Welcome to Writer Tips

Use of bullets

Bullets are an important part of a white paper. While the majority of the paper should be paragraph text, bullets are useful for highlighting important points. Bullets are particularly important in a long white paper. They break up the text, making it easier for the reader to continue reading. They are also what the reader will see if he/she decides to only skim the paper.

SASE

Most editors receive many, many submissions each month. They cannot afford to mail back rejections to everyone who has submitted to them. Do yourselves and the editors a favor. Submit a SASE, Self-Addressed-Stamped-Envelope whenever submitting through regular mail.

And when submitting through e-mail, be sure that the e-mail you are using will not bounce. Nothing is more irritating than to want to publish an article, and to have an e-mail bounce back.

Graphics: use a pro

Do not try to do your own graphics, unless you are merely giving a professional an idea of what you want. Remember, your presentation is a representation of your company, and when your presentation looks unprofessional, so does your company. If you do not have an in-house graphic artist, spend the money to get an outside professional. In the long run, it is worth it.

Techie

A very technically oriented person might want to see a data sheet or a white paper. These are pieces that can dive deeper into the actual workings of a product, including the more detailed information about what the product can do and how everything fits together.

CXO

CXO level people care about how the product will benefit their company. They care some about financials and some about what the product can do. However, most of all, they simply want a high-level overview of what it is that you are selling. Do not get too technical. Keep it light.

Slide Text

Do not use too much text on a slide or you may lose your audience´s attention. It is difficult and tiring to read text if it is too small or if there is too much of it. If you have a lot of bullets, spread them over several slides. If you have a lot of information to impart, provide a handout or give a demonstration. In addition, try to break up the text with graphics if possible.

Hero´s Flaw

What makes a hero interesting? His flaw. He has a crush on the dumb, unreachable cheerleader and can´t see that the wonderful girl next door is in love with him. She wants power but she can´t see that she is losing the one thing that really matters to her: her son. The flaw is what makes us continue to watch the movie, and what makes us want the hero to win.

Length

Keep your data sheet as short as you can, while still highlighting the most important benefits and features. If you can fit all of the information on one side of a sheet - great! Two sides are fine as well. However, you should not go longer than that. A brochure, which covers several topics (for example, a piece that touches on a suite of products or the company´s product overview), can be four to eight pages. A data sheet, however, should be as concise as possible without losing any important details.

A different location

Sometimes, just looking at your writer´s table or desk is depressing. You don´t want to spend another morning not writing. Take a notebook and pen and find another place to go. Many people like the busy pace of a local cafe or restaurant. J.K. Rowling, the Harry Potter writer went to a restaurant every day to write and drink tea while her daughter napped. If you need a quieter spot, try the library. They often have computers for you to work on as well. Sometimes, just a change of scenery can be enough to help you write again.

Length

A white paper can be as long or as short as you want it to be. However, if at all possible, you should generally try to keep it within three to seven pages. This particularly holds true for a technical white paper. Thought-leadership pieces sometimes run longer. However, if you write something longer than seven pages, be prepared for the fact that the reader most likely will not read every word, and may only skim the piece or just read the first few pages.

Double Space for room to read

Nothing says that you are a novice more than submitting a manuscript that is not double spaced. Single spaced manuscripts are difficult to read. Editors may not even try to read them, as they did not follow this basic submission rule.

Be sure your manuscript is as easy to read as possible. Double space, leaving a wide margin around all the edges. This leaves room for your eye as well as room for comments should the editor wish to publish your piece.

Beware Vanity Publishers

Although some authors will self-publish their books, for most it is not a good option. Vanity Publishers do none of the marketing to get your book to the booksellers. Vantity Publishers are printers only. You are responsible for all expenses, risks and responsibilities for distributing your books.