Revised Report Writing Guidance And Template: Fill & Download for Free

To Olive Smith,tl;dr — Academic proofreading and editing require the use of special abbreviations, punctuation, and formatting beyond just fixing the SPaG (spelling, punctuation, and grammar). In general, an academic article, thesis, report, or dissertation will be required to follow guidelines in a certain style manual.Since May, I have logged almost 70 hours editing and proofreading a doctoral dissertation that was recently approved after the doctoral candidate passed the Inquisition (defense of his dissertation).The student’s adviser (a friend, former colleague, and one of my former professors) approached me last month with a request to edit it before it is published on a ProQuest database this summer in advance of the student’s official graduation, perhaps because this is on a seminal topic and it is only the third doctoral dissertation in a new doctoral program, of which my friend, Dr. Meyer, is the director.[1]Track changesWhenever I edit a document for someone else, I use “track changes" in MS Word so the author can see every change I make. A few days ago (late June), I sent the student two PDFs, one that shows the tracked changes, and one that shows all the changes accepted, so he can see how it looks at its near-final state. A few weeks before that, I had also sent him the half-finished version to give him an understanding of how I work.Rewriting and clarificationThe truth is, my role is far more complicated than just proofreading, as I have rewritten sentences to clarify the author’s intent and/or tighten up the wording. When I get stuck, I contact the author. So far, I have sent about 70 questions to the doctoral candidate, who has responded with clarification, and I have inserted those changes into the dissertation. I would not call this co-authoring his document, but it definitely is a team effort, and it is far more complicated than merely proofreading.Content editingMuch of what I have changed is related to the nature of the subject matter, as I have a master’s in biblical studies so I can understand certain topics differently than if I didn't have that background. This would be considered content editing when I change certain things.ProofreadingHowever, much of my contribution would be called proofreading, as I am making sure the paper follows Society of Biblical Literature (SBL) standards for abbreviations, quotations, footnotes, bibliography, and even the font for the biblical languages, because only the SBL font is supposed to be used for the Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek words. The SBL produces a manual for guidance in writing dissertations and other academic documents.FormattingFor formatting tips, I contacted a Dead Sea Scrolls expert who is a published author, friend, former colleague, and former professor of mine (Dr. Todd Beall) for advice on font sizes, and Todd suggested 16 point for the Hebrew to make it more readable especially because some of the pointing can be challenging to differentiate when the font is too small.I have made the Greek text 14 point. The English text is the required 12 point Times New Roman, and the paragraphs are set at double spacing. With different sizes of words in the same paragraph depending on the language, I had to make the paragraph spacing exactly 24 point (instead of “at least 24 point”) to keep Word from inserting irregular spacing. Is this proofreading, or something else?My efforts are actually a chimera, because I do not fit easily into a single category.[2]Biblical languagesWhere koine Greek was quoted from the New Testament, I have ensured it was quoted accurately (including the diacritical marks) and translated correctly. In one case, there was a textual variant he had not caught, so I added thatnin the Greek. In some cases, I have suggested additional text to bolster his argument. Dr. Meyer’s assistant will verify the Hebrew, because my skills in that language are almost non-existent and nowhere near as strong as my skills in Greek.Content developmentAnother step I have taken is to insert missing sections into the dissertation (this is not proofreading per se, but rather content development, as this is a nascent doctoral program and I am working with Dr. Meyer and his assistant to develop standards and templates for their dissertations):Revised title pageCopyright pageSignature/approval pageDedication page (the student will have to write this)Acknowledgments page (the student will have to write this)Abbreviations section (I pulled together a three-page list of abbreviations used in the document, many of which are standard for SBL style when referring to books of the Bible, Qumran documents, or Targums)If I were just proofreading a so-called “non-academic” document, I would pay attention mainly to the SPaG. For this dissertation, though, I am looking at many other issues specifically related to the academic discipline involved.tl;dr — As someone who does not merely proofread a document, I hope this was helpful.EDIT: The following sweet note was left by Ruth Balster, who suggested an excellent edit, which I accepted. THANKS, Ruth, for your eagle eyes!❌Dear Sarah,I appreciate your explanations very much. They are helpful. I approve my English with them. Thanks for your guidance and English lessons. Keep safe!❌—Sarah Madden, Written and © Copyrighted ♡ 24 June 2020 (updated 26 June 2020)QUESTION: What is the difference between proofreading and academic proofreading? (asked 7 June 2020)Footnotes[1] ProQuest - Databases[2] Chimera (genetics) - Wikipedia

