by Amber Hilton

Created on: November 29, 2009

One of the best things about Helium.com is that it does little to limit the self-expression of its writers. Sure, there are Helium editors keeping an eye on things, but for the most part, writers are free to discuss whatever they wish as long as it is not deemed inappropriate (adult content, self-promotion, hateful language). Content wise, Helium currently has twenty-seven channels for writers to choose from that offer thousands of titles covering topics from business, to entertainment to politics. If a writer still can't find what they're looking for, they can even submit their own title.

In order to elevate the website's reputation, Helium encourages original high-quality content that is grammatically correct and free from spelling errors. Unlike a blogging site, Helium has guidelines, which include a minimum word count of 400 and adherence to their writing standards, which basically comes down to using proper English grammar. Keep in mind, this is not the New York Times and the style of writing that is acceptable for the Internet is not as formal as you would find in a scholarly research paper.

However, if you aspire to someday work as a professional writer, it couldn't hurt to start practicing now. Writing habits are hard to break, so save yourself the hassle and form a professional style now. Having a professional body of work on Helium will also help you sell more articles in the Marketplace and will help build your portfolio when you start looking for freelance assignments.

It is okay to include some personal insights in an article, as long as the entire thing doesn't read like a journal entry. However, actually including your name in the article will result in it being taken off of the site because this is considered self-promotion.

Debate articles are another option for Helium writers, which allow them to discuss the pros or cons of various controversial topics with other writers. While debate titles tend to bring out strong opinions, remember that these articles should remain professional as well, meaning no lashing out at other writers or offensive language.

Finally, under "Writer's Resources" Helium has listed several different types of articles that Marketplace publishers are looking for. They include instructional, reporting, editorial, experience, review writing, copywriting and creative writing. Clicking on the links gives a description of each writing style as well as common writing standards. It is still up to you to figure out what type of style your audience is looking for, but once you do these links can be of great help.

Remember that although Helium gives its writers a great deal of freedom with their articles, it is up to you to decide what sort of writing portfolio you want to create and what caliber of website you would like Helium to be.

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