"I found Jeanne's eye for detail, her
feedback and input to be of very high standard and highly recommend her
to anyone who is looking for something different, yet powerful."
| The BriefWhen you engage me to write your copy or create your design, these are some of the questions I will need you to answer so that we're on the same page right from the beginning.It's worth thinking about these questions and making sure you are really clear about what you need before we start. That way, there's less room for error and alterations, so you save money and time and we'll still be friends. Download a PDF version for printing here. Title: The name of the piece or project. Client: The contact details of the person who is commissioning the project and (if different) my day-to-day contact and the person who will sign it off as complete. Objectives: What do you want to happen when this piece has been written? Are these goals self-consistent and realistic? Length: How many words or A4 pages do you estimate this project will take? Target Audience: Who is the project aimed at? The more detail I have about this, the better job I can do. Ideally, aim for thumbnail sketches of typical readers/target market. What else do they read? What are their concerns and priorities? What are the benefits of your product or service to them? Why would they use your product or service? Controlled vocabulary: Are there words or phrases that we can assume the audience knows? For example, writing for an audience of programmers requires a different vocabulary than writing for doctors. Are there words we absolutely have to use AND explain? A particular concern here is words and phrases that mean a lot to the client and nothing to a reader. We need to ensure that your copy is easy to understand for your target audience. Style: English or American English? Case studies, press releases and, especially, white papers all have different meanings to different people so spell out EXACTLY what is required. Reference other media where appropriate. For example "This piece should read like an article in the Economist or FT”. Are there any special client requirements such as tone of voice, trademark or style guides? If so, they need to be provided, and is there a contact to review and assist with getting them right? Synopsis: A paragraph long or a bulleted summary of the piece setting out the main points you will require and the running order. Delivery format: Microsoft Word? HTML? PDF? Are pictures required? Footnotes and sourcing? Documents intended for use online must be written differently from print documents, so this distinction is especially important to get clear. Third parties: Are there any other people who need to be involved in this project, either by providing content or approval? Typically, this can include PR or marcomms agencies. Client resources: What will you provide to make the piece happen? For example: interview contracts, access to spokespeople, samples, reports, data, existing text etc. Schedule: What is the schedule and final deadline for this project? What is the approval process? Can we create a time-line? Source:www.badlanguage.net/better-briefs-for-writers. Download a PDF version of The Brief for your reference As you can see, there's quite a lot to consider. Don't let this put you off though, it's actually simpler than it sounds and not all of the above items would relate to every project.
|
