Effective Time Management for HubGarden Writers

Success (9) Articles (8) Routine (7) Structure (7) Time Management (6) Writing (5) Self Discipline (5) Motivation (5)

being an effective hubgarden writer, hubgarden writers

Did not take long to get this article together for the Self Avenue hub

HubGarden belongs in the world of online journalism. In order to not be left behind in such a world that (at times) feels like you're a little fish swimming in a massive pond; you need to be quick with your hands and your mind. Whether you're an editor on HubGarden or not, you're still a writer. Editors must be super quick to handle both responsibilities as writer and editor.

Some top tips on being an effective time manager as a HubGarden writer follows. This is simply a guide. Everyone works differently. What works for one person may not work for another. Just trust yourself and apply what resonates with you.

1. Have your article ideas pre-planned

Which hub/s do you want to write for and why? Are you after awards? Are you after just the CPM payments, or a bit of both? For me, awards are simply a bonus. The aim is to focus on CPM as earnings continue to accumulate over the longer term.

It is naturally important to write about what you're interested in. Don't write for a certain hub just because they're offering awards, and/or because of a certain editor. Write for a hub because you're passionate about the topic at hand. That way your writing flows.

For example, with the Answer Angels hub - I have found that my CPM earnings and award income is higher when I answer other writers questions as opposed to asking them.

2. Write your article first, and then do the rest.

All of us can experience a bit of writers block from time to time. Just make a start. Don't edit your work half way. Write your entire article first, and then go back and read through your work. The time then comes to correct any errors, as well as italicise and bold any text if need be. Then add in your category # tags.

It is suicidal to edit in between your writing. Your writing must flow.

As a HubGarden Editor, I've already seen many writers make the mistake of writing their article copy and then forgetting to press the "update" button at the bottom of the open yellow field for writing.

After writing your article, and adding in your category # tags - you must click on the update button. Otherwise you will lose your article copy. If your article text was not already saved in a word document or similar, you'll need to start again. That can be frustrating. Save yourself some time by writing the article copy first, and then click that magic button before doing anything else.

Now you can go ahead and upload your images. Only do the latter once you've written your article copy first, and you've saved it. For example, this is how I managed to publish multiple articles on KidTown Sydney recently. I wrote each article first, and then I went back in and uploaded the images before sending them off to the relevant editor.

With hubs like Review Clue, you must upload your image per review at a time. It pays to be adaptable to the needs of a particular hub.

Being healthy and eating well pays huge dividends as a writer

3. Learn to touch type

Learning to touch type with software programs such as Typequick is a godsend. Your typing speed improves with accuracy and the more you tap away on the keyboard. It is nice to have a typing speed of 70 words per minute. This also helps in getting the majority of full length feature articles written in 20 minutes or less.

Almost ready to go, with category # tags in too.

4. Other considerations

If you need your eyes checked, get them checked.

Write when you're in the mood to do it.

Set yourself a timer. If you complete your article/s before the timer goes off, reward yourself.

Give yourself something to look forward to in the end. For example, in the morning you might plan a block of writing four articles. Once they're written, the rest of the day is off for you to have fun and do what you please - depending on your circumstances of course.

Eliminate all distractions.

Playing upbeat dance music is great occasionally.

Drink plenty of water.

Stay healthy. If you need to eat while writing, do it.

Take breaks occasionally.

Award yourself once certain goals and milestones are reached in terms of article readership numbers and so on. It is important to reward yourself for hard work.

if writers block is too frequent, and you've taken a break in such situations - you need to write down the benefits of being a writer. Also focus on why the craft of writing resonates with you in the first place. This will bring the sparks back. Every writer experiences slump periods at one stage or another. Everything goes in cycles, and it will always pass.

If you're writing an article for a hub that you're the sole Chief Editor and Editor of; finish your work and head straight into your editors queue and publish your own work from there. It saves me two minutes per article on my own two Sydney based hubs by doing this.

Sometimes I remove my jewellery if I have many articles to write in one sitting. I ensure my acrylics are off my fingernails too. These little things ensure you can be fast with your hands when typing/putting together your articles. It depends on you and the situation at hand.

If you're someone who loves variety like I do, it pays to write for a number of different hubs to stay mentally stimulated and challenged.