It has been some time since we addressed the Twitter and Helium connection, and it may be time to revisit how important Twitter is to writers at Helium. As Google has changed its method of ranking content based on social media, it may be more important than ever to make sure that you are participating actively on social media sites. For most writers, one of the easiest sites to participate in social media is Twitter. While Facebook and Google+ are simple to use, for maximum exposure, Twitter is probably still the best social media platform.

Hashtags are more important than ever!

Twitter has made it simple to share information, but one of the problems is the “flood” of links that come through a time-line. The more followers a Twitter user has, the more likely they are to find that they simply cannot keep up with the stream of information. This is when hashtags (which look like this: #) come into play. Hashtags help sort links by category and make finding information much easier. In addition, many Twitter users create “newsletters” through the free Paper.li service, and they use these keywords to “pull” information into their newsletter. When your work is used in a newsletter you gain credibility and possibly more traffic. Hashtags must be used properly to be effective. For example, if your article is about a literary review, you can use the book name, author name or something related. Misleading hashtags are going to tick off users who use these to find information and could also lead to suspension of your Twitter account.

Twitter changed link shortening

One of the recent changes to Twitter is how it handles links. Writers can save some space by removing the “http” before their long-links. In fact, it is a good idea to remove most of the long link as the short link can be created using even fewer characters. Helium writers need only use the string that starts with “Helium” and ends with the item number. An example of this is “How to get followers on Twitter www.helium.com/items/1730719 #twitter” which includes the article title, URL and item number as well as the hashtag. The tweet can be posted directly to Twitter or used as is in any automation program. In reality, writers can remove the “www” from the string as well.

You have to stay active!

Automation tools have made it easy to set up tweets and leave them to run unchecked through the day and night. However, the more active you are on Twitter, the more likely you are to have others read your work. Don’t ignore your followers, make sure that you at least check your account on a daily basis and respond to people who have retweeted your work or made comments. If you fail to do this, you will lose followers and run the risk of not getting anyone to pay attention to your work.

Twitter can waste a lot of time if you do not handle it properly. However, after doing some testing, it is easy to see a difference in Helium earnings when you (a) use hashtags, (b) make sure you are following the new link standards and (c) interacting with followers. Try it and see!

Member of the Week: Michelle Wilkinson

“Simply write. The more you write, the more confident you become. “

Helium Member Since: February 2008

Articles on Helium: 4548

About Michelle

What have you gained from being a member of an online writers’ community?

A sense of belonging! I’ve also picked up tips that I think have helped my writing. I’ve definitely learned more about promoting my work, as well.

What do you write about mostly?  Why do you write about this subject?  Do you consider yourself an expert in your field?

I write quite a lot of articles about weight loss and issues that relate to weight. I wouldn’t say I’m an expert, but I definitely have a lot of experience of trying to lose weight! I’m also interested in how weight and self-esteem issues are interlinked, and what social attitudes towards weight are. Since I’m a keen cyclist, I also enjoy writing about cycling and keeping fit in general.

What motivated you to become a writer?

My social ineptitude! Being introverted and introspective seemed like good enough reasons. I’m much better at expressing myself through the written word than orally!

What advice would you offer new Helium members?

Simply write. The more you write, the more confident you become. When starting out it might be worth sticking to topics you feel comfortable writing about, as this will enable you to develop your own voice, rather than worrying about small, irrelevant details. If you specialize in a particular area, you may find that it becomes easier to promote your work to readers who will come to trust what you have to say and will actively seek out articles you have written.

What is the best life advice you’ve received?

I’m quite a contrary individual, so the chances are that any advice given to me has encouraged me to do the exact opposite!

Articles by Michelle:

Accepting your body the way it is

Finding that work-life balance

How to tell if you are an emotional eater 

Every Wednesday, Helium’s blog will feature a new Member of the Week. Member of the Week is chosen through a process of nominations and assessment by Helium community members and staff. If you know a great writer you’d like to nominate, send a link to that member’s About Me page along with an explanation of his/her accomplishments to sh.helium@gmail.com.

Member of the Week: John Welford

“My motivation, as ever, is to bridge the gap between sources and seekers of information.”

Helium Member Since: January 2008

Articles on Helium: 779

About John

Who inspires you?

It’s more a question of what than who. I write Helium articles because I want to unlock the knowledge that is trapped between the covers of the books and journals that I own and to which I have access as a librarian. The millions of authors whose thoughts, knowledge and ideas have been entrusted to paper are therefore my inspiration.

What do you write about mostly?  Why do you write about this subject?  Do you consider yourself an expert in your field?

