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Welcome to my “F.A.Q.” or “Frequently asked Questions” page. This is a collection of the most commonly asked questions, which I have chosen to post here on the site, along with the answers to those questions, for your convenience.
They say the only dumb question is the question not asked! All I know is, in 25 years of professional writing, I’ve learned to ask an awful lot of questions, and I certainly don’t mind taking the time to answer a few, from people who are truly interested in what it is that I do. I am simply honored and privileged. Please, Ask Away! I would love the opportunity to answer you!
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Q: What is your “Mission Statement” or Company Motto?
A: Treat every client and customer in such a way, that they know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that I will always do everything in my power to ensure that they are not only satisfied with my work and customer service, but literally thrilled with it. This is how long-term, mutually satisfying, business relationships grow and blossom!
Q: Should I wait until I already know exactly what it is that I want before contacting you?
A: No, not necessarily, most of my clients use my 25 years experience as a springboard, to bounce ideas off of and discuss all the options available to them. Often what they first thought they NEEDED to do, turned out to be choice number 4 out of 5 possible solutions to their particular individual problem.
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When my car needs some help, I just call Brett, my “Mechanic from Heaven” and tell him the symptoms. Then I let him figure out exactly what the solution is after he runs a complete diagnostic of the situation. That’s his area of expertise, not mine. If I had to have the answer before I contacted him, I’d be walking a heck of a lot more often.
Q: How much do your services cost?
A: I charge by the project, not by hour. My rates really depend on the nature and intensity of the document needing work. My Clients are so much more comfortable and happy with this decision, as it gives them a greater sense of safety and security and is so much more tangible and feasible in the minds of the customer.
If someone says, "I charge $45 dollars an hour", what does that really mean to you? Does this person normally work quickly, and if so, will he today? What if he gets sick, or tired, or a friend suddenly decides to "pop by" halfway through his efforts and distract him? Are you paying for coffee, dinner and bathroom breaks?
But when I tell a client: "O.K., based on what we've discussed, if this is really exactly what you've just described to me, I'll perform this service for $120.00 and have it done by Thursday evening."
Ohhhhhh, that's so EASY. It's tangible, you can wrap your mind around it and it makes logical, practical sense! My clients love it, because there are never any surprises.
Q: Do you edit documents as well, or only write things from scratch?
A: actually, editing is a large portion of my daily workload. Truth be told, every writer who takes their work seriously and wants to be taken seriously, needs an editor. Even the most skillful writers, when they have finished creating their masterpiece, need a good, strong well versed editor, to check for consistency, redundancy, typos, inexplicable changes in tense or voicing, etc.
Remember the writer, who’s created the work in question, is at a distinct disadvantage in editing their own words, because they already know, in their own head, exactly what words are supposed to be coming up next, before their eyes ever even look upon the words to physically read them. That's why we can never see the "Sore Thumb" typos and mistakes that a good editor will spotlight in a moment flat.
Q: Why does it sometimes cost as much, or even more, to get a: Company Motto, Trade Magazine Ad, Mission Statement, Corporate Business Card, Billboard Ad, Company Letter-head, Organizational Slogan, Business Sign, Catalog Introduction Page, etc. created for me, as it does to have you write an entire page of radio copy or television script?
A: The truth of the matter is really quite obvious, when you stop to really think about it for a moment. It takes far more skill, effort, and intensity of creative focus and determination, to get a message completely across in a concise and effective manner in only 6 to 10 words, or 3 to 4 paragraphs, than in an entire page of copy.
Anyone can eventually get their point across if they can somehow manage to kidnap the intended listener and hold them hostage, while they ramble on ad infinitum, as long as it takes to convey their full message through to completion.
But in this fast paced, sensory over-loaded society, being constantly bomb-barded with 10,000 separate promotional comments per day on television, radio, internet, email, billboard signs, just to name a few, that takes some real talent and a lot of time and energy to plan it out to total perfection.
Consider the state of constant chatter from well intended friends, family and co-workers, plus the various social obligations and entertainment choices, and then stop to consider the ever increasing filters that messages must fight their way through, the distractions, the worries and concerns of a population of impatiently mobile minds, ever on the run at 100 miles an hour.
To prepare an effective and efficient message that can reach through all of that craziness and implant itself upon the ever convulsing consciousness of members of that particular target market, to be acted upon, in just a few short words, is a lot of work.
They say, “Less” is “More!” Well, I can certainly attest to the fact that it definitely is a lot more WORK and EFFORT!
Q: What happens when you have taken on a commission, only to discover that you have developed a case of “Writers Block?”
A: That’s a great question. Thankfully, and I do thank my maker on a regular basis, in over 25 years of writing professionally, I’ve never experienced that particular malady.
If anything, my biggest problem is perhaps having too many ideas in my head at one time to choose from, when solving a client’s problem or need, and having to go through a rather elaborate process on winnowing the options down, till I can conclude which of the multiple solutions most effectively solves the problem or need.
Anyone who has known me for any amount of time at all, will surely attest to the fact that I never seem to run out of things to say or write. My poor wife has to endure continual interruptions throughout her sleeping cycle, as I am continually writing notes to myself about different writing projects that pop into my head all through the night and early morning hours.
Q: With all these contacts and clients, how do you determine which projects you will choose to work on?
A: All projects are based on the “First Come, First Served” philosophy. This is the only way to be truly fair in how I divvy up my time and resources.
Yes, I always will do everything in my power to help a regular client in every way I possibly can. But remember, every client and contact that I currently have a trusted relationship with, was at one time just an unknown stranger, like anybody else.
It is through working with people, and giving it my “ALL” to ensure that they are not only satisfied customers, but that they are totally thrilled with the work and the way I treat them as honored clients, that makes them choose to develop a long term, trusted and mutually satisfying relationship with me. That could just as easily apply to you, and I hope that it soon does!
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