The Freelancers' Collaborative

One more thing... I am looking forward to sharing work and ideas with all of you.

Hi,

I just joined and wanted to say hi!  Hope you have a great night!

Patricia

Hi All,

Its nice being here and I would love to be sharing ideas with you all.

One of the last pieces I wrote last year dealt with Peptic Ulcers and how they are treated. I wrote it specifically for Helium. . .but, just to get some constructive criticism, I showed it to my personal physician. He had a fit because he said it proved the written documentation to something he'd long wanted to prove -- that Peptic Ulcers can be affected by the presence of the H-Pylori bacterium in the stomach. Long story short, since my wife suffers from this problem, he wants to utilize the treatment I wrote of in the article with her and then me write a follow-up piece reporting on the results. Needdles to say, I'm VERY excited!

Hello Everyone!

My name is Kim and it is nice to be here. I am fairly new to Helium and would love to hear what everyone has to say about their Helium experience.

I'm Sara. I write for Helium, Suite101, and a few other sites. I've also written a memoir with a new website at strange little girl.

Hello fellow freelancers,

I've been freelancing full-time for a little over a year now and am slowly but surely building a clientele ('bout time!). I took an online proofreading class last fall, and they opened a freelance forum for all those folks just going out into the world of the independent contractor/self-employed.

Since I seemed to be the only one with any experience in my "class," I did a couple of very long brain-dumps with everything I'd learned about freelancing, including the fun, the miseries, and the "don't bother with this employer" red flags we all learn about eventually. I thought I'd be asked to shut up, but the posts were very well received.

Now I'm ready to pick other people's brains about moving my own business forward and answering whatever questions I can.

Lookin' forward to it,

Sondra "Sunny" Deuber

Good to meet you all!

This seems to be a nice place to hang out

Hi to both Deanna and Alicia,

Thanks for your comments. Deanna, I think you'll find Helium a good place to hang out. I joined about a year ago and, although I've gotten too busy to be very active recently, it really helped me transition from writing in a corporate environment to writing for an entirely different reading audience. It certainly helped me narrow down my preferences for what kind of stuff I want to write, and--because the people who rate our work are from all over the world, form diverse background, and of all ages--it has really helped me learn what the general reading public seems to like and dislike. So it's helped me sharpen my writing and find out what I do well and what I'm better off avoiding!

Both of you mention Suite101. I'm not familiar with it, but am not really looking for more sites to write for now. I have a graphics-filled monthly update of a senior center's Web site. A client I did some article rewriting for in late 2008 has returned from his holiday season trip with his family and wants me to write the content for his new Web site; I'm working with a professional ghostwriter as a 'virtual partner', mostly because I'm interested in ghostwriting and want to learn how to do it properly; and am working on two books--my own memoirs (mark my word, all those people will be sorry that they encouraged me to write about all my adventures!) and just started a project to co-author a book with a friend/business associate who has an amazing, almost who-done-it, true life story to tell and wants to incorporate my story into it. So... one more site and I'd be way over the limit of what I can handle and still maintain my enthusiasm and some quality in my work!

My level of activity on Helium will continue to be minimal, except for the couple of forums I've joined and putting together my own Betaville Zone; great idea for a writing portfolio and maybe a bit of my digital art. I think just the list of articles in my Helium profile has helped to get me some work (if they only read the highest ranked stuff!)

Alicia, I took the proofreading course mostly for the credentials. I find enough jobs posted that require a knowledge of CMOS that I figured certification would qualify me for more work. I really don't think I have the temperament to be a professional proofreader, although it seems to have served you very well. However, I really love copyediting and the proofreading course has made me a better editor, and "Chicago" has a great section on how to properly format manuscripts for electronic submission to publishers, another skill I didn't have before the course.

I don't even bother bidding on those "you've got to be kidding!" low project budget jobs. I'd rather be broke a while longer than sink to that level! I have come to the (possibly) indisputable conclusion that at least half of the people who post projects are either only semi-literate and will be difficult to work for (assuming they pay anything) because of their own lack of communication skills, or they place the value of professional writers somewhere lower than dishwashers in their favorite fast-food restaurants! I've become very picky, but have managed to find a few real gems. And they return to me for more work, which obviously makes them brilliant and people of extraordinarily good taste!

Okay, maybe I shouldn't be addressing two posts in the same long post. That's what happens when I'm in writing mode when I check my messages.

I look forward to getting to know both of you better through this forum.

Happy freelancing!

Sunny

Hi Sunny,

Its great to hear from you. As I mentioned I'm starting my feelance writing career, writing for a few sites, but am soon to be going for more online writing jobs?