I go through phases of being interested in certain subjects. These have included birds, antiques, Roman emperors, works of art, cricket, and places to visit in the UK. At present I am mainly writing analyses of poems by British poets, especially those that are on UK school exam syllabuses as these are likely to gain most page views. I have a degree in English Literature, so if I am an expert in anything this is likely to be it!

How do you promote your work?

I use Twitter – a lot! I try to get an article link posted once every 20 minutes, alternating with quotations. I have a huge stock of the latter to which I add constantly, so my followers don’t get bored. 3,700 followers to date – and rising!

What motivated you to become a writer?

I have always wanted to write but have also been aware of how difficult it is to succeed as a creative writer. The closest I ever came to the latter was writing scripts for the Beano comic in the early 1980s – I was the voice of Dennis the Menace, Minnie the Minx, et al! The opportunity to write factual pieces and get paid for so doing was one that I was happy to grab with both hands.

I am a librarian by profession. I qualified back in 1976 and have therefore spent 35 years linking learners with sources of information. I still work at a university library helpdesk one evening a week, with the book stacks on one side of me and several hundred computer terminals on the other…. My motivation, as ever, is to bridge the gap between sources and seekers of information, and I can do this via “the medium of Helium.” My articles are therefore mainly digests of information for which printed material is the source – summarized, commented on, and updated where necessary.

What advice would you offer new Helium members?

Don’t set yourself too many goals to start with. Experiment, find out what works best for you, and adjust accordingly. Above all, take full advantage of all the help that is on offer.

 What are your future goals with regard to writing?

My first goal is to reach 1000 articles by the time I’m 60 (in August 2012)! I also want to do what I can to make life easier for international writers, as I am concerned that too many writers are being discouraged by their lack of good written English. I have some ideas that might help Helium to be more welcoming to writers from places like Africa and South Asia who have much to give but are currently being held back.

Articles by John

A visitor’s guide to West Leicestershire

Poetry analysis: First Day at School, by Roger McGough

Bird facts: Spoon-billed sandpiper

Every Wednesday, Helium’s blog will feature a new Member of the Week. Member of the Week is chosen through a process of nominations and assessment by Helium community members and staff. If you know a great writer you’d like to nominate, send a link to that member’s About Me page along with an explanation of his/her accomplishments to sh.helium@gmail.com.

Here’s the full list of all the different openings that we are currently looking to fill. Visit our freelance opportunities page to find out how to apply.

Among the assignments we have open now:

• Writers conversant in small business marketing (not just Internet marketing, please) to pen articles that will help SMBs find new ways to engage customers and drive sales
• Regional lifestyle writers in the following areas: Alaska, Arizona/New Mexico, Arkansas/Missouri, Northern California, Colorado, North and South Dakota, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois/Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky/Tennessee, Louisiana, Mid-Atlantic, Minnesota/Wisconsin, Mississippi/Alabama, Nevada, Northern Texas, Upstate New York, Utah, Washington, West Virginia, Wyoming. Assignments will be 450 words in length and cover a variety of regional topics including day trips, local activities, local attractions and more. Writers must have local knowledge of the regions.
• Health and entertainment writers who can write 450-word pieces on timely entertainment events and health issues.
• Journalists who can write well-researched articles on top-level executive placement services for an executive search firm newsletter. Writers must have knowledge of executive leadership issues and recent business trends as well as experience conducting interviews, citing industry sources and utilizing infographics.
• Auto writers knowledgeable about specific automotive brands (such as Honda, Ford, BMW, VW and Volvo) who can write 200 words on the most recent product news, releases, awards and auto shows. Writers need specific brand knowledge.
• Auto writers who can give helpful advice on car maintenance and care. Articles will be less than 200 words and require general industry knowledge.
• Auto and lifestyle writers from Australia or New Zealand who are knowledgeable about BMW autos, general car care (all brands) or regional lifestyle topics.
• Writers in the Midwest and Southeast who are meticulous at sourcing historical information and adept at following a style guide
• Scribes who can write comfortably about the latest high-tech gadgets (cellphones, computing tablets, etc.), games (console, computer) and the like. These pieces would be more like previews/write-ups, not hands-on reviews, and would not require in-depth technical reporting.
• Freelancers in the Washington, D.C. area to write about the healthcare and technology job markets
• Experienced finance writer with expertise in the credit card and merchant accounts space for ongoing monthly assignments
• Writers adept at covering basic legal information who can translate concepts into plain English
• Trivia experts who can write engaging trivia questions on a variety of topics including health, movies, music, entertainment, animals, science, history and geography
• Bloggers and writers who are comfortable with social media and live in Canada. Writers need to have a friendly, engaging style and be able to write about a variety of topics including local news, events and entertainment, as well as home improvement, wellness and shopping. Writers need to live in Ottawa, Victoria, Winnipeg and Regina. Visit our blog for a full list of communities and towns.
• Fact-checkers who can verify information for a wide variety of articles

Member of the Week: Susan Klatz Beal

“I finally realized that I’d never know whether I could succeed as a writer, if I didn’t try.”

