What Writes-A-Roni Can Do for You
Everyone who competes in a market today—whatever that market may be— needs a blog. Blogs help your business stay in touch with its audience and add fresh content, which is crucial for maintaining and improving search engine ranking.
Not everyone who needs a blog has the wherewithal to produce one day after day, week after week. It may be a lack of time, lack of a distinctive voice or an uncomfortable relationship with writing practice.
My model for blogging is my wife’s cousin Katie—although she doesn’t write and, as far as I know, doesn’t even spend much time on the Internet. But that woman can talk, and she stays in contact!
Before Katie assumed full-time responsibility for looking after her baby boy, Katie was a part-time bartender—a very successful one I’m told, which is why she could afford to work only part time. And it was in that vocation, I believe, that she perfected her craft. She has an engaging personal style, a good sense of what might interest whomever she may have the occasion to speak with. She presents most of what she has to say in story format and although her tale may or may not have a point, you always think it’ll come any minute because of her narrative style. To tell the truth, I don’t remember much of what Katie says, but I always remember Katie— entertaining, down to earth, warm and engaging.
Now I don’t talk much, but I can write as I would speak if I did. In fact, I can write as you would speak if you gave me a call and told me what you want to talk about. I’m a good mimic. I’ve blogged on a number of different subjects including community events, business subjects and personalities, and technology.
So if you need someone to write your blog, remember that while God created a lot of bloggers, he didn’t create so many good blog posts. Contact writesaroni@writesaroni.com.
Web Copy Writer
Many of my print colleagues who aspire to writing for the Web ask me what’s the difference? For Web copy you’ve got to talk techie and write shorter, right?
Well, in my book, concision is a virtue in either medium but not necessarily the key to writing good Web copy. The real talent is writing in a way that enables search engines to find your stuff. It means understanding how your intended audience searches for your subject, how search engines read Web pages, and how to focus the copy around a keyword. The best practice is to optimize each Web page for only one keyword at a time.
Effective Web copy writers don’t subordinate traditional writing skills, grammar and punctuation. They don’t dumb down anything. But they do understand that they’re writing for a dual audience consisting of humans and robots, which don’t understand metaphorical language, figures of speech or puns. Good Web copy is generally quite straightforward and literal. The best Web copy delivers the goods to both human readers and ‘bots. Good Web copy writers needn’t be SEO specialists but must have a sense of the structure of the page and what search engine optimizers need to work with. Contact writesaroni@writesaroni.com.
Technical Writer/Editor
I am a specialist in preparation of architectural-engineering technical documents for military and federal government projects. I’ve developed RFPs, parametric design reports (PDRs) feasibility studies and related technical documents for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and NAVFAC. I’ve also written and edited architectural-engineering project proposals.
At one time I worked as a building contractor. In addition to in-depth knowledge of construction practice and standards, and professional writing and editing skills, I offer skills in reading and correcting architectural drawings, familiarity with SpecsIntact and other government-issue wizards. I am proficient in the full range of desktop publishing skills and have extensive project management experience.
I also have some experience with software and systems documentation, and have written and/or edited policy manuals and Congressional reports for the property management division of NASA. I am nearly as good with numbers as I am with words, and have special proficiency at designing and styling charts and tables.
I do not currently have security clearance at any level but should have no difficulty qualifying if sponsored. Contact writesaroni@writesaroni.com.
Ghostwriter
Over the course of my career, I have written many books, articles, reports, blogs and scripts that carried someone else’s byline: mathematics professors, corporate executives, government agency officials and even the great Bob Vila. I bring to the form excellent research and writing skills, good organizational skills and a talent for mimicking styles. Contact writesaroni@writesaroni.com.
Marketer
Formerly a vice-president with a public relations firm, I am expert in media relations and creation of branding materials and marketing collateral, including press releases, sell sheets, brochures, videos, podcasts, Web sites and social media campaigns. My clients have ranged from major national corporations and non-profit industry associations to small, local businesses. I create advertising, too. Contact writesaroni@writesaroni.com.
Editorial Process Consultant
Desktop publishing software and content management systems enable publishers to process huge amounts of content with great speed. The best of them enable collaboration and have workflow applications. In the hands of trained editors they ought to be able to facilitate miracles. But in virtually every publishing environment I’ve worked in during the last 10 years, especially in Web and desktop publishing operations, the emphasis has been more on the technology and less on competent editing process.
At best, technology-based editing tools are rigid and undiscerning. At worst, they allow everybody involved in a project to work on a piece of content all at once, in no particular order and without regard to whose input is most useful at a given point within a rational editing chain. An insatiable management appetite for ever greater speed and flexibility usually results in an approach best described as getting nine women pregnant with the expectation of producing a baby in one month’s time. It doesn’t work that way, it’s not efficient and the product suffers. Everybody’s stressed, deadlines are missed and clients aren’t happy.
If you’re the business manager of a publishing operation and suspect at this point that I’ve been reading your email, consider this: Most IT professionals don’t really understand how writers and editors work. Most writers and editors don’t fully understand how technology works—only that they’re expected to be productive despite its limitations. You probably don’t fully understand how either group does its work, but you’re signing their checks and spending a great deal of time refereeing disputes between them. You need them to play nicely together. They rarely do.
I can make it better by clearly defining requirements for content management and publishing systems, training editors and enforcing professional standards for quality and productivity. Contact writesaroni@writesaroni.com.
Information Architect
I have a great deal of experience with organizing and categorizing Web site content and designing databases and site navigation. I create wire frames and write business requirements. A clear and detailed plan is essential before development begins. Contact writesaroni@writesaroni.com.