Although the only freelance copywriter mentioned in my post below is myself, I believe if you’re looking for a SaaS copywriter, you’ll find the following helpful…Can Your SaaS Copywriter and Content Marketing Consultant Do This?Are you considering hiring a SaaS copywriter and content marketing consultant? You’ve come to the right page.If you’re looking for the “how to” type of posts I generally write I understand if you skip this one and trust you’ll come back soon.That said, if you have a SaaS brand or manage marketing for a software company, you’re bound to find this post valuable. The conversation here today (er, monologue) is about what a SaaS copywriter can do for you.Most of my clients sell subscription-based software and rely on my experience to help generate leads, increase conversion, and foster loyalty. Based on my online travels and 30 years of producing marketing content, here’s what I think a SaaS copywriter and content marketing consultant can do for you.Document a content marketing planSmart SaaS companies get serious about content marketing. They know their competitors will be duking it out with them for search traffic, social media prominence and the authority building that comes with consistently publishing helpful content.Unfortunately, many of the same SaaS companies make the mistake of publishing content randomly, with little regard for what types of posts and media will make a difference.You need a content marketing plan. Creating one isn’t always going to be in your copywriter’s wheelhouse. The process need not be complicated, but if you don’t have a one, or don’t know how to approach the process, hire a SaaS copywriter and content marketing consultant capable of delivering a simple and clear content marketing plan.I use the following tools to facilitate the process. First this simple template I created…Fast Track Your Content Marketing Plan from Barry FeldmanAnd next, a thorough workbook I created to help you document your challenges, strategies, and so forth…The Planner – A Strategic Workbook for Growing Your Business with Effective Online MarketingEvaluate the sales funnel and buyer journeyTackling this challenge isn’t the forte of most writers, however, it should be part of your process. Far too many companies, SaaS or not, focus strictly on lead generation, but an effective approach will involve planning and writing content to address the needs of interested prospects, comparison shoppers, and even, existing customers.Create big content and lead magnetsDeep, thoughtful, thematic works are what my clients tend to need most. Want me to write your blog posts? I may do that, but what I prefer to do, and usually do, is create big content—ebooks, reports, and such that enable SaaS companies to:Capture leads with gated content offersCollaborate with industry influencersEarn links to their contentCreate highly repurposable content (our next topicWant to learn more about creating lead magnets?What is a Lead Magnet? (And 10 Ways to Quickly Magnify the Size of Your Email List)Lead Magnet Ideas, Titles and Templates to Capture More LeadsA Lead Magnet Promotion Checklist to Build Your Email List Faster [Free Checklist]Repurpose your most useful contentI rarely have my eye on one prize per content creation. Nor should you. Your SaaS company will get far greater bang for its buck and vastly improve reach when you create meaty pieces of content than can be sliced into small pieces and/or repurposed as different forms of media.Content repurposing FAQAudit and improve your existing contentYou have more content than you realize and it has more potential than you may think. With the help of your SaaS copywriter, you should review the gamut of communications resources (email, presentations, white papers, etc.) and develop plans to create new assets based on them.Additionally, it’s likely existing works that were expressly made for content marketing have underperformed, but have untapped potential. A few examples:Blog posts that perform poorly in search can be improved.Ebooks or white papers that convert poorly can be retitled and reorganized.Presentations that are too long or technical can be simplified.Landing pages with low conversion can be rewritten.Autoresponder emails that strike out can benefit from new subject lines.Convert visitors into subscribersI strive to be my clients’ conversion copywriter.Your conversion rate is never as good as it could be. Changes big and small can improve conversion. I work with clients to examine their key conversion plays, identify weak spots, and experiment with new solutions for:Homepage copySales pagesFAQsBlog posts that attract traffic, but not subscribersSite structure and navigationLanding pagesOffersCall to action copyWrite blog posts that rank on page one of searchAchieving success with organic search is hard and getting harder. It’s rare that I find my clients in the SaaS business exploiting keyword research, competitive analysis, on-page optimization, and user experience to the degree they should.After having written thousands of blog posts, studying SEO, and experimenting, I’m pleased to say I know how to create blog posts that rank on the only search results page that matters, page one. I also know how to identify posts that rank on page two and optimize them to increase their rankings.If you’re going to pour time and money into maintaining a blog, you need to get serious about search.I’m the author of the book SEO Simplified for Short Attention Spans. It’s based partially on this, one of my most popular posts.Get articles published on relevant blogsAs a ghostwriter for your executives, a writing coach, or simply a digital PR advocate, I can help you earn valuable guest blogging opportunities on leading industry websites. You’ll earn recognition, backlinks and referral traffic to produce leads.Call on your customers for contentThe most interesting content includes people. You’ve probably read a strong SaaS marketing program makes your customer the hero. I’ll interview customers and partners to create compelling