Helium Member Since: July 2007

Articles on Helium: 1700

About Susan

What do you write about mostly?  Why do you write about this subject?  Do you consider yourself an expert in your field?

I have probably written more articles about plants, gardening and garden related things than anything else. I write about it because it’s something I love to do. I have been actively gardening and collecting and growing plants for over 40 years. I would never consider myself an expert in that field, simply because I’m always learning. I enjoy writing about anything. Lately, I’ve taken an interest to writing articles about breakthrough studies in the medical world.

What motivated you to become a writer?

I’ve wanted to be a writer since I was a child. I never believed that I could actually become a writer, much less earn money doing it. I finally realized that I’d never know whether I could succeed as a writer, if I didn’t try. The rest is history.

What advice would you offer new Helium members?

Commit to producing the best written, most accurate and well researched articles you can write. Set goals for yourself and make sure that you have an environment that will allow you to meet those goals. Then once you meet each goal, set a new one that pushes you to surpass the previous one. The sense of satisfaction you get from accomplishments, regardless of how small they seem, will inspire you to continue writing.

What is the best life advice you’ve received?

Not to give up, not to doubt myself, and to believe that I’m capable of doing more than I think I can. In addition to that, not to put all of my eggs in one basket because writers need to diversify.

Articles by Susan

Creative “green” gift wrapping

Musical instrument classifications

Knowing the signs of heat exhaustion

Every Wednesday, Helium’s blog will feature a new Member of the Week. Member of the Week is chosen through a process of nominations and assessment by Helium community members and staff. If you know a great writer you’d like to nominate, send a link to that member’s About Me page along with an explanation of his/her accomplishments to sh.helium@gmail.com.

Member of the Week: Carissa Johnson

“Never let one person’s negative opinion pull your spirits so far down that you give up.”

Helium Member Since: June 2009

Articles on Helium: 135

About Carissa

What do you write about mostly?  Why do you write about this subject?

I find myself writing non-fiction, informational pieces most of the time because of my news journalism background. I tend to write about anything relating to being a teenager, in which I would say I have considerable and relevant expertise; religion–namely Christianity, which I am passionate about; books that I have read; and a combination of other topics that I find interesting or about which I have a hint of experience or knowledge. I enjoy the research process and the depth that one must learn about something in order to write about it.

How do you promote your work?

There’s nothing like social networking to ensure that your work is seen by many eyes — and the eyes that you want to see it. I post links to my articles on my Facebook and Tumblr feeds when I know that the topic is one that my friends and family are most likely to enjoy, and I often get reactions.

What advice would you offer new Helium members?

Listen more than you talk! Read articles from well-established writers, pay attention to the advice in forums, and take note of what works and what doesn’t for the rest of us.  But never let one person’s negative opinion pull your spirits so far down that you give up.

What are your future goals with regard to writing?

I plan to incorporate writing in whatever career I pursue. Whether it entails blogging about my experiences traveling or using my passion to teach and encourage young students who love language as well, writing is a huge part of my life.

What is the best life advice you’ve received?

“If money was no object, what would you be doing with your life? Go do that.”

Articles by Carissa

The pros of mandatory school uniforms

Poetry: The Holocaust

Reflections: Everyday heroes who make a difference in our lives

Every Wednesday, Helium’s blog will feature a new Member of the Week. Member of the Week is chosen through a process of nominations and assessment by Helium community members and staff. If you know a great writer you’d like to nominate, send a link to that member’s About Me page along with an explanation of his/her accomplishments to sh.helium@gmail.com.

Member of the week: Ganelle Davis

“Adversity really does build great character.”

Helium Member Since: September 2007

Articles on Helium: 466

About Ganelle

What do you write about mostly? Do you consider yourself an expert in your field?

I’m no expert.  As a disabled person, I have learned that we all are challenged to some degree. I may be an expert at facing challenges. I find myself writing mostly on the spirituality channel. I’m a people person. I love the characteristics and the motivations of human beings.

