M. J. Joachim is a long-standing Helium writer who has found new excitement and opportunities with professional recognition through Helium Content Source assignments.
Writing for Helium has been an incredible journey for me. Like many of you, Helium has been my nemesis, my joy and my rescuer. It has frazzled my nerves, frustrated my impatience and captured my heart. Along the way, I’ve made a few new friends, admired more peers than you can count, and turned my dream of writing into a full-blown career.
Writing on Helium.com started out as a hobby for me. It was therapeutic, and a way to express my ideas, opinions and test my abilities as a writer. At first, I wrote whenever I felt like it. Over time, I made a regular, albeit flexible, schedule. Today, most of my writing for Helium is assignment-oriented, deadline-based work through Helium Content Source. My schedule is still fairly flexible, mind you, but it’s also goal oriented. One of my main goals is to earn a predetermined income each month. So far, I’ve not only met that goal, but on a few occasions, I’ve even exceeded it.
Project and assignment managers found me and asked me to be a participant in a Helium Content Source project, explaining that they were pleased with the high quality articles I consistently posted on Helium.com. I now write dozens of neighborhood descriptions a month for a real estate website covering city neighborhoods throughout the U.S. This amazing program not only pays well, but guarantees that my claimed assignments are mine alone, and once they pass through the editorial process, I will be paid for my work in a timely manner.
Another benefit of working on Content Source projects is the professional environment, which includes interaction with editors and project managers. I’ve worked on some other sites that have editors, and for those of you with similar (negative) experiences, let me assure you that Helium’s program is nothing like them. It is a positive environment where writers, editors and managers work together to meet the needs of clients. Helium Content Source freelance editors are not always right, and writers are able to present their questions and concerns in a civil environment. That’s not to say justifiable rewrites don’t happen, but when they do, writers usually learn a lot from them.
Admittedly, my first few Content Source assignments had me a little bit on edge. It was clear that I had two paths in front of me, one where I could continue writing casually, and another where I needed to challenge myself to meet deadlines, perform in-depth research and address client guidelines and requirements. My choice was easy. The economy was changing, and even though my husband survived every company lay-off, my income was important to the well-being of our family. I chose to climb the writer’s ladder, developing my skills as a true freelance writer. This has resulted in my ability to earn a generous income through Helium Content Source projects, and also enabled me to gain a few outside writing clients who noticed my Helium.com articles as well.
