Paid Online Writing at Helium.com with Rachelle de Bretagne
1. Right now, what opportunities exist for making money writing online?
There are many opportunities online to make money, though amongst those sites that pay for quality writing, Helium.com really is the most lucrative and certainly the widest when it comes to catering for everyone.
This online source of information encourages articles from members of the public who are all experts at something, whether it be health problems, relationship issues, or whatever, Helium has a place for everyone.
The ease of use of the site means that by a simple search, finding topics to write about is easy, and the secret to success is to combine both quality written work with quantity.
I have been an online writer for ten years, and indeed run a site for online writers, so am speaking from experience. Many sites offer financial reward that is limited to member rates. Helium is different, and the opportunity to earn on any given item is an ongoing one, which is limitless.
The marketplaces on Helium seek specific work and give writers great guidelines for their work, while the competition areas offer weekly chances for people to win acclaim with their writing, research and presentation.
The recent rewardathon paid members up to four figures on their achievements and was a very popular way for writers to gain respect for their writing, backed up by great payments.
2. What is the paid writing online's future in the next five years?
The next five years will be an interesting time, since sites are for ever evolving, and Helium above other writing sites, is giving online instruction to people that want to learn better presentation.
Within the last twelve months the site has progressed from short articles of little merit, to articles that really do present factual information that is presented in a professional manner, and will expand even further, encompassing areas like Pulitzer which allows citizen journalists to have their voice on world issues.
Now, we are beginning the process of writing, though the next five years will see that citizen journalism is becoming the way that news from the people's point of view is presented, and will be accepted as being news from the individual rather than biased by broadcasting networks, which gives writers even more freedom of expression.
3. Is it better to write about specific subjects or anything and everything?
Writing can be anything from creative to factual, intellectual to academic. The premise of the site is that it has a place for every kind of reading. Hot topics that are high on the google search lists and that are SEO (Search Engine Optimized), mean that articles get read, though these are trends that change all the time.
If you have information to write about, be happy that there are always people out there on the Internet looking for answers to their queries, and every little bit of information you can type into an article helps the site get read, and also rewards the writers.
4. How well do I have to write to make money online?
You can make money online as long as your English is reasonable. On sites like Helium, the mentor system helps those people who have little confidence to present their work in a professional manner and to recognize the difference between magazine style articles and first person testimonies and product reviews.
Email correspondence courses are available and tailored to users needs, making the opportunity to earn online from written work better than it ever has been.
5. In twenty seconds or less, how would you describe helium.com?
Helium is an opportunity for writers that should not be dismissed.
6. How does quality content determine which writers get paid at helium.com?
The way in which quality content gets more reward than mediocre content is through the unique rating system. Two articles are presented to users side by side and anonymously, taking personalities out of the rating process.
These are then ranked into order, No. 1 being the best. The higher the article appears in the rankings, the more the writing is read, making it automatically earn more than those articles that lie buried at the bottom of the chain.
7. How do publishers find writers at helium.com?
There are many publishers looking for writers on Helium. The marketplaces vary and the opportunities afforded by them are worth looking at on a weekly basis. Here, the publishers give specific guidelines for writers and time frames for the production of articles.
This isn't where the publishing opportunities end, as many members have been approached and offered full time work on the basis of their portfolio at Helium.
8. How can helium.com help me improve my writing skills?
Helium has an open member feedback area on their community forum where other members can read articles and give constructive feedback, although they also appreciate that not all readers want critique in public, and provide links where members can give feedback automatically to users by email.
They go further in that they offer members Mentor Help and have New Member Guides to help people become accustomed to posting articles online. Many have little experience, though all are welcomed and all given equal opportunities.
9. I have a lot to say but am not sure how to say it...where do I start?
Find the subject upon which you want to write and ask yourself "What information would the public be seeking if landing upon a topic such as that chosen". For example, articles that give factual information are very useful for people that want answers.
Make a spine of the article or little list of what you think the article should contain. After that, think out a clever beginning to the article, and keep the article interesting and informative all the way through, using information rather than unnecessary padding, to give the article substance.
If worried about your first postings, send a copy of your article to the New Member Guides who will gladly take a look and give you pointers on presentation and content to help you make the most of your Helium experience.
