 2010

I was introduced to the music of Duran Duran at the age of thirteen. My best friend Cindi had just bought the Arena album. Yes, I was a little behind the music scene at the time, but once I listened, I couldn't get enough. Soon I had bought every record album they had made and sold in the United States. My bedroom walls were covered in posters of Duran Duran with individual posters of Simon Lebon tacked up here and there in between. Though I had a tremendous crush on Simon, my main interest was their music. It was different from most of the music being played on the radio and MTV. The lyrics were both personal, political, and philosophically interpretable by my experience and intellect.

John Taylor, Roger Taylor, Simon Lebon, Nick Rhodes, Andy Taylor

Duran Duran was formed in 1978 and rose to fame in the 1980s. Many people remember them by their fashion, and indeed, their manner of dress had a large influence on fashion in the eighties.

I bought up every music magazine featuring DD and collected published bios, tour information, and album news for my scrapbook. I still have the scrapbook, though I have not added to it since "Notorious". I grew up some, though my love for the music - John Taylor's bass guitar, Andy Taylor's lead, Roger Taylor's drums, Nick Rhodes' keyboards, and Simon's oh-so-smooth and unique voice styling has never disappeared. [Simon is also talented with various instruments, though not so great with the tambourine (sorry, Simon, it's true)]

Simon Lebon

Since then, they have released several albums, though the band lost a couple of members for a while and then split up for a few years. Those were sad days for every Duran Duran fan. I comforted myself with the videos and music I had and prayed (yes, prayed) for them to get back together: Dear Lord, please make them get back together - at least long enough to tour so I can finally achieve my dream of going to a concert and meeting Simon in person. Amen. I'm not sure how high that prayer was on God's list of priorities for my life, but eventually, they did get back together.  Their last album, "Red Carpet Massacre" was quite different from their usual type of music and included input from Justin Timblerlake - a surprise to me as I never would have connected him with Duran Duran. They work well together.

Duran Duran's Red Carpet Massacre tour took place while I waited for my first grandchild to be born. Unfortunately, they came to Arizona at the time Jaydalyn was due to be born. My love for my daughter and grandchild kept me from buying tickets. Our Jayda was born on the very day of their concert in Phoenix.

Their latest album "All You Need is Now" will be available on iTunes on the 21st of this month. I've listened to samples from the album and am looking forward to purchasing the entire album. I am sorry to say they have not set any tour dates for the United States as of yet. They will be touring South Africa - wonderful for them, but the trip is impossible for me.  Here's hoping for a U.S. tour that fits in with my schedule - my daughter is pregnant again, so I'm praying for a tour date in Phoenix that fits with my personal schedule. :) (Yes, praying...) I'll need a front row seat and a backstage pass - which also means I'll need extra cash. Since they haven't set any U.S. dates yet, I'm assuming I have some time.

D2 Live from London DVD

Very few people have never heard "Hungry Like the Wolf" or "Rio" and I have yet to meet and like a person who doesn't at least appreciate one of their songs. Last year, I recall being teased and belittled by friends because of my fascination with the group. Those same friends ended up sitting in front of the television, watching the Duran Duran Live from London concert along with me (it wasn't "live" for us). The worst offender begrudgingly murmured, "They put on a good show. Actually, they kinda rock."  Darn straight, they rock, Joe. I may be old, but I have taste. :)

  Sample Duran Duran's music