Working for Self at HubPages
We see on the Internet writers of all kinds: From the cold-hearted to the warm-hearted, from the serious to the frivolous, from those with vision to those stuck in the mud of obscurantism.
Particularly in HubPages, from the robot-types providing information to the angel-types providing information AND support, feedback is highly sought and appreciated.
Personally I would love to read all the writings of my known and unknown fellow-writers in HubPages.
Unfortunately, like all other creatures on this planet, I have only 24 hours per day/night to take care of my responsibilities AND of all the balls I have in the air.
Sharing and discussing my Work Schedule
In this hub I share and discuss my work schedule with the hope that –
- Newcomers might decide to give it a try;
- My unknown fellow-hubbers accept my absence in their hubs;
- My friends forgive me when I miss every other hub they publish, or when I eventually pitch like money to a starving man at sea.
Write, publish and share a hub.
Writing, publishing and sharing a hub, in this sequence, are the first To-Do on my list.
All three require quite a lot of time and effort for those with high aspirations. It involves research and the following of all rules, regulations, norms and standards.
Reply on each and every comment received on a hub
Online interaction with fellow-people is just as important and meaningful as direct interaction in real life. What kind of person ignores others, and especially while others are speaking to them?
I may be hyper-sensitive, but I do feel bad when a hubber ignores a comment I’ve left on their hub. “Was my comment of no value, or are they simply rude,” is always a question I ask myself when I get no response on a comment I have posted. The first time may not be intentional; I, too, sometimes miss a comment and don’t ask me how I manage to do this, as I am quite attentive and would never ignore a comment on purpose.
Even when I feel compelled to delete a comment, I would give my reasons via an email-message to the commenter, and NOT with the intention to humiliate them. (Right in the beginning I once sent a negative message to a hubber who had been terribly rude to me, and until today I regret that impulsive, self-humiliating act.)
Read (and comment on) a hub of each and every hubber who had taken the time to read (and comment on) my hub -
This habit of mine could easily be labelled as ‘Returning-a-Favor’, but as I don’t regard my comments as the dishing out of favors, but as true, supportive participation, I would rather see them as a proof of appreciation of support I have received and/or the interest I honestly have in the writings of my fellow-hubbers.
Sometimes I do read hubs randomly and leave comments, but without any expectation that the particular hubber will take the time to hop over to my corner to ‘repay the favor’. I never GIVE with the hope to receive, but always only to show appreciation of what I have already received. My acts of giving, including my opinions of published hubs, are therefor not to be associated with the word ‘PLEASE’, but with the word ‘THANK YOU’.
In order to keep track I copy the comments displayed in my account under 'comments approved' (sorted by 'date' and NOT by 'hub'.) I copy the comments weekly, then paste it in a Word-Document - a new document for each week, because the document tend to 'freeze' with too many comments. I highlight the comments I have attended to and return to this task as often as possible.
Finish
By the time I am finish reading (and commenting on) the hubs of hubbers who had taken the time to support me by reading my hubs and by giving me the feedback I need, it is again high time to publish another hub.
Sometimes I have an hour or three on my hands for random reading of hubs published by followers I haven’t seen in my corner for a while. I find this extremely rewarding - a bit of 'playing' while working.
I seldom, if ever, get the time to –
Read hubs of hubbers I haven’t met while following my working schedule. Only sometimes I follow a link to a hub with an interesting title that I have accidentally found in my Facebook or HubPages feed. Time for scanning sites/groups-for-writers in search of an interesting hub/article to read, I have, unfortunately, not at my disposal.
Follow people who have decided to follow me after they have not even taken the time to read (and comment on) one of my hubs. Too many beginners are under the (wrong) impression that haphazardly following others is the way to obtain followers. I just don’t have the time to give any attention to them.
Returning Fan Mail. I find Fan Mail from strangers a very awkward way of obtaining my attention. For some reason, maybe egoistically, I do approve them and I do take the time to check the hubber’s profile. If I see interesting titles of hubs, I might follow suit, follow the hubber and send them a note in their Fan Box - ‘Looking forward to read your hubs.’ Of course, they will see me in the comment sections of their hubs after I’ve seen them in mine. I mean, why did they decide to follow me and send me fan mail if they have no intention to read my hubs? When I decide to follow a stranger, it will be AFTER I have read (and comment on) one of their hubs. Spontaneous Fan Mail is something I will only send when I really have a need to ensure a hubber of my admiration. I prefer to keep in mind that a second fan mail replaces the first one I have sent. So I will always check the first one before I replace it.
I consider ‘facebooking’ as a social activity and, of course, just an opportunity to announce a hub I have just published. For some reason I hate marketing myself to my friends and family.
From time to time I may post my HubPages profile, or the index of my writings, which I keep updated in a Google-blog – just to confirm that I am still working and not only socializing in CyberSpace.
Conclusion
Following a routine -
a work schedule -
is my way of staying sane
while Time flies
at the speed of light
into the past
with half of my
wish-to-do’s
on its wings.
♥♥♥♥
And so I am forever trying to manage my time....
Recommended Hubs
- How to be a Great HubPages Citizen - Hubber Interaction
How can you best interact, contribute, build trust and become a great HubPages citizen? We can all get involved and make HubPages a better place for everyone. - My Hub Comments are Being Ignored
Do you get frustrated when you go to an online article, read it, take the time to comment, then feel disappointed when you see the comment has not been accepted? Maybe there is a reason a comment has not been accepted. Maybe it has nothing to do with - Please Don't Follow Me
Exasperated at the daily ups and downs of new followers and lost followers, this article is aimed at those who follow only for their own personal gain. If they don't have their follow reciprocated they stop following you. Shame on you all who do this