by Amber Hilton

Created on: December 18, 2009   Last Updated: February 11, 2010

Helium.com offers many different benefits for professional and aspiring writers. As a Helium contributor, you can share what you know, improve your writing skills, promote your work and earn a decent second income. However, how much a writer receives from the Helium experience depends upon how much time and effort they are willing to put in. If you’re looking to increase your earnings or access more professional writing opportunities, read on for how to maximize your writing potential on Helium.

* Read Helium’s Writing Standards. Helium currently provides a list of ten tips to help its writers create quality online content. If you want your articles to be ranked well by your peers, which ultimately means more money in your pocket, reading and following these site guidelines is essential. The Writing Standards, which can be accessed through “Helium Help”, discuss important issues such as word count, grammar, style and formatting. Also located in “Helium Help” is a section on “tips for writing better articles on Helium”, which includes a great deal of helpful information.

* Compete in Marketplace. Helium’s Marketplace offers the opportunity to earn major cash for contributions, and competing in this arena can help prepare writers for more professional assignments. Marketplace publishers are looking for very specific content and typically include essential guidelines. Competing in Helium's Marketplace teaches writers to follow style and content guidelines to the letter and prepares them to work with actual editors and publishers, while providing monetary rewards in the process. Helium’s Marketplace can be accessed through your “My Helium” page, and more tips on competing in the Marketplace can be found in “Helium Help.”

* Visit the Community Forums. Helium’s Community Forums are a great resource for new or struggling writers, offering words of wisdom from Helium staff and seasoned Helium contributors. Accessible from “My Helium” or from “Helium Help”, the forums are a great starting place when you have questions or need advice on how to improve your writing or earnings. The Community Forums are also a perfect way to connect with people who share your passion.

* Get a Mentor. Helium currently offers a unique mentorship program for members looking to maximize their writing potential on Helium. Mentors are usually experienced writers who have been with Helium for some time, which means they can provide advice, introduce you to site tools and critique your work. Currently, writers can request a mentor via email, by forwarding an article to mentor@helium.com, with “looking for a mentor” in the subject line. Although this program is meant to help with developing specific articles that you are struggling with, it also opens the lines of communications for further questions and support.

These are just a few of the avenues that you can pursue in order to maximize your writing potential on Helium. Making a second income through Helium requires a great deal of time and effort, but the opportunities that it provides are often priceless.

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