by Frances Laing

Created on: January 11, 2010   Last Updated: October 19, 2010

There are two groups of people using the Brighthub site - publishers and writers. Publishers see the public user interface and writers log in. Writers have their own interface which includes a 'Writer's Dashboard' showing drafts and article opportunties, messages received and links to the forum and community. In this respect the Brighthub system is similar to the Helium site.

The differences are: Brighthub writers gain higher initial 'upfront' payments than Helium writers ($10 dollars) but they are also obliged to update their articles every nine months. Brighthub looks for quality, timeless content with a technical edge.

The site feels professional. You can create drafts of articles and then go back and edit them before submission - a very useful feature for those freelance writers who are working from home. But the site takes some getting used to and personally I did find submitting my first few articles was a challenge - it's not easy to know what the site (and the editors) are looking for in the first instance. I'm told - like most things it gets easier with time.

To become a Bright Hub writer you have to undergo a fairly lengthy application process. This includes the signing of a copyright agreement which assigns exclusive rights to the company. Not every writer will want to do this, of course. It depends very much on where you currently find yourself in your career and what your needs are. Brighthub may usefully contribute to larger and more effective web presence. It may be of interest to teachers and professionals wishing to gain more publicity for their work.

Brighthub offers a useful and detailed training programme with Power Point presentations to help you become part of the Brighthub writing community. Writers are encouraged to create content with strong Search Engine Optimisation  (SEO) and the training programme modules are geared to support this. The Webinar sessions are easily accessible from many different countries and extremely useful whatever you are doing on the internet.

Brighthub has editorially managed and community-based channels where writers can submit work. If you choose an editorially managed channel be aware that your piece may be edited before it appears on the site.  Experienced writers who enjoy the writing freedom that Helium offers (on helium you are often able to write and edit your own work) - may be put off by this system. There is no 'creative writing' section on Brighthub.

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