Constant Content

I'm curious as to why so little specific information is offered in public requests with regard to targeted readership, a preferred slant, whether they want formal or friendly, and what the goal of the article is...all info that would be helpful in responding to a request. I'm hesitant to ask a customer because I'm thinking it would really be annoying if everyone was asking those same questions.

I'm probably just missing something obvious.

I agree with you. It helps so much if you know who the target audience is. Is it academics, general readers, existing fans, children, teens? Do they want the topic approached as pro or con or just neutral? Do they want a certain volume of keywords and which ones?

It's great when the customer includes things like "intended for a Canadian audience" and if they intend to audition authors for private requests later. I saw some of that in recent public requests.

Maybe the Public Request form could offer some checkboxes for details like that? Maybe it does already; I've never looked at it.

Debbi

Those customers who have specific ideas about what they want express those wants. Others simply want well-written articles that appeal to the broadest web audience possible. Most readers will come to websites through search engines, which in turn means customers can't gauge their audience too specifically/don't want to limit their audience through their choice in content.

Ed

In other words, they want well-written articles that will draw mega traffic, but they may have little idea what that looks like until someone writes it for them? Sheesh. If they don't know, how am I suppose to know? It's hard to hit a target when you're shootin' in the dark.

<--- Just trying to soften all my complaining a little!

It depends on how you look at it. Sometimes the vague requests are great, because if you have an idea for a different angle to the usual, the customer may purchase your article as well. Sometimes, I find it harder to write the requests that are too specific and insist on a certain percentage of key words. I find the writing can start to sound unnatural with the over-use of certain words. I find that I write for the requests that I already know something about or would find the research fascinating, and just write the same way I would normally write an article on that topic. If the requesting customer likes my writing style and the article, the customer will purchase the article. If not, some other customer may just come along and buy the article anyway. I've had my fair share of success writing for public requests, without stressing too much about whether the customer wants formal or friendly writing. I just write for the requests in the same way as I write all the other articles, with the aim to produce a quality, unique, and easy to read article that should meet a market need and hopefully sell.

Hayley