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Tips on Starting Out With White Paper Writing

By Michael Stelzner

Are you a freelancer looking to tap into the lucrative white paper writing world?

I get a lot of emails from folks who are just starting out.

Here is an email I recently received from Mike (great name you have there):

I have a question regarding how to begin writing white papers. I’ve been freelancing for several years now, and am thinking about transitioning into white paper writing. I’ve read your book and it helped a lot.

The question I have is: When you have no experience writing white papers is it acceptable to “fake it”?

What I mean, is it okay to create some mock white papers to use as samples when pitching to companies? Obviously, I’d make them aware - if they ask - that they’re simply mock-ups and not try to pass them off as the real thing.

Here’s my answer:

The fact is that writing a white paper is a SIGNIFICANT effort.

I would hate to see you spin your wheels on a mock project that might get you in legal trouble down the road.

I think a better approach is to pick a few prospects (or one) and offer to do a white paper for nothing in exchange for being able to post it on your site OR show it to prospects.

What’s great about this approach is the client might actually hire you to do the next one.

Alternatively, you could write a white paper about something you are familiar with or an expert on.

For example, let’s say you have a kite building hobby. You might want to come up with a paper that talks about the virtues of a specific type of kite construction.

While you most likely are not targeting kite companies in your freelance business, you can write about something you are passionate about and have a good example in your quiver.

Folks, keep bringing on the questions!

Tell me, how did you get started writing white papers? Any tips you might suggest?

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This entry was posted on Monday, February 18th, 2008 at 4:44 pm and is filed under Freelance Writing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

  • I find it incredibly hard to write about something I don't know about--even if I research it for some time before writing. If it is a subject I know something about, I write 4 times faster and the writing is far superior.

    You'd be surprised about how many things you know about that you can write about. At first, you just think of maybe your line of work and a few hobbies. But there are all kinds of subjects you might be missing. If you are in to non-fiction books, your last book can give you enough information for a writing project.
  • My own take on this is: You spend a lot of effort on the most important part of the white paper -- the lead. I suppose you could give that out as a sample?
  • Mike could make a white paper on freelancing or the benefits of hiring a freelancer. Since he's an experienced freelancer already, such a white paper is not 'mock up' anymore
  • Good points, Graham. Thanks.
  • Ah, okay, I missed that!

    That is not something I would recommend. The company may not appreciate you leveraging their name and/or putting their name on a piece of published work they have not approved. (And yes, when you put it on your website or offer it for download, you have "published" it, in my mind, whereas a student paper is not.)

    At the very most, do a favour for a client or friend. I also post other writing samples that I have so that although I am new to white paper writing, at least I can show that I have years of corporate copywriting behind me.

    ~Graham
  • Mike - That was my presumption when I wrote my response. - Mike
  • Thanks for the answer Mike. What I meant by a mock white paper is picking a company's product or service, researching it and then writing the white paper. Some design students do this while in school. Their instructors might tell them to pick a company or product and then create an eye-catching ad around it. Am I explaining this correctly?
  • I think this post is exactly what I need...A friend of mine, suggest me to start lerning how to write. He said that blogging is first writting, second the computer code...He also said to me "start with your hobby or something you like"...Anyway, thank you for sharing.
  • You can write a white paper yourself to sell your own services without being worried that it is "only a mock up". Mike (Stelzner) has done this himself, and apparently generated great response. By selling your own services in a white paper, you can show your abilities AND take advantage of the white paper as your own marketing tool.

    ~Graham
  • I'm not certain what the Mike had in mind as a mock white paper. I agree that it is a rather significant undertaking to throw out there unless he is a speed demon of type and thought.

    But, I am not so sure that writing about kites or hobbies is the answer either.

    (I confess that I haven't read your book. But I did sign up for the newsletter poked around on your past posts some.)

    My thinking is that a sample whitepaper for Mke, the guest, should be somewhat targeted to the client prospect. Also the whitepaper does not have to be huge, in fact I would recommend keeping it 10 pages or less.

    I do like the idea of doing one for free and making the whitepaper even shorter. The client should be able to get a pretty good flavor of Mike's style.

    Just my 2 cents worth
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