Getting What You Want from a Writer

There is nothing more frustrating for a writer than unclear guidelines.

Vague instructions such as “write an article on family fun” don’t provide enough specifics. The client often receives an article that doesn’t reflect the subject matter or details he was expecting.

The results of ambiguous instructions are delays, lost income, an unhappy client, and a frustrated writer. The article has to be revised or rewritten.

Writers aren’t mind-readers. They haven’t taken courses in ESP 101. They don’t have crystal balls for gazing, and they don’t moonlight as Madame Zaza.

Here are some tips for giving clear instructions to get what you want from a writer:

Tell them the subject matter and narrow the focus. If your topic is Family Fun, specify whether you’d like an article on outdoor family activities, cooking as a family, family vacation getaways, or something completely different.
Specify the style and tone you want the article to reflect. Do you want conversational writing and a friendly touch? Are you looking for expert advice and an authoritarian tone? Would you like a top ten list?
Decide on your word count. If you can’t, at least give the writer an idea of how long you’d like the article to be. Your writer needs to know if you want a short article for directory submission or a longer one for a magazine.
Indicate who will read the article. Knowing the intended audience helps a writer style the text to be appealing to that group of individuals. An article intended for men over 40 isn’t going to be the same as one for women under 30.
Tell the writer what you need, what you like, and what you don’t. If there is something you know you don’t want in the article, or something you do prefer the article to say, let the writer know ahead of time. The writer can avoid your pet peeves or put in more of what you do like.
Give formatting instructions. Some clients prefer headers and short paragraphs. Some like traditional formatting with no headers and longer chunks of text. Others like lists and bullet points. Be clear on how you want your article laid out.
Provide clear, concise feedback to the writer. Tell the writer what you enjoyed and what you didn’t like about his or her work. Feedback is manna for freelance writers and helps them provide a better product and service to clients. Without feedback, writers can’t tell if they did a good job or areas they need to improve.

Don’t rely on a writer’s ability to read your mind. If you want a good article that satisfies the first time around, help writers do their job.

And writers? It’s your responsibility to ask questions to clarify guidelines if the client hasn’t already. If you receive vague instructions but don’t ask for more information, you’re the only one to blame if the client isn’t satisfied with your work.