by Barbara Whitlock

Created on: June 25, 2007   Last Updated: June 19, 2009

Aiming your Helium articles - and Internet articles in general - toward the 400 to 1,500 word count range fits the pattern for web readers. This article tells you how and why you should aim your web text for this Helium word count range goal.

Helium's Writing Standards asks writers to meet a 400-word minimum and not to exceed 1,500 words maximum. This standard reinforces a high-quality message, one that stands in contrast to the post-and-comment blog styles that dominate the Internet. Helium is building an online magazine where members share their knowledge with the world. It takes some muscle to meet this goal.

However, many Helium writers continue to write single paragraphs. To reach the 400-word minimum requires about four average-length paragraphs. One-paragraph posts are not articles, and they fall far short of Helium's standards. They can have a viral effect too, especially in Debate articles. When writer A blasts off a paragraph about his opinions, others are tempted to follow. Raters can help reinforce the minimum. While the 400-word standard remains a general guide and not a rigid cutoff, raters should not elevate single-paragraph posts in ranking.

On the longer side of this goal, the Internet places some practical restraints on Web writers. While the New Yorker and Vanity Fair magazines might feature 5,000-word articles, Web surfers will not sustain attention for such treatises. The practical limits of how many times a reader will scroll down a computer page must influence how one writes for the Internet. One scroll is usually the limit of a reader's attention span; more than that and the article seems endless. For topics that involve more than 1,500 words, break up your article into two or three topical areas and develop distinct articles for each one. This maximizes reader attention and helps build a detailed knowledge bank for Helium.

The basic structure of a well-developed article necessitates at least 400 words to get the job done:

1. Begin with an enticing lead and a clear introduction, which directs the reader to the outline of your article.

2. Then focus on developing your arguments or points, each of which are introduced, explained and presented with factual, experiential and/or observed evidence. A solid chunk of information needs to be integrated into your article, so that readers gain knowledge from the experience.

3. End with a clear conclusion, gathering up important threads and punching home one final point to leave your readers with a memorable impression. (By the way, I've just reached approximately 400 words for this article.)

Another point to consider: Writers who post short scraps on Helium, rather than fully developed articles, create stumbling blocks for the site. Hardworking writers become discouraged when they are forced to rate dribbling posts masquerading as articles. As the rating process gives fair time to all articles, lousy pieces take time and space from others. They take staff time when new articles are sent back for revision or limited articles are reported and then deleted from the site.

To share knowledge in well-written, fully developed articles requires some effort. Helium helps writers develop to meet these standards through peer critiques on the boards (http://www.helium.com/smf/index.php?board=76.0), member feedback (http://www.helium.com/smf/index.php?board=28.0)), individualized revision emails and our Mentor program (write to Mentor@Helium.com). Any questions about these programs and Helium's 400-1,500-word Writing Standards (find them in the Help section), write to Content@helium.com. (By the way, this article is a tad over 550 words.)

Learn more about this author, Barbara Whitlock.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.