success stories and include your customers in your blog posts and other content. (good idea for post?)Make your blog stickierI find a of SaaS blogs missing out on opportunities to keep their visitors on site longer. I’ll look at the writing, design, page layout and the architecture of your blog and offer multiple ideas that compel readers to stick around and subscribe.Learn more: The Business Blogging Plan: 50 Best PracticesManage the editorial processAs you scale your blog and content arsenal beyond the blog, you’ll want the process of planning, scheduling, assigning, editing and preparing content for publication managed by someone well acquainted with the editorial process.Build a strong multi-author blogThe process of scaling is bound to require expanding your blogging team. Depending on your plans and resources you may want a combination of dedicated bloggers, internal subject matter experts, freelancers and guest bloggers to join the task force.If you don’t have an experienced managing editor running the show, an experienced SaaS copywriter that knows the ropes may be a good fit for creating and leading your multi-author blog. It helps to have someone like me assist in scouting, recruiting and onboarding the right talent for your blog.Write persuasive videosIn most cases, when a SaaS company wants to create an important video for use on their site and social media, they allow the creative direction and script writing tasks to land in the lap of “the video company.”I don’t mean to be saying such an approach is necessarily bad. However, if your SaaS copywriter steps up to become a marketing consulting partner—as I tend to—consider hiring him or her to conceive and write your video scripts.Consolidating copywriting tasks may help you tell a more cohesive story across media types.Identify where your website needs workMost copywriters are taskmasters. Good ones will follow-through to take care of your requests. However, experienced SaaS copywriters, such as myself, are apt to take a more proactive approach and suggest where, how and why various sections of your website can be improved.Create a more effective homepageLet’s look at your website now, the static pages. By “static pages,” I mean the pages you don’t change often, the pages readers navigate to from your main menu, and possibly, additional submenus within the site.To maintain a high converting SaaS website, the key pages of your website shouldn’t remain static forever more. On the most important pages, including of course, your homepage, an experienced SaaS copywriter can and should offer ideas worthy of testing for your:Hero shotPage structureFeatured elementsCalls to action (Click for tips and infographic)OffersAnd moreHere’s a deep dive on content, copy and design ideas for your SaaS homepage.Create more effective landing pagesChances are high your company is creating landing pages to serve explicit campaigns in support of ads, content you promote offsite, and downloadable content offered on your site that require prospects to complete forms.Your landing pages should be reviewed and revised by a pro, especially the ones that are under-performing.Present your features effectivelyIn some form, the features of your software are presented in various places on your website, including: homepage, features page(s), video, demonstrations, etc.Have your SaaS copywriter take a close look. I’ve done this countless times. It’s rare I don’t find opportunities to clarify the story and make it more compelling by:Simplifying feature descriptionsRemoving or re-ordering featuresTranslating features to benefitsImproving the visual presentationCraft the collateral you needI have to admit, in the “content marketing era,” the demand for brochures, data sheets, and various documents of the traditional collateral variety has declined dramatically.Still, whether printed, offered as PDFs, or simply as product pages on your website, SaaS companies can’t dismiss the need for product-based sales materials. As your SaaS copywriter, I can work with your product and sales professionals to craft persuasive collateral to generate warmer leads and deals.Make email your most effective toolApologies for the lofty superlative, but if you’re not working with your copywriter to make email your most effective tool, you’re missing the boat in modern digital marketing.Email takes so many shapes and forms and can speak to prospects and customers at a variety of stages. I encourage my clients to allow me to offer strategic guidance and writing for:NewslettersThank you emailAutoresponder sequencesAbandoned cart emailSpecial offersAnd whatever emails are needed to nuture leads, increase sales, and build stronger relationshipsHelp with social media marketingThere they are: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn (yes, it’s time to count Google+ out)…Are you using them to promote content, engage members, and most importantly, build relationships?In a consulting role, I’ll offer my SaaS clients strategies for making social media activities more meaningful for the development of their brand. And in a copywriter role, I’ll write social media ads and key updates to support content distribution efforts.I also can help analyze social media analytics and suggest appropriate tools, resources and approaches to help you realize the benefits of social media marketing.Write ads that earn clicksI’m in my fourth decade of writing ads. Shwew. The media has changed a lot. The psychology hasn’t changed at all. The tactics you need to be effective fall somewhere in between.My point: as your SaaS copywriter, I’ll write effective ads that will create clicks for your company.Help execute effective content promotionYou’re probably not in the habit of asking or tasking your copywriter to help you distribute and promote your content. Understood. In