White Papers

July 5, 2004 8:19 PM

White Papers. I need to write one, but can't put together a good enough google search to find some examples and tips, most of what I'm getting is pay-to-write-your-paper sites. Anyone have some tips on writing them and/or good reference sites?
posted by jonah to writing & language (3 comments total)

Dunno about how-tos, but there's a veritable gold mine of examples here, if that helps at all. (Site seems to be down at the moment, but is usually there.)
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 10:33 PM on July 5, 2004

What kind of a white paper is it? Who's the audience? What are you trying to comunicate to them? Who decides whether or not you've done a good job, and according to what criteria?
posted by fuzz at 2:52 AM on July 6, 2004

Assume your audience has no experience or formal training relating to your topic, but that they can learn new concepts fast. Hit all the essential points without delving into too much detail. Use a voice that balances chattiness with erudition (think 'seminar with a wet bar').

Overwrite your first draft by a third; it's easier to chop stuff out than pad a paper as an afterthought. Keep everything that gets chopped.

Will it have illustrations? Identify early who is responsible for them, and get early agreement on their content since you will probably have to write the captions.

Above all else, read the contract; if it's in-house, get specs in writing. Communicate often with whoever is signing off on it.
posted by mischief at 5:36 AM on July 6, 2004