RAND Publishing Taps Helium to Source Writers for New Skinny On™ Books
July 21, 2009 by Deb Ng
Filed under Announcements
Selected Authors will Earn up to $5k per Title
ANDOVER, MA – July 21, 2009 — Helium, the world’s largest writing community, today announced a partnership with RAND Publishing, publisher of The Skinny On™ series of illustrated non-fiction books. Under the partnership, RAND Publishing will leverage Helium’s social publishing platform to identify the most appropriate authors for up to twenty-five new titles, such as The Skinny On Finance for Young Adults and The Skinny on Social Networking. Selected writers will be chosen by Helium and paid between $3,500 and $5,000 per title.
First launched in 2008 by acclaimed author, attorney and motivational speaker Jim Randel, The Skinny On series is designed to provide time-starved and information-overloaded readers with “the skinny on life’s most important lessons.”
“The Skinny On series offers a new breed of book, striving to disseminate information to an audience increasingly used to consuming content on the internet and cell phones,” said Jim Randel, founder and Chairman of RAND Publishing. “Helium’s unique community of talented, motivated writers presents a gold mine for us to source the best authors for our future titles.”
Inspired by the Japanese literary form, Manga, a whimsical, illustrated modality for story-telling, and easily read in about an hour, each Skinny On subject is explored through the lives of ordinary people – normal in all respects but one: they happen to be stick people.
“The Skinny On™ books challenge the traditional publishing model for non-fiction works,” says Peter Newton, vice president of business development for Helium. “We look forward to helping such an innovative publishing company quickly and cost-effectively source new authors so they can continue to grow and scale their business.”
Helium’s partnership with RAND marks the latest in a series of alliances formed with various media companies over the last year. In February, Hearst Newspapers partnered with Helium to access premium local and lifestyle editorial content for its newspapers.
Helium has also partnered with prestigious journalism organizations such as The National Press Club and The Society of Professional Journalists, which view the site as a resource for their members to build their digital writing credentials and showcase their work in front of thousands of publishers online.
About Helium
Helium is the world’s largest community of writers. Since its inception in 2006, Helium’s writers have published over 1.25 million articles on 125,000 unique topics. Each month close to 4 million people visit Helium.com to read articles on a range of subjects from careers to home & garden, parenting, politics and more. Helium writers earn money and establish digital credibility by publishing articles on Helium, securing writing assignments with publishers through Helium’s freelance Marketplace, competing in writing contests, and engaging in civilized debate around the issues and causes that are most important to them. Recently named by Writer’s Digest as one of the “101 Best Websites for Writers,” Helium is a privately held, privately funded company headquartered in Andover, MA. For more information please visit www.Helium.com.
About RAND
Founded in 2008, RAND Publishing has created a new breed of book, striving to disseminate information to an audience increasingly used to consuming content on the internet and mobile devices. Their quick-read story format and short lead publishing cycles allow RAND’s books to provide The Skinny On™ current events and topical subjects, all the while keeping readers informed and entertained.
With a focus on topics aimed at inspiring personal, professional and financial success, RAND Publishing’s mission is to provide must-have content in the right format to consumers, professionals, educators, students and lifelong learners worldwide. RAND’s first book, The Skinny On the Housing Crisis, recently won the coveted NAREE Book of the Year award. RAND is a privately held and funded company based in Westport, CT. Please visit randpublishing.com or theskinnyon.com for more information.
Interesting hiring process there – almost makes me wish I would’ve been in on the Helium. They have the most awful Google blurb in the world, though:
“Citizen journalism outlet offering a platform for writers to write articles on topics about which they are knowledgeable.”
The “Skinny On” books look extremely cute. I bet they’ll sell well – I have a feeling that $3,500 is kind of a lowball.
It’s true, though: this really is challenging the nonfiction publishing model. I feel like this is kind of in the same realm as publish on demand. I wonder how it will be received. I’m not sure if I personally would plunk down money on a real live book that’s based on web content that’s readily available online. For instance, I read The Simple Dollar everyday, but I haven’t bought his book…
Hi
My concept is nothing ventured, nothing gained. Sounds like a great challenge for all writer enthusiasts. We’re suppose to go, grow and glow in the field of writing and other fields of expertise as well.
Beware of the pat on the back…it just might hold you back.
We begin our journey from one launchpad, then fate has us taking a new and different direction. Progress helps us achieve success.
I do hope that writers in all fields, including life’s experience, inspirational and creative are welcomed on board this potential vessel to victory. It takes different ingredients to make N bake a cake.
We live and learn, then we learn to live.
Thank you:))
Definitely an interesting idea. The pay sounds good, depending on how much writing is involved. It sounds like the books are meant to be a quick, fun read, so I imagine they would have a lower word count.
Little bits of the press release rub me the wrong way, though.
“We look forward to helping such an innovative publishing company quickly and cost-effectively source new authors so they can continue to grow and scale their business.” – I know it’s just marketing speak, but “sourcing new authors” makes me cringe. As true as it may be, it sounds like the writer is just another cog in the machine.
This bit just bugs me as a fan of manga, not as a writer: “Inspired by the Japanese literary form, Manga, a whimsical, illustrated modality for story-telling.” Illustrated modality sure is a fancy way of saying comics, and if you think manga is always whimsical, I have some positively charming bloodspray I could show you.