I also thought I’d better brush up on my copywriting skills. So I bought Write to Sell: the Ultimate Guide to Great Copywriting by Andy Maslen. Although the pompous title initially put me off (I’m suspicious of  anyone who claims to be the ultimate or final word on anything) the reader reviews on Amazon convinced me it was worth having a look.

I’m so glad I did. Maslen reminded me that to write for a client you need to think like your client and it’s not about what you want to communicate,  but rather what the reader wants to hear. Maslen shares some very useful tricks of the trade and is a great advocate for PLAIN ENGLISH.

Even if you don’t want to sully your artistic reputation by writing commercially, Maslen’s advice on how to write simply and effectively with a target readership in mind will serve every writer well. I shall certainly be recommending this book to my non-fiction and creative writing students.

Related posts:

1. Getting Started in Copywriting 1
2. Write Screenplays That Sell
3. Do you want to write full time?

Reports, particularly company annual reports, aren’t high on the list of most people’s bedtime reading. They can be hard to read (though according to a 2006 University of Michigan study this might be intentional), and often tend towards combining tedium and complexity.

There are a lot of different types of report a freelance might be called upon to write, for a wide range of different audiences:

• reports from meetings and conferences;
• reviews of products or topics, such as green energy or influenza;
• annual reports on a company or charity;
• budget and credit reports;
• reports on an ongoing or completed trip, project or research;
• policy reports and recommendations for future planning.

To write a good report, the writer first needs to answer two questions:

1. who is it for?
2. what is it for?

Language and layout

The language used in the report will depend upon who the audience is – it’s no good writing complex technical jargon for a lay audience, or using overly simple language for a report intended for scientists or medics. The audience will also decide the writing style, whether it’s going to be formal or informal.

Because reports can be complex and very ‘information-dense’, the report still needs to be clear and easy to read, using active rather than passive language, keeping sentences short with one idea per sentence, and splitting blocks of text up into short paragraphs. The layout can also help the readability, including informative subheadings, which break up the page and draw the reader’s attention, and bulleted lists, which can make complex lists a lot clearer. Other visual aids include call-out boxes (a box containing supporting information), pull quotes (a bold quote, often in a larger font, that emphasises a point), graphs, photos and other illustrations. These not only support the content but also break up the page visually.

If the report is going to be printed, work with the designer if possible, to balance between the needs of the design and the message in the text – one can overpower the other if this balance is not maintained.

Style and content

Think about the purpose of the report. This will determine the content. It’s a good idea to research similar reports to get a feel for the sections required. Reports need to tell a story, so make sure that the sections fall into a logical order – this will also help the reader.

Obviously, the report should be accurate and internally consistent, because people may use it as a basis for important decisions. It should also be concise – if it is over-long, readers may never get to the end, where the important conclusions might be, or miss useful content in the middle. Reports should generally be objective, unless commissioned specifically to give a particular point of view.

Annual reports, especially those for publicly-listed companies or charities, have very specific requirements for content, and it is important to have these requirements clear before beginning writing.

And finally …

Reports don’t have to be hard to read (though they may need to be a little dull, depending on the audience) provided the writer keeps things clear, concise and simple.

A bit of extra reading

• Tips for writing non-profit and company reports (be aware these are US sites and requirements elsewhere may be different)
• Links to sites on writing reports and press releases
• And lastly, how not to write a report…

Related posts:

1. Report writing – finding work
2. Beginner Blogging for Writers: part 2
3. Beginner Blogging for Writers: part 1

There are a lot of different types of report a freelance writer might be called on to write, for a wide range of different audiences. They include

• annual reports for a company or charity;
• reports from meetings and conferences, including those looking at research areas or products;
• reviews of products or topics; and
• business intelligence and market research reports.

Like all freelance work, there is no simple one stop shop for finding all the work you need (but if you know of one, please let me know…). There are as many places to find work writing reports as there are types of reports.

Annual reports

PR companies are often responsible for producing annual reports for large companies, especially those listed on the stock market. Search on Google for PR companies in your area of expertise, or keep an eye out for PR job ads in the papers (the Guardian covers media and PR jobs on a Monday, or use its jobs website ), and contact them to see if they use freelancers. It’s also worth keeping an eye out for job ads for communications departments of companies that are in your field. PR freelance rates are generally quite good but writing annual reports is a competitive field to get into. Charities also produce annual reports – consider doing a couple for free to build up your portfolio.

Product and topic reports

PR and communications companies sometimes produce reports covering research on behalf of clients, perhaps showcasing the clients’ product and comparing it with other similar products. These can be based on published papers, or on presentations at a conference. Though often produced by staff writers, these reports can also be sent out to freelancers (and might get you a trip somewhere nice – or rather a trip to an airport and conference centre that might have a window that looks out over somewhere nice). Similar reports can review products in a market, or topics of interest such as ‘flu or green energy.

Business intelligence and market research reports

If you have an analytical brain and are good with numbers or markets, business intelligence and market research reports are a growing field – these are high-ticket reports used by companies to get background on new fields or new markets. Googling ‘business intelligence reports’ or ‘market research reports’ brings up a whole host of reports publishers, many of whom use freelance writers to produce the reports. Check out the ‘careers’ or ‘about us’ pages, which may include details of freelance requirements, or simply contact companies on spec.

Opportunities to write different types of reports also come up on PayingWriterJobs and Freelance Writing Jobs.

And finally …

Report writing requires organisation and an ability to meet deadlines, familiarity with the fields under scrutiny, comfort working with numbers and capacity to work alone and at a distance. But if you can do it, it’s an interesting market to tap into, and might even get you that view out of a hotel window!

Next week Suzanne will give us some tips on the nuts and bolts of report writing for when those commissions start rolling in …

Related posts:

1. Report writing – the nuts and bolts
2. Writing for women’s magazines
3. Freelance writing markets