What motivated you to become a writer?

I have spent my entire life trying to connect with my maternal family. Writing has been the catalyst for me to connect with people that don’t really know me. They have gotten to know me through my writings. Writing  is my introduction. I hope more and more people get to know the real me. I have always wanted my favorites (people) close by. Writing brings me closer to people.

What advice would you offer new Helium members?

Be open, be honest, and be committed to do your best work. Helium is here to help you.

What are your future goals with regard to writing?

Someday, I would like to write a memoir dealing with forgiveness.  I think the F -Bomb is the key to open all doors in our society. The 3F PRINCIPLE really works: forgive, forget and find new joy. So far it has worked for me.

What is the best life advice you’ve received?

Adversity  really does build great character. My grandmother and living life has proved  this advice to me.

Articles by Ganelle

The power of positive thinking and attitude

Anger management tips for teens

Looks, money, or character: Choosing what’s important

Every Wednesday, Helium’s blog will feature a new Member of the Week. Member of the Week is chosen through a process of nominations and assessment by Helium community members and staff. If you know a great writer you’d like to nominate, send a link to that member’s About Me page along with an explanation of his/her accomplishments to sh.helium@gmail.com.

Member of the Week: Richard Hogsflesh

“Leave behind any preconceptions about your own abilities.”

Helium Member Since: July 2011

Articles on Helium: 126

About Richard

What have you gained from being a member of an online writers’ community?

Context. Other sites I’ve written for are useless at letting you know how good or bad you actually are. Helium gives you a far better idea by giving you more good writers to compare yourself to.

What do you write about mostly?  Why do you write about this subject?  Do you consider yourself an expert in your field?

I’ve written more articles about old horror films than anything else, and I am a bit of an expert. I’ll admit that I did them mainly to take advantage of the ‘10 squared’ promo that was running when I joined. I’m more interested in writing about things that take me away from my comfort zone a bit – that was one reason for joining Helium – so probably won’t do many more horror movie reviews.

What advice would you offer new Helium members?

Read around a lot, and leave behind any preconceptions about your own abilities.

What is the best life advice you’ve received?

I vividly remember being told not to swing on the coat hooks at school. If I’d listened, I wouldn’t have broken my arm. It’s the first time I remember understanding that sometimes grown-ups had good reasons for spoiling my fun.

Articles by Richard

Top 20 vampire movies

Exit Stage Left: The most spectacular deaths in Shakespeare’s Plays

What makes a good zombie film?

Every Wednesday, Helium’s blog will feature a new Member of the Week. Member of the Week is chosen through a process of nominations and assessment by Helium community members and staff. If you know a great writer you’d like to nominate, send a link to that member’s About Me page along with an explanation of his/her accomplishments to sh.helium@gmail.com.

For those freelancers who had a steady gig or knew that writing was their dream job, cold calling, slowly establishing a network, and becoming an expert in one area was worth all the effort. But what about those folks who wanted to write as an outlet for self-expression? What about writers who had knowledge to share about a variety of issues? What about those writers who wanted to become freelancers but needed a way to break into the field? These writers needed a platform to test their skills, make connections and discover their strengths.

Online writing communities provide that platform. Writers can get published immediately online. They can discover their genre and get feedback from other members. If they desire to go further, they can use their published pieces to build a portfolio and apply for higher-paid freelance work in a multitude of areas.

As one Helium member, Anthony Megna, states, “For those of us who grew up in the sixties and seventies, before the miracle of personal computing and the world wide web, getting published wasn’t as easy as today…if I had an idea that I wanted to share, or an article that I wanted to see in print in my favorite magazine, thinking in terms of months was the norm. It was unthinkable then that I could stroll over to a machine sitting on my desk, put my ideas down, and it would be published instantly. Back then this was the stuff of science fiction!”

That science fiction has become a reality. Megna says, “Writing sites such as Helium offer the ticket to instant publishing, and to get paid twice a month is a nice bonus.” Writers can use Helium to share their knowledge, build their portfolio, put in their freelance dues, or simply find their voice as a writer.

Member of the Week: Philip Lop

“I would urge expertise at every opportunity.”

Helium Member Since: August 2010

Articles on Helium: 1237

About Philip

Who inspires you?

Celebrities or well-known individuals do not inspire me. I’m more likely to find ‘ordinary’ people’s behavior inspiring. When somebody gives up their life to go and protect an endangered species, for example, or returns home from war with terrible injuries, only to go on and try and run a marathon for charity, then I think it’s pretty hard not to be in awe of those people.