Are you referring to some of those that might be low budget? or were you talking about something else? Look forward to hearing from you. Happy writing.

Deanna

Sondra, do you mind if I ask where you took the proofreading course? I've been looking for a way to get credentialed in order to expand my range, but am not sure what courses are worth it :)

I am one month old at Freelancing.  It is interesting, and I am finally getting to use all the information I seem to have collected through life.  I would like to know more, and especially how to improve my rating at Helium.  Any advice would be appreciated.

Just stopped in to say hi. Looking forward for the forum to take off.

I joined this group several weeks agao, but have only just got round to writing a comment!  Story of my life!

I'm glad to meet everyone - the limit of my freelancing so far has been on Helium Marketplace, but I have just joined Elance and have now started my own blog.  So I'm hoping to increase my sales over the next year.

I have applied to write for Suite 101, but got turned down.  Guess that's what you get for applying when you're short on time and trying to put an application together during a 30 minute lunch break (along with eating and writing for other sites!)

Anyway, I look forward to taking part in this forum

Hi Grace - and Jim, its good to see you here!!

Deanna,

I'm partly talking about low budget, and partly about people that I've learned aren't worth the effort to work with. I'm exceedlingly picky, it seems, and getting more so all the time.

For example, I get most of my work through Guru. com, which offers a lot of protection for freelancers and has articles about how to keep from being scammed. It's not unusual for freelancers to require an up-front, non-refundable, partial payment to start work, as any independent contractor would. So I don't bother with the projects that say, right up front, that they won't make up-front payments, or won't even deposit funds until the job is done and they accept it. Too easy for them to never pay you at all.

Most of the freelance sites have project discussion boards, so you can ask the potential employer about details that weren't included in the original posting. I always check those before placing a bid. If 5 or 6 or 10 freelancers have asked for details, and the project has been posted for several days or weeks and the employer has never answered the questions, I assume that he/she will be equally unresponsive if I'm hired and have questions about the project. I keep an eye on them and wait to see if they ever respond.

Then there are the ones who want you to quote them a price and submit an article. After they get a whole selection to choose from (and/or pirate), they'll supposedly select the one they like best and pay for that one--after the fact.

It's not unusual for potential employers who are interested in you to ask you to do a small sample; for example, a couple of paragraphs of writing, editing, or rewriting. They pick the writer that best suits what they're looking for, frequently will thank you for your submission, and let you know they've selected someone else. That's okay, as long as it's a sample requested after you bid, but before your're hired.

I'm also extra-cautious with first time employers who haven't been rated. When they're rated, the rating includes comments from others who have worked for them, information about how much they've paid out during their association with the site, and how quickly they make the agreed-upon payments. If they haven't been rated, I demand an upfront payment, usually as much as 50%. If I'm hired and they hire me for subsequent work, AND if I have a good relationship with them, I'll drop the upfront payment, especially for small, relatively quick jobs.

It really helps to read the information on the various sites. The ones I prefer give you advice on how to avoid being taken advantage of. Guru keeps all project discussion board communications on file, including your bid and the project agreement, and provides arbitration if there is a dispute.

You'll build your own list of stuff to look out for when you get started: once burned, twice cautious... or whatever that saying is.

Hope this is helpful.

Sunny

Alicia,

I took the course at EditorialCourses.com. If you love CMOS, you'll love it. It was a bit tedious for me, but all in all, worth the price of admission. At the very least, I have a great resource for looking up almost anything "grammar" under the sun, and the knowledge to use it effectively.

The only caveat: they give you three months to complete the course. If you go over that time limit, you'll have to cough up another $25 or $50 bucks for an extension. I got busy (or paranoid about taking the final) and went a day or two over. Cost me $25! You can retake tests, however, if you misread or misunderstand a question, or just have a "Duh!" moment.

I subscribed to the online version of the Chicago Manual of Style, which is required reading. If I had it to do over, I'd probably buy it and the CMOS-approved dictionary, rather than (or in addition to) the online versions. Online: frequent updates and the ability to bookmark and add your own notes. I had an opportunity to buy the books at a significant discount, through EditorialCourses.com, when I signed up and passed up the opportunity for the discount. That I regret!

Also, you might want to check the site from time-to-time, as they offer discounts occasionally. I got $100 off the normal fee--4th of July special or something.

Sunny (Sondra)

Hi Ritu,

Welcome to freelancing and to this forum.

