Why should I hire a professional writer?

Whether or not you write well, you might not know how to make your words sell. Unless you have the time, energy, and expertise to put your ideas into clear, concise, and convincing verbiage, leave that to someone who does.

You wouldn’t go to an important event or crucial job interview without properly-tailored clothes. Similarly, if you’re selling products or trying to hook readers, you want your documents to look professional. Grammatical, spelling, or usage errors can turn off potential customers and cost you money.

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What is a copywriter?

Sometimes, the term is confused with “copyrighter”, which designates someone who grants patents or registers copyrights. That’s understandable, given the similarity of the words.

A COPYWRITER specializes in goal-oriented prose. Whether it’s the text for an ad, sales letter, speech, product label, presentation, or Website, the writing is organized around a PURPOSE. That purpose may be to persuade, inform, describe, or entertain (note: sometimes, a copy writer may be referred to as a BUSINESS WRITER). In addition to wielding verbal expertise, a worthwhile copy writer should have a grasp of both marketing and basic human psychology.

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If I hire you, how is my work delivered?

Your work will be sent in whatever way is most convenient for you–be that UPS, FedEx, US Priority Mail, fax, or e-mail attachment. And I’ll make sure it’s in your preferred format. If you’re buying site content or any other kind of writing, drafts and completed work can be uploaded to you as text (.txt), Word (.doc), Rich Text Format (.rtf), HTML (.htm or .html), or various other file types.

Presentations will be in PowerPoint format (.ppt, .pps). For complete print projects (layout & content)–such as flyers, brochures, or newsletters–I primarily support Adobe’s Portable Document Format (.pdf), Photoshop (.psd), Microsoft Publisher (.pub), and Microsoft Word (.doc). However, I can also produce such documents as camera-ready art–either on specialty paper or as a graphic (.gif, .jpg, .png, .bmp, etc.).

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What if I don’t like the work?

We’ll work together to make sure you get the kind of work you want. I will send you drafts at intervals (and anytime upon request). If there’s anything you don’t like, I’ll change it. I won’t quit until you’re pleased with the results.

However, if you’re still, for whatever reason, honestly not satisfied with my work within 60 days of our relationship, I won’t hesitate to refund your money (at which point any completed work remains my property, subject to strict enforcement of copyright laws). My goal is to ensure that you get what you want.

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What if I need a Website?

If you need a complete Website, I can post the pages to your server–provided that you have one. If you’re establishing a new and/or first-time Web presence, I can register (or transfer) your domain name, set you up with a low-cost host provider, create and publish your site, and even promote it. As the project unfolds, you can view the work-in-progress just by clicking a link.

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What if I don’t want the site to “go public” until I approve it?

Your developing site will reside on a private server. I will forward you the link you’ll need to review the work. No one else (other than those you designate) will see your site until you’re ready.

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What about site revisions and maintenance?

Complete Websites come with six months of maintenance and revisions–at no additional cost. Afterward, you can hire me (or someone else) to maintain your site. I’ll ensure that the work conforms to proper standards, so as to make it easier for you or your Webmaster to keep your project going.

If you’re running a relatively small site, you may want to maintain the content yourself. To that end, you can hire me to advise, coach, and tutor you until you’re able to successfully publish your own Web work. If you’re located in the NY metro area, I can even work with you onsite.

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I’m confused by the terms “Web Designer” and “Webmaster”. What’s the distinction?

First, let’s note that the Web is still a relatively new medium. As such, industry-specific job titles are subject to conjecture. To the best of my knowledge, the distinction is as follows:

A WEB DESIGNER is primarily concerned with visuals. He or she is the cyber-equivalent of the print media ART DIRECTOR, specializing in page layout, graphics, colors, and logos. A good designer ensures that a consistent look and feel are maintained throughout a site, that the visuals serve the site’s goals, and that they are appropriate for the target audience.

A WEBMASTER fusses over a site’s navigation, content, visibility, usefulness, and reliability. He or she may be part part programmer and part copywriter–among other things. S/he keeps the site’s writing and pictures updated, makes sure that all links and navigation controls work, manages the site’s interactive elements, monitors the site’s uptime, and ensures that search engines will find particular pages. In short, technical and usability issues matter most here.

Of course, there is plenty of overlap. Web Designers and Webmasters will usually possess aspects of each other’s expertise.

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Can I hire you to take over or maintain my Web site?

If you have an existing Website, you can entrust me to keep everything on it up to date. I’ll make sure that your links and controls work, your site comes up reliably, and your pages are indexed by major search engines–among other things. I’ll even make any enhancements you desire, and inspect the site for quality. Fees for such services vary, depending on the extent of your needs.

Content management ensures that–as you might expect–your site’s content is regularly updated. I’ll copyedit and proof your writing for grammar, readability, and effectiveness. I can also write all your content if need be. Prices for such services vary, depending on how much “wordsmithing” you need.

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