I’m lazy. There is just no disputing the fact. You see, I originally planned to write a dedicated post about working with writers, but I caved when Mathew Stibbs from Bad Language swung his post over. Yeah, I’m lazy. And proud of it. Especially in this case, as there’s not much I could do to improve on Mathew’s advice.

Just check out my outline below and see for yourself. Or, better yet, read How to work with writers in its entirety.

How to work with writers (a review)

Selection

Look for writers with:

• A track record of work in a similar format or subject
• The ability to write in different styles
• Decent references
• Professional indemnity insurance

Briefing

A briefing document should explain:

• Outline of contents
• The target audience
• Reason for the project
• Style guidelines
• Word length
• Supplementary contact information
• Additional resources
• Project deadline

Management

Expectations - Clients:

• Meticulous notes and voice recordings
• Independent sources for facts and statistics

Expectations - Writers:

• Reasonable deadlines
• Last minute requests kept to a minimum
• An understanding of how they work
• Positive feedback

Editing and rewriting

Writer releases work after doublechecking:

• Spelling and grammar
• That it meets the brief

Clients check:

• Trademarks
• Job titles
• Times and dates
• Company specific information

Potential problems areas clients should avoid:

• Faulty briefs
• Change of direction mid-project

Unpardonable sins writers should avoid:

• Clichés
• Missed deadlines
• Starting without an agreed brief
• Making the same mistake twice

The piece of information I particularly liked was: “Writers tend to think in terms of deadlines, drafts and word counts and chunk up their time in units of interviews, research, writing and editing.”

How about you?

until the next
Designers WW,
cat