As I mentioned earlier, I haven't been very active recently. There used to be a bunch of forums/discussion boards, including some for advice on writing and opportunities to submit work for critiquing. Haven't been able to locate those recently.

When I rate articles, if the article is good (or at least promising) I send a message to the writer about why I didn't rate it higher and offer some suggestions about how to improve it, mostly stuff on punctuation, grammar, syntax, etc. Unfortunately, not too many raters do that.

My suggestion: go to the library and get an armload of grammar books and maybe a couple on how to write articles, opinions, essays, etc. Then use them for reference when you're writing. Make notes about which you like best and have been most helpful, the check the online booksellers to see who has your favorites at the best price. It's difficult to know what you don't know until you read a grammar book, and it's quite impossible to memorize all you need to know. So it's a good idea to at least skim through a decent grammar book to help you know what you should be looking up! Also, a good dictionary is indispensable.

Also, check out the other groups in Betaville. I joined one... can't remember the exact name.. but it's something about critiquing.

And... just be patient, write a lot, and keep at it!

Sunny (Sondra)

Pleased to join y'all.

Hope you will visit my Writer's Corner. Maybe the zone design and content will give everyone ideas on designing one of your own. I'll be delighted to help.

My Writer's Corner is at http://www.helium.com/zones/show/1695 .

Well, it took a bit of doing, but I'm here now.  What's up, everyone?  Grace, are you behaving today?  You weren't last night........

Strangely, I had to join the group in order to ask if I could...

My name is KScappace and I am new to Helium though not to freelance writing. Mostly I write to spec but sometimes I get an idea of my own.

I have to say that so far, Helium is the most welcoming freelance site I've found. I hope to have a long and fruitful relationship with Helium.

Hi KScappace.

Helium is a friendly and welcoming place. It really helped me tranisition from being a corporate writer (training designer/developer) to freelancing, and it helped me learn what I do and don't like to write about, and what I seem to be best at!

I was very active for a while, but keep losing my stars because I've picked up several somewhat regular clients and am currently working on three books. Helium has slid down the list a bit, at least for the time being.

I hope you'll enjoy the opportunities here. Chances for earning money have increased greatly since I started. Unfortunately, many of the best-paying ones are not on topics that I know anything about, and the rest are about things I don't care to learn about right now. Too many other irons in the fire.

Sondra (aka Sunny)

Hi Ritu,

I'm sorry I didn't respond to your January 31 message in. Got distracted with other work and haven't even logged in to Helium for a while.

Regarding you question about inproving ratings at Helium, for me it was a matter of trial and error, in large part. I pretty much looked at my articles that ranked high and the ones that didn't and found a pattern! Also, I always keep lots of reference material handy: grammar books, dictionaries, and lots of bookmarks in my browser, etc. Helps me clean up my writing. And I proofread and edit just about everything two or three times, with preferably a little time between each reading, to catch mistakes and get rid of the "clutter."

One last thing: check your facts and list references before you write anything that isn't pure fiction! If you try to sound like an expert, and somebody who really is an expert rates your work, it will hurt your rating if you just write off the top of your head!

The is, I know, kind of general. But I hope it helps a bit!

Sondra ("Sunny")

So I'm browsing through the betas here and happened across one that looked as if diversity would be a good thing.

Hello, I'm Crystal! 

Diversity is always a good thing.

After retiring, I decided to become a freelance writer. I started in February of 2006. I have since written and ghost written over 300 articles using both American and U.K. English, as well as written and ghost written over 60 book reviews.

I am writing a book about freelance writing to answer the questions that people have been asking me about breaking into freelance writing. I will also be a presenter at an online writers conference in the last quarter of 2009.

I volunteer and intern as a copy editor.

I have edited manuscripts. I created a course for writers and have facilitated courses for writers at an online writing site that host over 200 writing courses.

I enjoy the diversity of subjects for articles and the different genres of books I am asked to review. Diversity is the spice of life.

Hi all I'm pretty new to this and hope this group will be beneficial.

Look forward to reading and exchanging posts with y'all

thanks

I joined this a while ago but I've been tooooooo busy of late.

I suppose I should make my own zone.

MJ

Hey there! I'm new too. So far there hasn't been much info exchange. Maybe we can get some started!

Hi everyone,

For months now I've been looking into freelance writing, joined Helium, but need improvement on my writing. Like a lot American's I've lost my job so now is probably the best time of all too actively start!

Hi Elly!

Check out the  Hack Writers' Guild blog!

Wae are always happy to have new members looking for a start freelancing :)

Grace

I need to write a writer's resume/CV. I have absolutely no idea how to go about it. Please could anyone help me?  I know someone posted a link to a helpful website on the message boards some time ago but I cannot find it now. 

