I won a Helium contest! Have you ever tried the contests on Helium?
By AnythngArt
@AnythngArt (3302)
United States
July 2, 2009 9:54pm CST
It took a long time (well, a week) to confirm that I won a Helium contest and today I got the money for it. Woo hoo. It really bumped up what I made for the month. (I wrote the local contest on Austin, Texas, and completed 10 out of 15 available titles in that section.) All during the contest, however, I was tense and would get anxious when my article ratings would go up and down (which they did, usually several times a day). I honestly was glad when it ended, but now I see that it's a pretty great deal if you win. I got first place ($60), but there are 3 winners (second gets $40 and third gets $30).
Have you entered a contest? How did it turn out for you? This was my first one, but hopefully not my last. I think you really have to love the topic you are writing for, however, as it is a lot of work.
4 people like this
6 responses
@nishdan01 (3051)
• Singapore
3 Jul 09
Hey Congrats! You have put your best efforts. You wrote for 10 titles and that is great. I have won 2 contests in the past and took part in many. Won just a few. So what would you suggest to me? to write on more titles to win? I usually write for only 2-3 topics and I think that is the mistake I make.
@AnythngArt (3302)
• United States
3 Jul 09
Since this is my only win, I can't say what the secret is. You must have more of the answer since you've won 2 contests! Very good! I just tried to write for every title in the category, but only ended up with 10 because I started the contest late and can only really write 1-2 articles a day anyway.
In part I think I got lucky. The articles I thought were the strongest weren't necessarily rated that way. I guess the advantage to having more titles in the category is that you have more chances to score first or second place with your ranking on them.
I definitely would have been happy with any cash win, I just got lucky to get the first place. It must be just terrible to come in 4th.
1 person likes this
@mrtimharry (1180)
•
3 Jul 09
It is a balancing act I won a competition last year by only writing to five titles out of fifteen. At the moment I am in third place on one comeptition that is waiting calculation having written to only four titles. My way of thinking is that I write to subjects that I know nothing about it will bring down my points for those that I do know about.
2 people like this
@Canellita (12029)
• United States
3 Jul 09
So if there are 15 article titles you can choose to write to only three?
@scheng1 (24650)
• Singapore
3 Jul 09
Congra Art, that's really good news. I doubt I want to enter any contest, sounds tiring to write to 15 titles from the same subject.
Are you addicted to contest? I think you can make good money if you join the contest week after week. Besides winning the contest prize, you will have upfront payment, as well as empty title bonus.
1 person likes this
@AnythngArt (3302)
• United States
3 Jul 09
I swore once I completed the contest that I would never do it again; it made me so crazy when my ranking would go up and down 20 times a day. Now that I have the cash in my account, it looks a little more interesting. I think I will have to wait until I get a good topic. I actually would have written all 15 of the articles, but I ran out of time. You get 2 weeks to do the contest, but I started late.
I see there are a group of people who always write to contests, but I think I would have to try and get a break in between doing contests. And I wasn't first for any of the articles, so no bonus that way. Still it was a good money-making month for me.
@AnythngArt (3302)
• United States
3 Jul 09
Yes, you are right. I made $60 for the first place win, then $13 from my new titles money (I only have one writing star, so those with more stars can do better than this), plus my regular monthly page views, and I got just over $100 for June. That, of course, was my best month ever with Helium. Normally I feel lucky to get $25-30/month.
@scheng1 (24650)
• Singapore
3 Jul 09
Hi Art, I think you just have to check out the Contest every week, and hope you have the time to write to all 15 titles, earn empty bonus and upfront payment, plus the contest prize. I think you can make up to a hundred bucks if you win the top prize in a contest. That is quite good enough for 2 weeks effort.
1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
3 Jul 09
Well congratualtions AnythingArt---I'll have to check out Helium more often....LOL. I did enter one contest and my rating bounced up, up, up, but then it seemed it plunged way down so was eliminated from the top three spots :-(
1 person likes this
@AnythngArt (3302)
• United States
3 Jul 09
It was definitely a nerve-wracking process, and I was a bit crazy with all the up and down. I tried to tell myself that even if I didn't win, I still was adding articles to my collection. (I am trying to get to 300 and I'm at about 225 right now.) As I said, I was glad when it was over. I couldn't do them back to back. I needed a break after I finished, but I do think a lot of the same people write for the contests week after week. If you can make it work, you probably can bring in some nice cash.
I will try it again, but I need to find the right topic first.
@sunshinegirl1 (436)
• United States
4 Jul 09
I have entered a few contests and my rating went up. I am going to try again. I found one I like more than one exactually.I need to write more there. And I need to get my rating stars up.
@dreamweaverjan (3471)
• United States
3 Jul 09
Hey CONGRATS! That's AWesome! 
No, I've never entered any contest or won anything I would love to be able to
do more writing or write something like that;
Congrats again!!
No, I've never entered any contest or won anything I would love to be able to
do more writing or write something like that;
Congrats again!! 1 person likes this
@AnythngArt (3302)
• United States
3 Jul 09
Thanks. I was really happy to win, but I checked out the contests this week, and think I have to wait until I find a good topic for me. The topics change all the time, however.
Good luck with your own writing!
@Canellita (12029)
• United States
3 Jul 09
Congratulations! I wanted to ask you how it turned out. This is great! You are making me want to try for one myself! ( once I am better organized, that
1 person likes this
@AnythngArt (3302)
• United States
3 Jul 09
I think you should try the contests out. Just try and pick a category you really enjoy and don't freak out (like me) when your ranking in the contest goes up and down several times a day. I think I made it more stressful on myself than it needed to be!
1 person likes this
@Canellita (12029)
• United States
3 Jul 09
stupid touch pad!
I didn't even earn that typo!
1 person likes this
@Canellita (12029)
• United States
3 Jul 09
I did look through the contests today and I saw a couple titles in an education category but you have to be an education professional with credentials. I teach and I have a pay stub, why doesn't that count?
I saw something else for skin care that I might try to do.
@aabuda (1722)
• Philippines
3 Jul 09
Congrats. I know how you feel. Because I also won in a contest. I won a mobile phone from an online contest of a Shortwave radio station broadcasting from Australia. The feeling was so great, especially that I am from the Philippines and yet, I won a contest from Austalia! I can't even sleep because of too much excitement! Winning the contest was so great that I keep on telling it to almost everybody.