What have you gained from being a member of an online writers’ community?

I’ve gained a lot more than I had ever expected. Helium has really sharpened my writing skills. I learn things all the time, including technical things (like SEO) and social things (like all the advice that Helium writers have to offer about everything in the world). This is probably the first large online community that I have joined where I genuinely feel that the members really care about what they are doing.

What advice would you offer new Helium members?

I would urge expertise at every opportunity. Write about the subjects you understand really well, so that your articles reflect your insight and expertise. Find the channels that make you tick and stick to them. Promote based on your expertise and interact with like-minded individuals. Expertise is a sure path to high quality, and EVERYTHING is about quality.

Favorite quote

“We are all a little weird and life’s a little weird, and when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall in mutual weirdness and call it love.” -Dr. Seuss

Articles by Philip:

How to be a team player

How to deliver great customer service

Diversity in the workplace: Its meaning

Every Wednesday, Helium’s blog will feature a new Member of the Week. Member of the Week is chosen through a process of nominations and assessment by Helium community members and staff. If you know a great writer you’d like to nominate, send a link to that member’s About Me page along with an explanation of his/her accomplishments to sh.helium@gmail.com.

We’ve heard from you, and we’ve listened. On Thursday, as part of Helium’s ongoing upgrades, we will be converting the current Senior Writer groups to Premium Writer status. As previously announced, the Premium Writer status will be at the leaf channel where your writing scores rank above a 95. Those scores take into account your NARs editorial rating and peer rankings. To be a Premium Writer, your score must be 95 or above.

For every leaf in which you are a Premium Writer, you will receive a premium of 25% on top of the current Revenue Share (RS) rate for that leaf. Writers will see where they are gaining a 25% premium in their revenue share on their Earnings & Payments page, as on the screenshot. You will also see your writing score for each of the leafs where you have contributed any article. In order to gain Premium Writer status, you must have at least three articles in a leaf, and those articles must be in titles that have five or more articles.

Because we’re introducing the Premium Writer status, we are eliminating the Senior Writer Groups you currently see on your About Me page. We’ll be introducing new Writers Groups in January, as Part Two of this upgrade.

We believe the Premium Writer status and the premium that comes with it rewards our best writers, and encourages others to continue to strive to achieve that status.

 UPDATE 12/15/11 : Here’s the latest — while the site update is still in process (as of 9 am Eastern time), and you won’t yet be able to see your scores or earnings, we decided the change the score threshold level to 90, rather than the previously announced 95, so that more writers will be included.

UPDATE 1/6/2012:  On December 20th, 2011, we announced that we were going to back out all of the elements of Premium Writer status. 

Therefore, we have created a quick and easy ‘how-to’ guide to help out writers protect their content from illegal redistribution. We have outlined the steps for filing a Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DCMA) violation through Google on our website.  If you have seen your content reproduced illegally or without your consent, simply follow these instructions to take the first step in defending your content.

PLEASE NOTE: Update: We’ll now be making these taxonomy changes on 12/13. That’s in order to accommodate some additional testing.

PLEASE NOTE: Additional update: If you are a senior writer in a channel that is merging with another channel, your senior writer status will no longer be valid.

Here’s a list of the channels that are affected:

873 Liquors & Spirits –> 827 Cocktails & Liquor
324 Clothing Sizes & Fit –> 323 Clothing Tips & Advice
145 Business (Other)–> 300 Business News & Issues
301 Entrepreneurial Spirit–> 143 Entrepreneurship
302 Financing a Startup–> 143 Entrepreneurship
303 Legal Issues –> 143 Entrepreneurship
304 Starting a Business –>143 Entrepreneurship
305 Entrepreneurship (Other)–>143 Entrepreneurship
308 General Management –>1025 Management (Other)
298 Web Advertising –> 314 Online Advertising & Sales
299 Web Marketing –> 317 Website Marketing & SEO
1030 Gift Giving (Other) –>653 Gifts & Gift Ideas (Other)
652 Unique Gifts –> 650 Gift Advice
646 Friendship Drama & Issues–>645 Friendship Issues & Advice
625 Dating Dilemmas –> 623 Dating Dilemmas & Advice
631 Successful Dating –>628 Love & Relationships
600 Humor & Laughter –>222 Humor
961 Celebrity Lifestyles & Trends –>962 Celebrities (Other)
830 Physiology –>839 Anatomy
639 Childhood Development –>685 Childhood Development Issues
773 Family Values –>697 Parenting Tips
591 Death Penalty –>594 Justice System
149140 Presidential Elections 2008 –>582 US Elections
149141 US Elections (Other) –>582 US Elections
173976 US Elections Archives –>582 US Elections
573 War in Iraq –>572 War & Peace
586 Bush Administration –>575 US Leaders
587 Democratic Leaders –>575 US Leaders
588 Republican Leaders –>575 US Leaders
589 US Leaders (Other) –>575 US Leaders
772 Economic Values –>548 Political & Economic Theory
775 Political Values –>548 Political & Economic Theory
784 Cat Training –>783 Cat Psychology & Training
505 Camera –>504 Camcorders, Digital Video Recorders & Cameras
511 Radio & Audio Devices –>509 MP3 Players, Radios & Audio Devices
528 Spam –>525 Spam & Email Scams
529 Spyware & Adware –>527 Malware & Identity Theft
523 Internet Trends –>521 Internet Issues
484 Cleaning Floors & Walls –>485 Household Cleaning
493 Landscaping –> 64 Lawn & Landscaping
435 Fitness Basics –>434 Exercise Tips
306347 Infection Control –>152321 Infectious Diseases
449 Surgery –>843 Surgery
195 Health & Fitness Organizations –>445 Health Care
123 Fertility Issues –>32 Fertility & Infertility Issues
166 Vacations –>39 Travel Planning & Advice
42 Travel (Other) –>39 Travel Planning & Advice
290 Marine & Travel Insurance –>213 Insurance (Other)
182332 Summer Olympics –>182331 Olympics
182333 Olympics (Other)–>182331 Olympics
193228 Classic Cars –>206 Antique Cars
193232 Buying New Cars –>128 Buying & Selling Cars
193233 Buying Old Cars –>128 Buying & Selling Cars
193234 Buying Cars (Other)–>128 Buying & Selling Cars
208 Selling Cars –>128 Buying & Selling Cars
196545 Action Figures –>196544 Dolls & Action Figures
276107 Asian History –>900 Asia, Africa & Mideast History
276108 African History –>900 Asia, Africa & Mideast History
276109 Middle Eastern History –>900 Asia, Africa & Mideast History
196542 Museum Reviews –>98 Museums & Galleries
196543 Museums & Galleries (Other) –>98 Museums & Galleries
925 Awareness & Reality –>929 Philosophical Concepts
927 History of Ideas –> 929 Philosophical Concepts
928 Meaning of Life –>929 Philosophical Concepts
160662 Citizen Journalism –>940 Internet Writing & Blogging
942 Screenwriting –>944 Writing Jobs
943 Writing for Success –>955 Writing Tips
949 Helium Dos and Donts–>939 Writing at Helium
950 Who & What is Helium–>939 Writing at Helium
951 Writing & Rating at Helium –>939 Writing at Helium
952 Writing at Helium (Other) –>939 Writing at Helium
392 Blogs & Online Writings Jobs –>940 Internet Writing & Blogging
810 Language Resources –>809 Language Learning Tips

Once this move is complete, you will be able to find your titles in these new channels.

All of the wonderful entries!

We’re doing our best to get into the holiday spirit here at Helium, and yesterday we hosted a winter holiday cookie bake-off that spread a whole lot of cheer (and cookies) around the office!

Cookies were judged based on originality, flavor and presentation, and I certainly envied the judges on this one. There were eight entries in our contest and all of them were absolutely delicious. I know because I tried them all!

Third place honors went to Senior UI Director, Jana White who brought a selection of scrumptious and ornately decorated sugar cookies.

Second place went to Quality Assurance Analyst, Meena Korott who baked an amazing batch of Hazelnut Choco-latte cookies that had everyone buzzing for more.

Top Honors went to Editor at Helium Content Source, Anne Campbell for her unbelievable “Rocky Ledge Bars,” which had the whole office coming back for more. And more. And then they were gone!

The scent of fresh baked cookies filled the office yesterday, and certainly helped to spread some holiday cheer.

Our team, our tree and our cookies!

Filed under: citizen journalism ]]> http://heliumblog.wordpress.com/2011/12/08/winter-holiday-cookie-bake-off/feed/ 4 pwsmithj Image Image http://heliumblog.wordpress.com/2011/12/07/helium-member-of-the-week-sandra-piddock/ http://heliumblog.wordpress.com/2011/12/07/helium-member-of-the-week-sandra-piddock/#comments Wed, 07 Dec 2011 14:58:55 +0000 Shira Hillyer http://heliumblog.wordpress.com/?p=3419 ]]> Congratulations to our new Member of the Week!

