Frequently Asked Questions

There are several ways you can work with a writer based on what you need. Let’s break them down into three major avenues: Projects, Retainer, and Consulting.

Project: You know that thing that always gets bumped to the bottom of your priority list?

Maybe it’s updating your website, interviewing a client to write a case study, or finally finishing that article. These are one-off projects I can easily take care of.

Retainer: You know how every month brings the same challenges?

There’s always so much to do! Another round of blog content, articles, video scripts, presentations, and reports. It can make you feel like you’re stuck on a hamster wheel. So consider handing them off so you never have to worry about them again.

Consulting: You know how sometimes your best ideas are sparked by conversations?

Brand strategizing, copy critiques/copy editing, and setting up your AI configuration. Sometimes you just need insight from a different perspective.

To quote ChatGPT, “Great question!” But in all seriousness this is an important conversation that deserves transparency.

Large Language Models have an inherent tendency to hallucinate, to fabricate misinformation. So I limit my AI usage to just jumpstarting my research. Even then, I don’t take AI at face value. I actually read the sources it cites and expand from there. I remain responsible for the fact-checking, interviewing, tone, voice, and final copy.

There’s certainly a lot more to the Gen AI conversation. Now, if you use AI I’m not going to shame you for that. But you should be aware of its limitations, so please check out some of my articles on the subject.

I follow the Daphne Gray-Grant process as outlined in her book, 8-1/2 Steps to Writing Faster, Better. I highly recommend it. But I am guessing you don’t really enjoy writing. That’s probably because you learned about writing in school, instead of the actual process of writing.

Here’s a brief overview of the process.

1) Make a plan: What are you writing? Who are you writing it for? What are its objectives?

2) Do your research: This is the interviewing, reading, and/or experimentation you need to do to understand the topic.

3) Think and re-think: This can be mindmapping, outlining, or even doodling. The goal is to “play” with the information you gathered. This helps you get new perspectives, it helps you figure out how to arrange all that information.

4) Find your lead: How should you start this piece? Finding your lead is essentially figuring out your opening. I like to envision a reader persona based on the target market research. Then I write an opening designed to hook them.

5) Writing: Notice how there’s a bunch of steps before you actually start writing? All the previous steps are designed to make writing the first draft as easy as possible.

6) Let it incubate: Before you revise, you have to give your brain a break so you can return with fresh eyes.

7) Revise: Does this piece cover all necessary materials? Does it accomplish all the objectives? Does it target the right audience? You get the idea. Revising isn’t about punctuation or grammar. It’s about making sure you’ve hit all the right notes.

8) Copyediting: Copyediting is about punctuation, spelling, grammar, syntax - all that jazz. I like to use a text-to-speech program to listen to my drafts. Because your eyes will skip over mistakes your ears can’t ignore.

8.5) Continual Reading: You know the phrase, “you are what you eat?” That applies to reading and writing. If you want to write better, read better stuff.

I’ve written for a lot of industries. Solar energy, residential real estate, various nonprofits, data center vendors, audio-visual integrators, supply chain risk management software… And those are just what I can remember off the top of my head!

But maybe I haven’t written for your specific industry yet. When I approach a new industry, I start by reading industry publications. From there, I try to narrow down the thought leaders. You know, who’s leading the conversations? Who’s driving innovation? Who’s challenging the status quo?

That often gives me a pretty good picture of an industry, but still, I fill it out with competitor analysis and customer research.

While I’m not an expert in every industry, I am an expert in communication. I am confident in my abilities to quickly learn your industry and become the writer you need me to be.

Yes, I try to interview subject-matter experts every chance I get. I, of course, do background research beforehand so I don’t sound like an idiot in front of the expert.

I can conduct interviews over the phone, video call, or in person if the subject matter expert is in the Northern Virginia Area.

Unfortunately, I cannot give you a clear fixed rate. All projects are priced based on the scope of work. Which includes research, interviews, and your desired turnaround time. If you contact me with a simple overview of your project, I can provide you with a price range.

All jobs I quote include two rounds of revisions. These are opportunities for you to share feedback and critiques. I have received critiques that are as simple as, “I don’t like the vibe.” And I’ve received critiques on the other end of that spectrum, pages absolutely covered in red pen. Do whatever works for you. I can incorporate any feedback you throw at me.

However, any additional revisions will incur additional charges. In my experience, most of my past clients were satisfied by the first revision.

Turnaround time depends on quite a few factors. Project scope, access to stakeholders, the speed at which I receive client feedback, and my current availability are all factors.

If you reach out and provide an overview of your project, I can give you an estimate. I try to work within everyone’s ideal timeline, but unfortunately that’s not always possible.

Responsibly, no. I cannot guarantee traffic, leads, sales, or any metrics. Those measurable outcomes depend on dozens of things outside of my control. Offer quality, distribution, sales follow-ups, user interface, those kinds of things.

I always write strategically. My ultimate goal is to support your business objectives. And it’s in my best interest to satisfy my clients.

But there’s a phrase in marketing, “Great graphic design can’t save bad writing. But bad graphic design can ruin great writing.”

You will have ownership of the final deliverables once you pay the final deposit. However, I may retain the right to display finished work in my professional portfolio unless you request confidentiality.

Yes, I can sign a non-disclosure agreement if necessary.

To get started, all you need to do is send over a short overview of your project. Tell me about your deliverables, goals, target audience, and ideal timeline. From there, I will ask a few follow-up questions, estimate a price range, and schedule a time to meet. Once we meet, I can write up an agreement that covers the scope, deliverables, and specific price. Sign that and we’re off to the races!