The Abstract Trap: Why Abstracts Are Bad for Persuasive White Papers

Abstracts, also known as executive summaries, are bad. As a matter of fact, they are really bad, and I stand nearly alone in my opinion. Abstracts are those summaries that typically stand in front of the core content of a white paper. They tend to include the key points about the white paper.

Stelzner, Michael A. WhitePaperSource (2006). Articles>Writing>Rhetoric>White Papers

ATTW Calls for Papers Database  

This section of the ATTW site is available to all visitors. It allows you to post or view calls for journal articles, conference presentations, award nominations, etc.

ATTW. Academic>Calls For Papers

The Bleach Wars  

Blank paper...could anything be more basic and uncontroversial? Who'd have thought those innocuous white sheets could cause such a ruckus? Learn what the fuss is about and why paper mills and environmentalists are lining up on either side of the presses.

Sidles, Constance J. Adobe Magazine (1998). Design>Document Design>Prepress>Paper

Buying Laser Paper That Won't Jam  

How to choose paper for laser printing.

Sidles, Constance J. Adobe Magazine (1996). Design>Document Design>Prepress>Paper

Calls for Papers: Technical Communication

The EServer CFP site is a database-driven collection of calls for papers in several fields, including TC.

Sauer, Geoffrey. EServer. Academic>Calls For Papers

Center for Information Society Studies: Call for Papers

A current list of CFP's from a variety of disciplines and professional groups.

CISS. Academic>Calls For Papers>Cultural Theory

Choice Paper  

Even the pros forget the basics sometimes. Constance Sidles gives a quick refresher course on asking yourself, and your client, all the right questions when you're choosing paper.

Sidles, Constance J. Adobe Magazine (1998). Design>Document Design>Prepress>Paper

Coming to Terms  

Picking paper involves deciphering a lot of arcane terminology. Here's a quick reference guide.

Sidles, Constance J. Adobe Magazine (1996). Articles>Document Design>Prepress>Paper

Dead Tree or Detailed Treatise: What is a White Paper?

So what exactly is a white paper? This is one of those questions many people have been wrestling with for some time. If you look up the term in a dictionary, you'll find an outdated response describing a government report.

Stelzner, Michael A. WhitePaperSource (2006). Articles>Writing>Business Communication>White Papers

Digital Paper Platform: Papers Impact Digital Print Quality

As digital printers and presses advance, paper manufacturers continue to improve the quality and variety of their digital paper lines.

Hitchcock, Nancy A. PennWell (2004). Design>Publishing>Prepress>Paper

Eleven Tips on Terrific Titles

Honestly, which white paper would YOU sooner read: 'Implications of Business Intelligence Methodologies on Operational Efficiencies: A Retrospective Study' or 'Six Things You Must Know about Data Warehousing'? This article offers eleven tips on putting together compelling titles for white papers.

Graham, Gordon. WhitePaperSource (2006). Articles>Writing>Rhetoric>White Papers

Everybody Makes Mistakes  

Special 'blooper reel' edition: the author's biggest paper mistakes.

Sidles, Constance J. Adobe Magazine (1996). Design>Document Design>Prepress>Paper

Extracting Pearls from Other People's Brains: The Art of Interviewing

Perhaps one of the bigger challenges faced by white paper writers is coming up with good content. The default course of action is to do a Google search. While this approach can yield valuable information, the best pearls reside inside someone else's head.

Stelzner, Michael A. WhitePaperSource (2006). Articles>Interviewing>Research>White Papers

Freelancing From Home: Don't Interview Folks in Your Pajamas

Have you ever considered breaking out of your nine to five and 5-by-5-foot cubicle to become a full-time freelance writer?

Hartsock, Nettie. WhitePaperSource (2006). Careers>Freelance>Business Communication>White Papers

Getting Off the Starting Block: Practical Tips to Starting a White Paper

Why are white papers so hard to write? Simply put, they require effort. Effort makes us sweat. Just the thought of working hard causes some people's blood to percolate.

Stelzner, Michael A. WhitePaperSource (2006). Articles>Writing>Rhetoric>White Papers

A Guide to International Paper Sizes  

Metrics, not U.S. measurements, rule the universe. Therefore, before preparing publications for distribution abroad, you need to understand the basics of ISO paper standards.

Copresco (2000). Articles>Document Design>International>Paper

How to Find Clients Who Need White Papers

Freelancers often wonder where to find clients. What kind of companies need white papers written for them, anyway? Here's three simple questions that will tell you the answer.

Graham, Gordon. WhitePaperSource (2006). Careers>Freelance>Writing>White Papers

The Ineffable Mystery of Paper Grades  

It was so much easier when we just had papyrus.

Sidles, Constance J. Adobe Magazine (1999). Design>Publishing>Prepress>Paper

Members' Tips for Writing a Compelling White Paper  

It takes time and a strong focus to create a solid white paper, according to TechRepublic members who shared tips and insight about white paper creation. Find out what should be your first step and your last for a successful effort.

Mottl, Judith N. TechRepublic (2003). Articles>Business Communication>Writing>White Papers

Michael Stelzner's Writing White Papers Blog  

Michael Stelzner's Writing White Papers Blog is offers comprehensive look at all white paper related topics, from writing to marketing.

Stelzner, Michael A. WhitePaperSource (2006). Articles>Writing>White Papers>Blogging

Only the Strong Survive  

Picking the right strength characteristics when you're buying paper can determine whether your job holds up on press, in the mail, or in your customers' hands.

Sidles, Constance J. Adobe Magazine (1997). Articles>Document Design>Prepress>Paper

Paper at Its Peak: The Myth of the Myth of the Paperless Office

Anyone who writes for a living can, like me, describe a long love-hate relationship with paper as the conveyer of the written word. There's something physically appealing about putting pen to paper, as there is about picking up and reading a well-produced bound document.

Garrison, Ronald W. Carolina Communique (2007). Articles>Workplace>Business Communication>Paper

Paper Fits (and What to Do About Them)  

Save money by designing to fit standard printing-paper sizes.

Sidles, Constance J. Adobe Magazine (1996). Design>Document Design>Prepress>Paper

Paper Prototyping Grows Up  

This paper summarizes findings from several research studies that examined the validity of paper prototyping in terms of uncovering usability problems. It also discusses the question of how paper prototypes might bias a usability test, and the role of case studies in the usability literature.

Snyder, Carolyn. STC Proceedings (2004). Articles>Usability>Prototyping>Paper

Paper Tips: Printing on Uncoated Stock

Uncoated paper has a soft finish and tactile quality not possible with most coated papers. But uncoated stock also interacts differently with ink than it coated cousins. Follow these tips to ensure the best results.

Creative Pro (2004). Design>Document Design>Prepress>Paper