Member of the Week: Sandra Piddock

“If anything is worth doing, it’s worth doing well.”

Helium Member Since: September 2007

Articles on Helium: 1630

About Sandra

Who inspires you?

Personally, I am inspired by my father. He died when I was 16, but I try to do everything I tackle in a way that he would have approved of. Professionally, I am inspired by Shakespeare. He’s a one man master class in constructing a plot and getting to the heart of human emotions. He’s the greatest inspiration any writer could want or need.

What have you gained from being a member of an online writers’ community?

Apart from an outlet for my work, I’ve gained the friendship of diverse people from all over the world. I’ve also learned a lot about writing from Helium, either directly through advice from fellow members, or indirectly by reading their work and their comments about writing. And I’ve expanded my knowledge of all aspects of writing by working as an editor and Channel Manager.

What advice would you offer new Helium members?

Read all the help pages before you dive in and write. Always write the best article you can, and check for errors before submitting. Reach out to the other members – we’re here to help and encourage you. You’re never alone on your Helium journey.

What is the best life advice you’ve received?

If anything is worth doing, it’s worth doing well. It was one of my mother’s favourite maxims, and it fits every situation. If you always do your best, you can do no more.

Articles by Sandra:

10 symptoms you should not ignore

Anachronisms in Shakespeare’s plays

When you love two people at once

Every Wednesday, Helium’s blog will feature a new Member of the Week. Member of the Week is chosen through a process of nominations and assessment by Helium community members and staff. If you know a great writer you’d like to nominate, send a link to that member’s About Me page along with an explanation of his/her accomplishments to sh.helium@gmail.com.

In that spirit, we’re announcing our Happy Holidays Promotion. Beginning Monday, December 5 at noon Eastern Time, and each weekday until Christmas, we’re going to be offering a large number of paid titles to the community. In order to make it fair, we are limiting the number of titles a writer can claim to one per day. There will be $2.50 titles until the 25th!

UPDATE: Beginning 12/14/11, we’re going to change the number of titles a writer can take to two, instead of the current one. And, we will shorten the time it takes to transition, meaning that writers will get paid faster. We would like everyone to be nice, and please don’t be greedy or grinchy.

Think of this as our daily gift to our writing community! Happy Holidays!

Please note:  This update was also announced earlier on the Helium forums.

Update: 12/1/11, 10:20 AM  Eastern Time: The tech team believes they  have isolated the problem and are working on a fix.  Once the fix is coded, it will need to be checked. So we don’t yet have a specific delivery time.

Update 12/1/11 12:15 PM Eastern Time –We’ve come up with a fix, that worked properly in our test environments, and then deployed it to production. However, apparently once in production it’s appearing only as a partial fix. So while your earnings may come up, it’s not fully complete. We are still working towards full resolution of this issue.

Update 12/1/11 3:15 PM Eastern Time – We are continuing to investigate this issue, with the assistance of several helpful members.

Update 12/2/11 7:00 PM Eastern Time — This issue has now been resolved.

Addictions
First: Christina Pomoni
Second:Ann Major
Third: Phyllis Logie

Candy
First: Blair Worthington
Second: Mel L.
Third: Stephen Livingston

Mill City
First: Cicely Richard
Second: CJ Cotter
Third: Kathy Heasarlen

Parenting Styles
First: Oluwasegun P. Gbolagun
Second: Francis Harris
Third: Ted Sherman

Cold Weather Camping
First: Francis Harris
Second: Marlin Bressi
Third: Michael Totten

NHL
First: Cameron Scott
Second: Wendy S. Melton
Third: Alex Deremer

Come check out Helium’s active writing contests. My favorite active title this week is Social Media Marketing. Come and share your real world knowledge of the best practices for social media.  We have new contests every week so be sure to check in regularly!  Earn some cash, a badge on your profile and the respect of your fellow writers!

And there’s more coming:
In December:
1. The current “Senior Writer” groups will be converted to “Premium Writers“. The qualification to be in that group remains the same.
2. For every leaf in which you are a Premium Writer, you will be earning a bonus on top of the standard Revenue Share rate. You will be able to distinguish those articles earning the bonus in Content Earnings and Charity Donations – they will be bold and will have a small hover box to tell you when they started earning premiums.
3. We will be creating NEW Senior Writer groups at the Sub-channel level (one level below the root). Qualification to be in the Senior Writer group will be that you must be a Premium Writer in at least two of the leaf channels under that branch.
For example, if the channel is Autos, there will be a Senior Writer Autos group. If you are a Premium Writer in Auto Repair and Antique Autos and they are both under Autos, you will be a Senior Writer-Autos. If you are a Premium Writer only in Auto Repair, you will not be a Senior Writer-Autos.