most cases, it won’t be their forte.However, I’m eager and able to help you.Check out this detailed post about maximizing your content reach.Harness the power of influencersI think we can agree bringing influencers into the fold can have big impact on the marketing of your SaaS platform. While there’s no singular formula for executing influencer marketing, I tend to recommend strategically recruiting the right industry leaders and influential voices to collaborate on content creation.Executions might include:Roundup blog postsA series of interviewsVideo interviewsUser-generated contentGuest blogging30 Action Items to Get Serious About Influencer MarketingTurn the funnel into an hourglassI recently read Subscription Marketing by Anne Janzer. Great book. Then I reached out to Anne, had a call with her and learned even more. Here’s the deal (you know this if you’re an accomplished SaaS marketer)…While generating leads will always be important, long-term success depends on something else…Value nurturing.Successful subscription marketers increase retention (thereby reducing churn) or they fail. This means the funnel doesn’t become a thin lane at the bottom. It becomes a feeder into a process that resembles a reverse funnel—or hourglass (see below). Buyers become loyal customers that are more valuable to your brand because they:Stick around and keep payingBuy additional servicesVouch for your brandRefer your brand to the people they knowAnd essentially, help you market your brandA complete SaaS copywriter and content marketing consultant will help you examine strategies focused on the value nurturing processes that represent the lower half of the hourglass. The goal, of course, is to produce marketing assets that will power the most persuasive type of marketing of them all: word-of-mouth.Ready to rock your SaaS copy, content and marketing strategy?>> Let’s connect.

This sounds like a terrible way to run a business, but I urge you to ignore any references from me or anyone else you don’t know to hook you up with a consultant.Take the smarter, lower-risk route instead:Learn about what consultants do and what to expect in various retention scenarios.A simple, straightforward guide is How to Work Effectively With Consultants: Get the Best From Independent Experts from MindTools, if you’re new to this.If you’re ready to dive in the deep end, Salesforce has some great guidance that delves into the why, how, when and more of hiring an outside expert (including the SOW described below):https://help.salesforce.com/servlet/servlet.FileDownload?file=015300000035KkMAAUBefore you even think of hiring a consultant, invest the time in writing an RFP (Request For Proposals) if that’s how your company outsources work. Here’s an example of a comprehensive RFP from an NGO, who tend to have government-quality (the best) contract attorneys who write their stuff: https://www.apec.org/Projects/-/media/Files/Projects/Resources/Sample-RFP.doc?la=en&hash=4C1268B1ABBF06D11A904100C13794C6AF76D440&hash=4C1268B1ABBF06D11A904100C13794C6AF76D440My preferred route is to develop something we call an SOW (called Scope of Work / Statement of Work interchangeably) to define the purpose and quantifiable metrics that determine the consultant’s success or failure on each item.See the end of this answer for links to several SOW examples, from simple to complex, that you can reference for your SOW.There’s also an SOW model known as FAST, which you can learn about here:Use the FAST Agreement to Simplify your Advisory RelationshipAll Scope of Work documents should contain a timeline, schedule, key information about the project and, of course, and the budget available for the project. Effective SOWs include the following:Objectives: All objectives should be reasonable and measurable in terms of outcome. The objectives of the project should be discussed will in advance of this document, but the paperwork should again re-iterate your final goal. If you’re building a deck, you’ll spell out the dimensions and other important details about the final product.The objectives should answer the question “Why?” for you and your consultant as well. If you’re creating a SOW for a marketing project, the objective may be “to increase sales by 25% through the use of paid and organic discount promotions on social media platforms. The platforms used and distribution of promotion inventory must be based on audience analysis and targeting methodology to ensure maximum reach and conversion.”Whatever your objective is, it needs to be something that is realistic to achieve. This is a precursor step to creating detailed tasks within the list of deliverables, so don’t get into the weeds of tasking in the SOW. Deliverables are just that…they are items handed off to the client for their review and approval.Statement or Scope of Work:This statement defines the work that will be done and the steps to completing it as well as the deliverables —. the work that will be completed and handed to the client. For example, when you’re renovating a bathroom, you don’t renovate it all at once. Instead, you will tackle each step in the most logical order, probably starting with replacing the bathtub, shower and toilet and finishing up with new tiling and grout. Each of these items will also include their own steps.Deliverables are the final product that the consultant creates and gives the client. They are tangible items that are easily accepted or rejected. It is also important to state exactly what deliverables are being created and include the details that accurately describe each deliverable. If you can’t measure it, it’s not a deliverable.