by Leigh Goessl

Created on: May 29, 2009   Last Updated: March 21, 2010

Helium.com is a website where writers can publish their work and get rated by their peers. The excitement of publishing an article is exhilarating and watching ratings soar higher is thrilling.

However watching an article tumble in ratings can be a downer.

When an article falls rapidly in ratings, a writer might want to examine some of the reasons which may have led to the piece being low ranked. In some cases there is nothing wrong with the article, but simply raters preferred other articles in the title, but in other cases, there may be something weaved within the words which needs fixing.

The best way to avoid low rankings is to understand how not to write for Helium before publishing a first article. There are writer guidelines to follow and it is always a good idea to follow proper writing form, including writing an article to be web friendly.

Here are a few of the top things a writer should not do when writing for Helium:

*Plagiarize

Plagiarism is a serious offense and this is not tolerated on Helium.com. If an author is going to write and publish work it has to be their own work. If someone else is referenced, like any other written work, it is essential to give proper credit.

Engaging in illegal use of someone else's work and breaching copyright laws will get an article deleted and possibly get the Helium account canceled.

*Using all CAPS

All CAPS is not only against Helium's user agreement, but it is not good web etiquette because using all capital letters implies shouting. A Helium member doesn't want to shout to the web audience and come across as being rude.

In addition to the etiquette factor, CAPS are difficult to read. If an article is written in all capital letters, raters will flag the article and it will be deleted since it is in user violation.

*Profanity/Adult Content

Using inappropriate language is also against user guidelines and is a clear violation. Helium is a family-friendly site designed for ages 13 and up and any adult content or profanity will be deleted due to being a user infringement.

*Not Proofread

Helium is striving to a site where readers and web surfers will look to for information. Articles littered with typos, poor grammar and other editorial errors will likely be ranked down to the bottom of the heap by peers.

Running a spell check and reading over an article carefully prior to publication is the best way to go. It can't hurt to ask someone else to give it a look over with a set of fresh eyes.

*Rambling Off Topic

Off topic

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