Comments on: Counterpoint: Yes, freelancers should write for Helium

By: Rex Trulove

Rex Trulove — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 22:26:42 +0000

By the way, Helium.com is now on the top list of places to writer for, according to Writer’s Digest. That is pretty good!

By: Rex Trulove

Rex Trulove — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 22:25:12 +0000

There are a lot of disjointed snippets that make no sense at all, especially since they are taken out of context. However, I’ll ignore it if nobody had anything constructive to ask or say.

By: The Renegade Writer Blog » Blog Archive » A New Term: Writer Mills

The Renegade Writer Blog » Blog Archive » A New Term: Writer Mills — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 11:01:40 +0000

[...] On Michelle Rafter’s WordCount blog, Tim Beyers writes “Freelancers. do not write for content aggregators.” As a counterpoint on the same blog, Barbara Whitlock, Helium’s new member outreach manager, writes, “Yes, freelancers should write for Helium.” [...]

By: Freelance-ology: Should I bother? | Blog Salad | Ron S. Doyle - Professional Freelance Writer

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 18:55:08 +0000

[...] I first joined the debate over Helium last month, I found a muddled mess of speculation, PR whitewashing and marketing, unfounded haterism toward both sides of the debate (not to be confused with the ultra snarky [...]

By: The Renegade Writer Blog » Blog Archive » Should You Write for Content Aggregators?

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 11:01:51 +0000

[...] On the Word Count blog, Michelle Rafter invited guest posters to write about the pros and cons of content aggregators like Helium. Long-time freelancer Tim Beyers gives three big reasons writers should not work for content aggregators. Barbara Whitlock, Helium’s new member outreach manager, replied (guess what?) in favor of Helium. [...]

By: Freelance-ology: Proceeding with Trepidation | Blog Salad | Ron S. Doyle - Professional Freelance Writer

Mon, 08 Jun 2009 23:21:14 +0000

[...] Yippee! Do it! I’m paid by Helium.com to encourage you! [...]

By: Freelance-ology: My Helium Experiment Begins | Blog Salad | Ron S. Doyle - Professional Freelance Writer

Sun, 07 Jun 2009 22:50:43 +0000

[...] I’ve been openly skeptical of and biased against Helium, how should I set up this experiment to ensure objectivity? Can traditional freelancing be [...]

By: Rex Trulove

Rex Trulove — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 18:34:59 +0000

If I’m understanding the question, the answer would be no.

That is the joy of it. If 15 people write to “The best ways to keep your kids happy when camping”, and the same 15 write to “Camping tips for a beginner”, they will all be there. One doesn’t take the place of the other.

The web search may find one or the other, but they are both where they can be found. If the searcher loves what was written, they can click on the byline and go to the writer’s About Me page, where they can read all of the active articles that the writer wrote.

By: writingprincess

writingprincess — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 18:19:46 +0000

Sure what’s on Helium may not take long to write and people can churn it out quickly. But here’s my point:
Anyone can write about surviving a camp trip – few people can write Into Thin Air as quickly.
(This was an article for Outside magazine before it was a big time novel.

So if we went to just content aggregators like Helium would we only get 10 Tips to Surviving Camp and lose “Into Thin Air?” I hope note.
Writing that changes worlds takes time. It always has. (This of course excludes 1599 Shakespeare’s crazy year when he wrote Henry V, Julius Caesar, As You Like It, and Hamlet!)

By: The long tail of blogging « WordCount – Freelancing in the Digital Age

Wed, 03 Jun 2009 14:07:15 +0000

[...] hit home this week when someone who jumped into the ongoing debate over writing for content aggregators like Helium and Examiner.com that’s going on here mentioned The Long [...]