by Rachelle de Bretagne

Created on: February 15, 2007   Last Updated: March 30, 2009

Often new members of Helium are confused about how to submit a Helium article. They are unsure of what to write about, how to present it and how to go through the process of submission. This article is written with those members in mind, as once you learn how to submit at article, the rest is easy. The article covers all the things you need to think about within that process in easy to follow steps, so that you gain the most reward you can from the experience of being a Helium member.

*Looking for titles.
*Looking for an original angle.
*Avoiding bad practice against Helium guidelines.
*Marketplace entries.
*Laying out your article.
*Pressing the "Write Now" button.
*Pasting your article to the site.
*Using the tool-bar tools.
*Submitting the article.

Looking for titles.

This is the very first process. If you press your My Helium area of the site, you have a neat layout on the left hand side which gives you different areas of interest to a member. The title finder is the most useful tool of all. Here, you can type in words which reflect your interests, and try different searches to find out if something you wish to write about already has a title. If it has, then you can keep this page open while you write your article. If it hasn't, go back to My Helium, and press Suggest a title. Remember when writing your title other members will be writing to the title you chose as competition is the name of the game at Helium and any suggested title should be clear so that others will understand what the article is to be about.

Looking for an original angle.

This bit is the fun bit. Often people write from a very narrow perspective, using first person in their articles instead of looking at the broader possibilities. It is far better to write it from a neutral stance, though the angle you approach the topic from can be unique. Think of the title for a while and work out how you are going to approach it, taking little notes to guide you so that you don't miss anything out. Think of beginning, middle and end, as all great Helium articles need an introduction, clear paragraphs and a conclusion.

Avoiding bad practices against Helium guidelines.

The guidelines are quite clear. No names in articles, no swearing. Helium want writers above the age of 13 years old to write articles which give information to readers. This isn't a blog, and articles should be as informative as they possibly can. Guidelines are there for a purpose. Many people ignore them and are disappointed with the results of

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