Apprenticeship Program at Hubpages: I'm Going To School!

I submitted my application

Well, I don't know if I mentioned it not, but I am going to school! I love it and love it and love it!  What kind of school, you ask? I am going to writing school.

It is an apprenticeship program put on through Hubpages.com. I started at the beginning of July and am happy to report that it is all that I expected and more.

Hubpages started the program a few months ago, and then issued an open invitation for applicants. I submitted an application in April, and was accepted two monthes later in June. So, it does take a while to get in, but it's worth the wait!

I like the program because it really lays out all the information in a systemic fashion. I have read a lot on my own, but it's always been ad hoc. It's just so nice to hear it in a very organized fashion, and have the opportunity to ask questions as we go. When I first started out, I had no one to ask anything, except the Hubpages forum and I have had a lot of questions about the best way to do things.

If you are a hubber who has thought about applying to the program, I would recommend it. It is challenging, though, so expect some heavy effort and a fair time commitment. I say "fair" because the time needed to do everything will really depend on your knowledge base and your speed of reading and writing.

An amazing thing about the apprenticeship is that each group gets its own private forum. This is very helpful because it's like a classroom discussion: you learn from others in the class and you never know what will come up.

 I have a very good group and some of them are very skilled in areas that are pretty new to me (i.e. SEO -- search engine optimization.) I recently asked for feedback on some potential titles and I got invaluable feedback from other group members.

The first month, I was given eight titles from my mentor and it was hard to do. I am used to choosing my own hub subjects. But the titles she gave me were good, and showed me some good subject areas that I had not thought of. Getting assigned titles is very much like working for an editor, with certain expectations and it's very good training for freelance writing.

This month, we choose our own, but with a special emphasis on good keyword statistics. Basically, we have to choose titles that people might be looking for, but the process of finding those topics is the challenge.

I give the Apprenticeship program an A!

So, I give good reviews to this program. I still don't know if I am going to be teaching again this year, but I want to keep up the apprenticeship, no matter what I else I end up doing. The lessons are invaluable and I forgot to mention that we get paid!

Yes, each member in the program receives a bonus of around $6.00 for each hub, up to a total of 24 hubs a month. This is in addition to the residual income we already receive on our hubs. Through the program, I am getting a payout from Hubpages two months in a row. It is a blessing!


Here are some of the titles I wrote recently while in the Apprenticeship, along with my thoughts about writing them. If you are not a hubber but would like to write somewhere online, I do recommend Hubpages.

Banff Springs Hotel: Castle of the Rockies: This is a research-based hub that is all about this hotel. I chose this because I am from Alberta, and have always had a soft spot for this hotel. I am impressed at all the interesting facts there were about this place. I thought it would be a fairly easy write, but it took me a long time to compile everything!

Double--M, via CC BY-2.0, via Flickr, modified

Teaching English With Songs: This hub was one given to me by my mentor. At first, I struggled with this a bit because I had used songs in my classes a little bit, but did not consider myself an expert. I put my teacher hat on, though, and thought about different approaches one could use. The result: a solid hub that has keywords that a lot of people are searching for!

How To Plan A Weight Loss Menu was another one that I wrote for my mentor that really made me think. Yes, I knew how to plan a weight loss menu; I just was lax on doing it at the moment. Writing that article, though, gave me hope that I did know how ... and that I would start again. Sometimes we can teach others things and it points back so that we re-teach ourselves.

Love Sharilee. If you like what you are reading, sign up for regular updates with Blogger or through my Facebook page.

Real Time Google Analytics Thoughts

One of the very cool things about writing online is that  you actually get to see a lot about who is reading your work. Through Google Analytics, you can see a good deal about who is reading your site, and why.

Analytics mean more to me than numbers. 

In some strange way, I find this very comforting and soothing. Why? Because I see that my writing matters to  people, real people, and it is playing an important part of their life. How do I know? Because I get searches all the time like "should I get a divorce," and "poem for losing your mom."   I have articles that talk about these kind of questions and people are reading them in order to find some answers. That brings me a sense of comfort.

Now I know Analytics were not primarily conceived as a way of comforting a writer, that Google Analytics a tool for making money online, for tracking your numbers, your traffic, and ultimately, your profits. And they are good for that, too. But to me, they mean much more.

Writing is sharing. 

They are confirmation of something deeper than monetary profits and traffic. They are confirmation that writing is something worthwhile. Writing, after all is sharing.  For this once shy, awkward girl who sat in the corner at the party, it is an amazing feeling to know that my words are reaching out across the world somewhere, to someone I don't know, with something worthwhile.

The power of words was also brought home to me this week when a good friend from Hubpages, whose Hubpages name is BillyBuc, wrote a very powerful piece about injustice happening on a reservation in the United States. The piece, written on Hubpages, has now gained national attention and important people have been paying attention. This was something Bill did by sitting down at his laptop and punching out some letter keys. But it was heart and his courage that came through, and affected change.

