Written By William V

Clever and successful professional freelance writers make use of a “Queen Ant” strategy to get plenty of good-paying writing assignments. The Queen Ant strategy is to make connections with many professional advertising agencies that have the best assignments and not rely solely on any particular one as the source for complete sustenance. Helium Content Source is one company writers should consider.

Company Overview

Helium Content Source (consumer focused) with RRD Content Source (business focused) are both offerings of the Helium, Inc. advertising agency. It is part of the RR Donnelly Company, which is an international company having a market cap of about US$10 billion.

The company offers their clients solutions for content marketing, SEO, and E-commerce optimization. The clients range from academic journals to casual trivia websites.

The Writing Opportunity

• Writers –
  Writers are preselected based on their knowledge of the subjects that are suitable to use for promotion of their clients and proven excellence in writing about these topics. Experienced and published journalists who write for major national and international organizations have the best chance of being hired, followed by expert professional writers who demonstrate their writing skills by providing high-quality writing samples. Amateurs may also apply; however unless an amateur writer already has a popular blog and submits excellent writing samples, it is much less likely they will receive any assignments.
• Editors and Fact Checkers –
  It is also possible to apply for positions as either an editor or a fact checker. Editors and fact checkers must pass a challenging test in order to be accepted.

Types of Assignments

The types of writing assignments include copywriting, web site editing, e-newsletters, legal articles, medical writing, and white papers. The writing is usually in AP style. Sometimes the assignment requires AMA style, Chicago style, or following a specific style guide for a particular company. The assignments are good when they are available.

Costs or Fees to Apply

There is no cost associated with applying and there are no fees to be part of this company’s network of writers after acceptance.

Pay Rates

Here are some examples of the pay for writing assignments:

• About $7 for simple articles of 400 to 500 words
• $25 for detailed articles of 1,000 to 1,500 words
• Over $100 for articles from published journalists with a pre-existing byline
• $200 or more for complex research or white papers

The pay for Editors and Fact Checkers depends on the time estimates for completing the work and the expertise required, which varies for the assignments.

Pay Potential

Payment to writers is made on the 15th and the 30th of each month by PayPal.

This system pays well, however the assignments may be infrequent so it is best to consider this a supplemental opportunity to combine with other freelance writing work.

How to Sign Up

To apply, using this email address experts.rrdcontentsource@rrd.com, send the following:

• Cover letter
• Resume
• Two examples of writing clips stating where they were published

How to Get Writing Jobs

The quality and the type of writing sent in as samples determine what type of assignments the writer receives. Make sure the writing clips are the kind of writing you want to do and understand they categorize the writer for potential assignments. The Editors select the writers for the assignments. Assignments are available only to writers with the highest qualifications. For some assignments, there is a group audition and passing a writing test is necessary, which may include submitting a new unpublished writing sample about a topic they choose.

Reputation

The company’s reputation is excellent. The staffing is highly professional. Current staff includes:

• Janice Brand – General Manager
  Previous editor of Travel & Leisure, Boston magazine and CIO
• Ed Murray – Director
  Formerly with NCI and Cox Enterprises as web content manager
• Sarah Delaney – Director
  Worked with Ziff Davis, Fidelity, Verizon, Staples, Monster and Digitas
• Anne Campbell – Senior Editorial Project Manager
  Experienced magazine and newspaper editor
• Becki Harrington-Davis – Editorial Project Manager
  Has experience in book publishing
• Victoria Scibilia – Editorial Project Manager
  Worked previously for an educational publisher

Personal Experience

It is difficult to gain acceptance by this company. This system is not suitable for non-native English speakers or people who do not live in the United States. They already have many hundreds of writers in their system at the level of published journalists and expert professional writers. It is rare for a new assignment to come up for which there is not already a highly qualified writer available in their preselected writer’s network.

The two writing samples submitted must be excellent. It also helps tremendously if the writer is already a publicly recognized expert in a specific field. Completion of the first assignment demonstrating the highest level of expertise is how to get further assignments. With both the application process and success with the first assignment, you only get one chance.

Conclusion

Most successful freelance writers work for multiple systems and this should be one of them if possible. Helium Content Source has a very high professional standard and is a good reference for any writers that are accepted.