In the age of the Internet, the enigma that is at once a global library, newspaper, television, radio, messaging device and virtual amusement park, you see the reality and result of broad "other-worldly" access. Readers, writers, designers, producers, entertainers, buyers, sellers, hobby enthusiasts and content managers are empowered to define, build, launch and discover a plethora of possibilities or opportunities.
People driven by each (or many) of these areas of interests typically converge in the form of "like-minded" on-line communities. And for those connected to the new age publishing industry, it is no different. One such convergence and community is a Website called Helium.com, the site this blog is dedicated to cover.
In its highest, most altruistic form, Helium.com is an enabler of the written word to inform, educate, inspire and entertain. The volume of scribing it captures empowers its second level of being—a publisher for authors and a provider of content to business constituents.
As a publisher, Helium.com hosts articles, poetry, features, reviews, expressions and opinions on a variety of topics, products and themes from its member base of contributors. As a content provider, it offers two core services: an enormous library of content on a large variety of topics for which other publishers may negotiate rights, and it offers a platform for content seekers to request submissions from writers on specific topics of interest.
"Helium is a site for writers to share their knowledge and skills with the general public," offers M. J. Joachim, an avid Helium.com contributor since 2007 with just under 300 entries posted. "It is a community of people who work together to make the world a better place through the words they express and share. Ultimately, for a writer, Helium.com is whatever you want it to be," she continued.
One of the greatest benefits of Helium.com, from a writer's perspective, is the enabling Web platform that allows writers to do what writers aspire to do—write and share their writing with the public.
Writers select from a variety of channels and topics easily accessible for review on the site. They submit their entry and, in an instant, see their efforts posted to the site. But there are a couple of added bonuses for lovers of the craft - community feedback and the possibility of cash earnings.
The community rating/feedback feature allows other members to subjectively review and rank a written piece against another entry for the same topic. The result is a linear, numerical ranking that represents the communities collective voice on how the entry compares to the other submissions. Writers are encouraged and incented to conduct ratings often, but they cannot rate their own entry. Of their own writing, they often find one of their pieces ranked first on one topic and 578th on another.
The number of entries on a topic varies depend on the number of items submitted for that topic. And while the inner-workings of how the rating scores are computed is not crystal clear to many, empirically, the system lets writers know how others perceive their work vs. the group of topic entries. Upon receiving the ranking result, or non-verbal feedback, writers have the option of "leapfrogging" or reworking their entry and submitting a revision to the ranking community for consideration. If metric-based, communal feedback is a gift, Helium members have numerous presents awaiting them. But, at the end of the day, some are in it for pay.
An additional benefit to writers is the possibility of making a few dollars for their efforts. For the casual contributor, it might mean upwards of $10 per month. But for the voracious contributor, it could mean hundreds. The volume of writing pieces submitted by a writer each month equates to a certain monthly writing level (depicted by a number of "stars"). Likewise, the number of ratings a member completes equates to a member rating level.
Writers are compensated by Helium.com for their volume of monthly content contributions and the pay rate is determined by the writers writing level. But a writer must maintain a minimum of one monthly rating star to receive the monthly allocation. All entries, over time and outside of monthly tracking, get compensated based on the number of page views it receives. Helium.com also offers periodic writing contests with multiple titles under one specific topic for prize money. In addition, it frequently offers special titles that will award a monetary prize for the top selected entry.
All this is very interesting for writers and content seekers, but what is it about this Web-based publishing technology, and the writer-centric community around it, that makes this site matter?
Why Helium Matters
Ultimately, this site matters and makes a difference because it is accessible and non-preferential. This site is for everyone. It is not discriminate. There is no separation or hierarchy driven by the site or its employees related to writer experience, outside achievement or success, and the site itself does not determine - or categorize by - writing quality. From the established novelist, to the professional journalist, to the English teacher, to the student and all amateur writers, anyone can become a member and contribute content. It creates a level playing field for all who partake in the writing craft.
"Helium matters because writers and writing matters," suggests Joachim. "People are meant to be in communion with one another. We are social beings. Even though we might work alone, we still rely on each other the the writing community as a whole."
To learn more about Helium.com and what it has to offer, visit www.helium.com.
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