In January:
1. We will be adding a process that will remove people from Premium Writer status if their quality score drops below the threshold.
2. We will also be adding a process to remove people from Senior Writer groups if they no longer meet the requirement of two Premium Writer leaf channels under the sub-channel.
3. Notifications will be sent to the writer via the Announcement system when they are added or dropped from a Senior Writer group.

There are other features targeted for January but these are the ones that pertain to the Senior Writer group functionality.
Premium Writer has been designed to take into account your editorial rating and peer reviews and rankings. Only a small number of Helium writers will achieve Premium Writer status in each channel. As always, we encourage our writers to write about what they know best, and to write well and promote their work on social media sites and elsewhere.

Member of the Week: Evelyn Berger

“If you give up you’re never going to succeed.” 

Helium member since: October 2011

Articles on Helium: 83

About Evelyn

Who inspires you?

Nikola Tesla. He was a man ahead of his time, and his innovations are the source of a good deal of the technological progress of the early twentieth century.

What have you gained from being a member of an online writers’ community?

It’s nice to have a group of people you can talk to who are doing the same thing you are, and if you need a question answered, chances are that there’s someone around who can do it.

What motivated you to become a writer?

A love of reading. I’ve loved reading ever since I was a child, and I wanted to be able to write as well as the authors I loved.

What advice would you offer new Helium members?

If you want to write to an article but don’t think it’ll attract any hits, do it anyway. I have a few articles on strange topics that people keep reading, so go for it!

Articles by Evelyn:

Why Your Dog Licks Your Face

Fresh water danger: Brain-Eating Amoeba

What to do if Radiation is Found in your Well Water

Every Wednesday, Helium’s blog will feature a new Member of the Week. Member of the Week is chosen through a process of nominations and assessment by Helium community members and staff. If you know a great writer you’d like to nominate, send a link to that member’s About Me page along with an explanation of his/her accomplishments to sh.helium@gmail.com.

You’ll be able to write about the subjects you know and want to share with readers. And, by promoting and sharing your custom titles, your revenue share will grow. Try suggesting a title.

  Member of the Week: Charlotte Howard

 “Freelancing isn’t a ‘quick buck’ and you need to work hard.”

 Helium member since: January 2008

 Articles on Helium: 687

 About Charlotte

Who inspires you?

There are so many people who inspire me it is difficult to pick just one person.  I would say that my Grandma probably inspired me to start writing at a very young age, but nowadays my inspiration comes from my husband and children.

What do you write about mostly?  Why do you write about this subject? 

I mainly write articles based on pet care and health.  I have always had a love for animals, and before my children I worked as a veterinary nurse.  I also grew up around animals and have a menagerie of pets.

How do you promote your work?

I use Hootsuite to promote my work via Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and a variety of other social networks.  I also write Squidoo lenses and have a blog on WordPress.

What advice would you offer new Helium members?

Keep writing.  Freelancing isn’t a ‘quick buck’ and you need to work hard.  Not only do you need to build up your portfolio, but you need to make the contacts as well.  It’s not just what you know, but who you know.  Oh, and be polite when critiquing others’ work!

Articles by Charlotte:

Tips for treating and preventing pet illness

What you need to know before your pet is anesthetized

How to improve your employability

Southern California, Oregon

Michigan, Ohio, Oklahoma

New England, Tri-State (Metro New York, New Jersey, and eastern Pennsylvania)

Florida, North and South Carolina, Texas-Gulf Coast

If you are a writer from one of these areas, be sure to send in a resume, cover letter, and two relevant clips to experts@helium.com.

Medical Professions

First: Ann Major
Second: Cicely Richard
Third: Jose Juan Gutierrez 

Austin

First: N Lawrence
Second: Cicely Richard
Third: Krystal Waldron

Business Law

First: Alex Oriani
Second:Elizabeth Brandt
Third: Donna Hicks

Gay & Lesbian Issues

First: Sara Lugardo
Second: Nan C Avery
Third: Kassandra Garcia

Yarn & Needle Crafts

First: Trenna Sue Hiler
Second: Terri Espinoza
Third: Dorann Winburn

Tattoos & Body Piercing

First: Sara Lugardo
Second: Daniel Cooper
Third: Pauline Abreu

Come check out Helium’s active writing contests! We post new contest titles every week. My favorite active title this week is Words. Come, poets, astound us with your wit, compassion and grace.