Writing at Helium is a lot of fun and a bit addictive for the old guards but for a new member it can be frustrating and a bit confusing too. What topic to choose, how to write a good article, how to improve the ranking of a lowly ranked one, how to earn money and how to get those elusive blue writing stars that seem determined to remain elusive? Well, here's bit of advice that will help new Helium members to enjoy their experience at Helium.
~Write:
Whether you know the perfect recipe for cooking lobsters or a natural cure for asthma; whether you keep an eye on world politics or love to write book, movie and website reviews, whatever your interest or forte, Helium has titles for everyone. Choose a topic that you are most comfortable with or join a passionate debate and turn out a well crafted article. Remember that an article around 400-800 words does better on Helium than long, meandering ones.
~Things to Remember:
Give a solid beginning and a concrete ending to your article. Always spell check before you submit your piece and use Paste from Word to avoid your article from changing shape and mass in its published form. Divide your article in short paragraphs. Use links within articles to lead the reader to other things that you may have written on Helium. Cite your sources carefully if you are using material from other publications.
~Rate:
Many Helium members consider rating a boring and cumbersome chore but there are lots of advantages of rating other members' articles on Helium. One rating star is necessary to receive the page view earnings on your articles and 5 rating stars earn you $3 rating bonus.
While rating, you come across a wide spectrum of ideas, opinions and views, and errors too. You learn a lot, know what errors to avoid and hone your skills as a writer. By giving feedback, you make friends on Helium and often your praise and suggestions are reciprocated which helps you gauge your strengths and weaknesses.
~Seek Help:
If the ranking of your article stumps you, don't get discouraged. Seek help from other Helium members and there is never any shortage of those who will willingly go over your article and suggest ways to improve it. You can write to mentor@helium.com and send your article in the email body. You can also post the link of your troublesome article in Writing Critiques Forum where somebody, sooner than later, will come to your aid.
~Visit Community Boards:
One of the best features about Helium is its community boards. The Helium community is extremely helpful, vibrant, teeming with fresh ideas and new concepts. No question here goes unanswered and every discussion is given due consideration. It is the best place to introduce yourself, seek answers, make friends, hear the latest Helium news and participate in forums to make Helium better.
~Read Helium Guides:
Can anyone give a test without reading the question paper first or should you even attempt to do so? If you really want to benefit from Helium, it is best to invest some time and effort into reading and understanding the Helium help guide at help.helium.com. It gives you all the details about everything you need to know about Helium from earning money to getting stars and badges and all else that you need to know.
~Never Plagiarise:
The quickest and the surest way to get your account deleted from Helium is to copy, paste and try to pass someone's work as your own. Plagiarism is a serious offense at Helium and a dedicated team of members who reviews every new article published on Helium is usually quick to spot and take action. And they are not the only ones. Every Helium member can report suspected plagiarism by using the User's Tools. So save yourself the embarrassment and ignomy of receiving the account deletion email and always write your own stuff.
~Enjoy Your Success:
Earning money on Helium depends upon a number of factors like your writing abilities, the channels you choose, your level of participation in Helium writing contests and Marketplace, the number of articles you write to empty titles etc. The best thing is to approach your writing with a positive attitude and have fun. So start writing today and enjoy your success on Helium!