Yes, we all like to write for traffic. Me as much as the next person. But I think the deeper reason many of us want traffic is that we want to be able to make a difference, by using our gift, our writing. And Bill has inspired me as a writer and a human being, that we can make a difference if we try. Thank you, Bill.


Love Sharilee. If you like what you are reading, sign up for regular updates with Blogger or through my Facebook page.

Hubpages 30 Hub Challenge is Very Challenging!

This month, April, I am attempting the famous 30 Day Challenge at Hubpages. This is a challenge where we try to write 30 hubs (or articles) in 30 days. Now, this is harder than it sounds.

My Mom -- circa 1968

Writing a hub is a little different than just straight text. It usually involves finding photos, sometimes videos and other modules. You want to make sure all  your facts are accurate and that you make sense. So, I find it takes me a while! I am trying to become a faster writer, though, and did some research on the topic.

My favourite article on how to write faster is written by Patty Inglish on Hubpages. She gives some really good tips that I have been trying to incorporate in my practice, including doing all the research for a piece beforehand, doing an outline and getting that into your capsules and also finding the pictures first. That way, when you are ready, you can just sit down and write. I have found this to be faster for me.

So far, I have written 12 hubs in 18 days, so I am quite a bit behind right now. A good thing about this challenge is that I am cleaning up my INTENSIVE list of unfinished hubs. I finished this one about my Mother that I had actually started last year but never finished. It was so good to get that one done. It is a personal hub, in honour of my Mother.

Well, I have 18 hubs left for this challenge and quite a few half-finished hubs waiting for my attention. This challenge is truly challenging me to write faster and push myself.  If you are interested in writing for Hubpages, it is free to sign up and lots of fun.

Do you have a time when you felt pushed to write more and better? What inspired you to improve your skills as a writer?

Hubber Celebrates One Year At Hubpages!

Happy Anniversary, Happy Anniversary! I have been at Hubpages for one whole year and I wrote my 70th hub: an overview of my year at Hubpages. I have learned so much this year! 

A few times, I thought about leaving this site but decided against it and I'm really glad I've stayed! I have met so many wonderful people that I consider friends.

Here is the story of my journey this year:

My First Year At Hubpages

If you would like to sign up for Hubpages, go to the sign-up page and just follow the directions. It is very easy to do and is a great place to write. 

I Need To Think Bigger

***Send more Query Letters!

One thing I have realized with my writing journey is that I need to think bigger.

You might find this relates to you. I am a regular at Hubpages and I do enjoy Hubpages in many ways. Since joining the site eight months ago, I have learned so, so much about online writing, S.E.O. and website making. It has been invaluable.

As well, I enjoy the community very much and feel like I have made some good friends, albeit the Internet kind. I give Hubpages a good deal of credit for being what it is: a place where you can publish for free, get your confidence up, and take part in a wonderful community.

Oh yeah, and make money, too. Theoretically. I know that some people are making money from Hubpages, and that given time, I will be able to make some, too. The potential is there. With more knowledge of S.E.O. and lots of backlinking, I will make payout some day.

^^^Sometimes It Feels Like Begging!

But, as I was saying at the beginning, I need to think bigger. What do I mean by that? Well, the real world. The world where you get paid for doing something that you are talented at. Not wait on your hunches and hope and yearn for traffic. Sometimes it feels like begging, doesn't it? No, the real world where you get paid for doing a job. What a concept, right? But that's where I need to go next in my writing.


What motivated me to write this post was a couple posts I read recently from one of my favourite blogs on writing: Make A Living Writing. The first post was actually a guest post from a veterinarian turned freelance writer. Like she said, it's not an obvious connection. But she's doing it by focusing on her specialized markets and writing as the vet that she is. This inspired me so much to use my knowledge as an educator in the writing field.


The second post from the same blog was about taking "low pay" for writing. The author, Carol Tice, writes about how she refuses to do $15 dollar blog posts. Why? Because the pay is so low. She then makes a inspiring stand on why writers deserve to get paid a decent rate. Working for Google Adsense doesn't necessarily accomplish that.

I also read this awesome post from Freelance Switch. He warns against being lazy and just staying on the free sites, instead of working it and sending out query letters.

So, what's the next step? For me, I am a teacher. A trained educator with a wealth of experience. I have to start using that experience and maximize my assets, to use a business-like term. I have to stop grasping at straws and get serious about this writing thing. And I am going to. I'm not saying I will not do anymore Hubpages or Webanswers or Redgage. Because they are great and fun to do. And hopefully, they will result in some residual income, eventually.

But I also want to send out some query letters to some educational publishers. And start exploring the markets for the things that I am really good at writing about. Because I'm worth it. Are you?

***© Image Copyright Ross and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence

^^^Image by HikingArtist.com