Top ten things to decide before anyone writes a single word
Top Ten - Writing
Top Ten - Design
Top Ten - Production
Top Ten - QC
Top Ten - Indexing
Top Ten - Project Management
You can inspire a clear, well-written publication
before anyone puts a word on paper. It may take a couple of drafts to
get there from here, but take the first step to ensure that the
text interests and appeals to its readers by addressing questions
such as:
Top Ten - Design
Top Ten - Production
Top Ten - QC
Top Ten - Indexing
Top Ten - Project Management
- Who's going to read this? What do they have in common?
- When they're done reading, what do you want this audience to do or to know?
- Will this piece be printed only or on the Web too? When will you recast the text into Web-friendly form?
- What materials do you have to work from? What kind of research and/or interviews are necessary?
- Do you still need to design the piece, or must you fit text into one that's already designed?
- Who will have input, and who has the final say?
- If a lot of people will have input, who will coordinate their comments and resolve any disputes?
- Does the text need any "extras," such as sidebars, charts, or photos?
- Does everyone agree on the number of drafts allowed and when the draft will become final, with no more changes?
- Do you have someone who can put in the time necessary for organizing, researching, thinking, drafting, re-writing, and polishing over the life of the project? (Just 1,000 words of finished text can eat up sixteen to twenty or more hours of effort.)
Now it's your turn to ask EEI's writing experts a question. For a bit of free advice, send a brief e-mail to info@eeicom.com.
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