mak pandit, white paper, publishing content, b2b

1. WHAT IS A WHITE PAPER
Mak Pandit
mak@technowrites.com
Makarand.pandit@gmail.com

2. IN THIS SESSION
 What is a white paper
 Who writes it
 Samples
 QAs
(c) 2015. Technowrites Pvt. Ltd.
2

3. ABOUT ME – MAKARAND (MAK) PANDIT
 Experience as a Technical Writer/Editor, Trainer - more than
20 years
 Written books, manuals
 Directed/edited/published videos, audios
 Published several articles, Research Papers, White Papers
 Worked a community volunteer, visiting faculty
(c) 2015. Technowrites Pvt. Ltd.
3

4. WHAT IS A WHITE PAPER
 B2B Communication Product
 A fact-publishing document
 Can be used for pre-sales promotion (if the facts are on your side)
 Public document (don’t sell it)
(c) 2015. Technowrites Pvt. Ltd.
4

5. WIKIPEDIA.ORG
(c) 2015. Technowrites Pvt. Ltd.
5

6. WHATIS.COM
(c) 2015. Technowrites Pvt. Ltd.
6

7. INVESTOPEDIA.COM
(c) 2015. Technowrites Pvt. Ltd.
7

8. WHO WRITES IT
 Company
 Government
 Institutions (Academic, Research)
(c) 2015. Technowrites Pvt. Ltd.
8

9. WHO READS THEM
 Engineers, Designers
 Finance
 Purchase
 R&D
(c) 2015. Technowrites Pvt. Ltd.
9

10. WHY ARE THEY READ
(c) 2015. Technowrites Pvt. Ltd.
10
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
Stay on top of trends Get information
about products and
vendors
Compare products Help justify buying
decisions
PERCENTAGE
REASONS
Survey data from Forbes.com and BitPine (now TechTarget)

11. WHAT IT ISN’T
 B2C Communication Product
 Brochure
 Datasheet
 Functional spec
(c) 2015. Technowrites Pvt. Ltd.
11

12. WHAT DOES IT CONTAIN
 Facts, Technical Data, Technical Description
 Process information
 Comparison
 Analysis
 Opinions
 Conclusion
 Recommendations
(c) 2015. Technowrites Pvt. Ltd.
12

13. SAMPLE WHITE PAPERS
 US Department of Commerce: http://www.ntia.doc.gov/federal-register-
notice/1998/statement-policy-management-internet-names-and-addresses
 Westbay Engineers UK:
 http://www.erlang.com/design.html
 Adobe White Papers
 Technowrites White Papers (written for Patni)
 Infosys White Papers
(c) 2015. Technowrites Pvt. Ltd.
13

14. IMPORTANT POINTS
 Fact-based
 Accurate
 Good graphics
 Ideal length 5-15 pages (ToC, Index, Xrefs, not mandatory)
 Writer’s name may not be published
 Marketing flavour can help, but don’t overdo it!
 Neutral presentation (marketing should be subtle)
 Good service to offer as a freelancer (US$1,000-4,000 or INR 15,000 to 30,000
per paper)
(c) 2015. Technowrites Pvt. Ltd.
14

15. PROCESS
 Need
 Research
 Feasibility
 Outline
 Approval
 Budget
 Study
 Design
 Write
 Review
 Publish (Publicize, Promote)
(c) 2015. Technowrites Pvt. Ltd.
15

16. SOMETHING INTERESTING
 First white paper is supposed to be published by Churchill Government in 1922
 Many white papers are translated
 Good white papers may be archived by academic/research communities
(c) 2015. Technowrites Pvt. Ltd.
16

17. CHALLENGES
 Information collection
 Appealing to the audience
 Managing Time (especially if you are a freelancer)
 Lack of feedback
 Timely approvals
 Avoiding plagiarism
(c) 2015. Technowrites Pvt. Ltd.
17

18. LINKS
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_paper
 http://www.writingwhitepapers.com/resources.html
 http://www.writingwhitepapers.com/book/index.html
 http://www.wellfedwriter.com
 http://www.freelancewritingsuccess.com
 http://copywritingtrainingcenter.com
 http://www.freelancewritingsuccess.com/white-paper.php
 http://www.thatwhitepaperguy.com/white-paper-faq-frequently-asked-
questions/
(c) 2015. Technowrites Pvt. Ltd.
18

19. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
 Google
 Wikipedia
 Whatis.com
 Investopedia
 www.whitepapersource.com (Michael Stelzner)
 www.thatwhitepaperguy.com
(c) 2015. Technowrites Pvt. Ltd.
19

20. KIDE
 Visit the links mentioned in the presentation
 Search for Green Paper – First draft of a tentative Government Report
giving policies
 Search for Research Paper – Paper publishing a research finding
(c) 2015. Technowrites Pvt. Ltd.
20

21. QUESTIONS?
 ?
 ??
 ???
(c) 2015. Technowrites Pvt. Ltd.
21

22. WHITE PAPER IS A VALUE ADDED CONTENT
THAT CAN ADD VALUE TO YOUR
DELIVERABLES AND YOUR CAREER…
- MAK PANDIT
Send your feedback mak@technowrites.com and ask for PDF
of the presentation
Follow me on twitter: @makpandit
(c) 2015. Technowrites Pvt. Ltd.
22