“Improve employee morale” isn’t a deliverable. It’s an aspiration.There are tasks and deliverables that will contribute to improving morale. If you don’t know what is required to improve morale, the deliverable would be “Create comprehensive plan to define, measure, report and assess overall morale on multiple dimensions for all employees at the Headquarters office that includes recommended action items as next steps for addressing morale issues.”If you have current data that accurately reflects morale on an array of dimensions, the deliverables will include the specific issues to address in the timeframe of the consulting contract: “Produce detailed plan with three unique options for a corporate policy on allowing employees dogs in the workplace, including risk assessments, adverse outcomes and mitigation options to address both.”The SOW should be written as a definitive statement, with as few vague, broad or undefined elements as possible. You will make revisions and adjustments for the final SOW included in the consulting contract that is binding and mutually accepted, but you’ll be more successful when your plan is more well-baked at the time you start talking to consultants.Most revisions and negotiated adjustments occur in these areas:Schedule: This is where you will set milestones; dates for each project to be completed; and specifics on who will do what. If your consulting needs involve multiple departments or decision-making authorities, you will need to coordinate to make sure the schedule is workable.Price: This will include the cost of labor, goods, and any subcontractors. If there are payment milestones required, this information will usually be proposed by the consultant and should be included in the SOR price section, not the schedule. The schedule applies only to deliverables. The pricing section is provided by the consultant for the client to know if they are paying a fixed fee or billable hours worked plus expenses mutually defined and agreed upon by both sides. Payment terms often run on a 30 day billing cycle for hourly work, or a 30%/30%/40% payment schedule for flat rate work. terms. Make sure that you specify or mutually agree beforehand whether payments are based on completed milestones, a schedule or periodic billing statements.Acceptance: You won’t complete the acceptance section until you decide to retain the client, but it’s good to include this clause in the document to convey the firm nature of your SOW and the intention to convert it to a binding, enforceable schedule of the contract. This section will include the consultant’s signature and the business representative’s signature. Never start a project without getting this signature. It’s more than just a formality; it will help you in the event of a dispute and serves as a legally binding contract for the courts.AFTER YOUR SOW IS DRAFTED:Once you have a good working document, get in touch with professionals you know, trust and are senior enough to be in the decision loop when retaining outside experts and consultants.Make sure you convey the objectives and expectations to your network connections to ensure they understand what you need and who is best suited as a consultant to meet your needs.An IT architecture consultant and a predictive analytics consultant are related, but only in the sense that a pigeon is related to the dinosaurs.Sea lions and Salmon both live in the water. But if you order Salmon at a restaurant and they serve you poached Sea Lion as a substitution, your dinner isn’t going to be what you hoped for.That’s why you select specific entrees from the menu, rather than asking your waiter to “bring me something that lives in the ocean” or “anything a slaughterhouse delivers”.Ask them about consultants they’ve hired; why they hired them; what they were hired to achieve; and how satisfied they were with the results.Ask how the working relationship went, and get a sense of their style, manner and professionalism.Were there problems? How did the consultant address problems? Did they fix them?Were problems caused by the consultant billed to the client, or properly resolved at no charge for the time required to fix them?Ask how they were introduced to your trusted professional; if they’re willing, ask if you can contact the person or firm that gave them the referral.Contact them and ask the same questions.If they sound helpful and engaged, ask if they’d be willing to stay in contact with you if either needs a referral or introduction to someone else who can offer one.You want a network of referral sources that is broad, multi-industry and as well-placed as possible.Don’t hire the first referral you get, and don’t hire a consultant if you can’t find more than one strongly recommended option. If your network is unable to refer anyone, ask them for contact info for people they know and trust in their company who might have a consultant to recommend. You will feel a strong urge to hire someone, especially if you have one referral on deck. This is a recipe for disaster, even if the likelihood of disaster is small.Your objective isn’t to hire a consultant: your objective is to solve a problem, reach a goal or obtain understanding of something that will serve the needs of the business.A consultant is a vessel that helps you reach objectives. You must hire the right consultant or wait until you find one who is right for the job.If you hire a consultant and they fail to deliver, you haven’t met any of your objectives. You will rack up a substantial bill for the hours they work before you realize they’re not doing anything. That’s a failure: focus on your objectives, and getting them solved.Basic Statement of Work template examples:Simple form SOW:http://templatelab.com/scope-of-work-templates/?wpdmdl=5464Detailed, formal SOW:http://templatelab.com/scope-of-work-templates/?wpdmdl=5542Moderately detailed SOW:http://templatelab.com/scope-of-work-templates/?wpdmdl=5536And Use the FAST Agreement to Simplify your Advisory RelationshipGood luck!