WORD MAGIC: (full story)
The Rite of Finding the Right Writer ...
Choosing someone to write your business
materials--whether it’s Web site copy,
brochures, newsletters, drip emails or
listings—is a task not to be taken lightly. A
writer is your critical link to potential
clients. What and how s/he writes will reflect
directly on how the outside world views your
business. Finding the right writer will require
some effort on your part. Here are some tips to
help you hone in on a wordsmith who can work
wonders.
Ask for samples
Most experienced writers have portfolios. Ask
to see specific examples of the type of writing
you want done (e.g. newsletter, emails) as well
as unrelated copy. This will give you an idea
of the writer’s creative range as well as his
“voice.” Is the copy casual and conversational
or formal and businesslike? Is that style a
match for your target market? If you’re going
after Generation X, you’ll probably want copy
that is trendy and casual. If your primary
market is vacation home buyers in Palm Beach,
you may want a more reserved approach. Some
scribes can write effectively in more than one
mode, but most tend to lean towards a signature
style.
Warning: If the writing sample has grammatical
and spelling errors, move on to your next
candidate. A writer who doesn’t care enough to
proofread his samples is probably going to be
equally lax with your finished copy.
References
When you call the references ask what kind of
work they had done, whether they liked it and
whether it was completed on time. Fabulous copy
that takes months to show up is not only
frustrating but highly unprofessional.
Interview
After you’ve seen the samples and spoken to the
references, schedule a phone chat with the
writer. Find out how s/he proceeds with each
assignment. Is there an initial phone interview
or a written form for you to fill out? How soon
will she have a draft for you? Can s/he meet
your deadline for final copy? How many
revisions are included? Beware of anyone who
doesn’t include at least one revision in the
estimate—you may end up paying a lot of extra
money to get what you want. On the flip side,
if you change the direction of your assignment
after the writer has already gone to work, you
should expect to incur additional charges.
Cost
Ask for a written estimate that details the type
of copy, length, number of revisions, deadline
and cost. If you are required to put down a
deposit, you should know that in advance. If
the deposit is more than 50% of the total job
cost, toss the estimate in your shredder and
keep on searching. Although it’s often tempting
to hire a writer based on the lowest bid, it’s
not always the best use of your funds. Writers
who submit very low bids may be inexperienced,
unfamiliar with your business and/or unable to
communicate to your target market in an
effective manner. Be sure to consider all the
above factors to ensure that you’re getting the
most bang for your buck.
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