Hello creative fellow writer's

Im new to writing however, have alway possess a passion to write. A student in school that did poor in english than math. I desire to become a professional freelance writer, but my grammar among other things must improve. I must admit writing on helium give me a lot of practice. I desire to become an excellent writer in order to make money at home. I suffer from PSTD and anxiety. Writing from the comfort of my home and still get paid would be a plus. Please SOS this amatuer writer.

I haven't been on Helium very long either. I have written a few articles, but sure would like to get more involved. I am also looking for something that is of current interest, besides politics.

I do write about things concerning pet rescue and adoption, as well as euthanasia. I also wrote an article about changing my brakes on my 1997 Ford Explorer. I also just changed my upper radiator hose, as it started leaking my antifreeze. This morning, I was about to change my air filter, only to discover it is one that you clean, and re-oil and use again and again. I really  did not know they still used these, except on Diesel vehicles. I had a 1999 Ford Explorer, and it had a totally different type of air cleaner.

I do recall when I was a kid, and maybe even in my teens, when lots of vehicles used oil bath air filters.

Live and learn. I have always liked learning new things, and really do like doing my own repairs if at all possible.

I really hate paying for someone to do something I know how to do, but lets face it, with all the new computerized things on cars, trucks, busses and 747s there are bound to be many things a person must have done by a mechanic trained in the technical things on vehicles now.

Hi guys. Excuse the pen name, I've changed it since I started this account and the only reason I still have it is because I didn't want to start a new one.

Anyway, I was hoping that I could get some help from people that have just started out as freelancers, preferably in the field of video gaming. I've written a pitch and sent it to 21 people (editors, deputy-editors and producers of gaming magazines) and I've only received a reply from Simon Carless, the EVP of UBM Techweb's Game Network, who has CC'd my pitch to the editors of Gamasutra, who I now realise only deal with game development and quite far away from the field that I want to write for (game reviews, entertaining articles about games).

My mistake here is that I haven't read half the magazines that I've submitted my work to. I got a positive response though, so for all I know they could have a video gaming section.

I'm writing to you guys so that, hopefully, I can get some feedback on my pitch. Also, I'd really appreciate a little tell-how explaining how I should actually approach the editors of these magazines through e-mail. Here goes nothing...

Sore Thumbs. Aching Hands. A good reason to stop playing but an ignorant conscience telling you not to.

Fighting Games.

As a Tekken 6 player, I find myself intrigued by the obsessions of other fighting games that I, quite snobbishly, simply haven't given a chance. Regarding your magazine, my idea is to review popular fighting games from a loyal Tekken player's perspective. This article would involve;

- An outline of Tekken (and possibly my experience with it) including an interview with the Project Lead of UK's Tekken Force, Cem Yatak (This has been confirmed).

- A page for every fighting game that I review. This could either be established by contract (one page per issue for a set time) or a 3-4 page spread as a one-off article. Reviews would include a look at the modes available and their effectiveness/worthy of playing, the general feel of the game and the ease/difficulty of access to the game's competitive scene.

- A rating out of 10 for each game based on my experience with it, including an honest but entertainingly biased rating for Tekken 6.

- Pulled quotes from short interviews with UK fighting game players.

Have you ever read an article with content like this? My aim is to show the group of fighting game fanatics who refuse to open their minds that other games can be just as enjoyable and rewarding as the games that they are loyal to.

If you're interested I would be glad to present a fuller proposal including whatever you request and a draft. I'll happily take any deadline and this idea is entirely open for adaptation to your magazine.

I'd love to work for you, however briefly it may be!

Thanks a lot for taking the time to read this,
Jack Woolcott

What do you guys think? I had to retype every word of that pitch because this website doesn't seem to let me post pasted material. 

i have recently join helium. i want to earn through this website. plz guid me for this thanks a lot

I am a charter member of Helium who got sidetracked by my stressful career, etc.  I haven't written here in a long time; however,  I am now retired and looking forward to writing for fun and hopefully to help my meager income.  I have a degree in English Lit and Grammar which helps, and my father was a Journalist.  I guess it is just in my genes.  Looking forward to this forum group and Helium collaboration of all the great writers I see on this site.

BA Moran

I love Helium.com!  What a great place for a freelance writer to try your wings and earn money.  I did a short little article on Starbucks raising their prices as an assignment and earned $2.00 a few days ago.  Who knew I would get excited over $2.00 someday.  Life is interesting!