Freelancing on White Papers
Nice reminder from The Content Wrangler on where the money:
Are you looking to drum up some new business? Want to get more dollars from existing clients? Are you a starving writer?
White paper expert Michael A. Stelzner, author of Writing White Papers: How to Capture Readers and Keep Them Engaged, provides the following reasons white papers could dramatically increase your writing revenue...[more]
Over the past couple years, I've been asked by a few if I would be willing to write a white paper recommending a content management system. information system, or specific product. For the most part, those opportunities always seem to arrive when I'm busy with other projects so I declined. When I wasn't busy, I was asked to write positively about a product I knew nothing about (I declined) as well as a specific information system which I believed could be better written within the company (the potential client had smarter people than me and they agreed).
Either way, receiving $3,000 to $10,000 for a 10-page white paper sounds very good to me. It is very difficult to make that kind of money through advertisement on a blog. Also, it seems to me that if you're consistent enough and focused in a specific information technology field...the paper should almost write itself. Just think what you alone could write about with regards to Total Cost Ownership (TCO) of both propriety and open source content management systems? There are plenty of situations where propriety will win over open source and visa vesa. Oh my, I feel a Jimmy Neutron brain blast coming on...
About the Author
Bryan Ruby is owner and editor for CMS Report. He founded CMSReport.com in 2006 on the belief that information technologists, website owners, and web developers desired visiting sites where they could learn more about content management systems without the sales pitch. Although Bryan has been active in the content management community for a number of years, please do not call him a CMS expert. Bryan's preference is to be labeled a CMS enthusiast.
Outside of his late night blogging hours, he is the Information Technology Officer for a field office in the federal government. Away from the computer he enjoys his family, bicycling, camping, and the outdoors.
Comments
#1 I've never been asked...
...but I would love to do it.
Completely coincidentally, I ordered that book yesterday. I've been wanting to write a white paper for a couple years now. I'm going to try to publish one by the end of the year.
#2 Surprised
I'm surprised that you have never been asked to write a white paper. Judging from your blog, you are a better writer and analyst than me. Perhaps my good looks has helped get me the offers...
You'll have to tell me if the book was worth the purchase!