Writing services
What I can do for you
I am happy to consider any sort of writing work, however long or short, and however technical or complex.
I particularly enjoy explaining difficult concepts in easy-to-read plain English, but I am also comfortable in a range of styles including commercial, web, academic, technical, public sector and even literary.
Writing that is clear, persuasive and well argued will help greatly in putting your message across to your readers.
Types of writing
I can help you with any sort of writing, including
Letters
Reports
Blogs
Websites
Articles
Speeches
and presentations
Minutes of meetings
Manuals and instructions
User guides
Publicity leaflets
Entire books
etc.
Areas of knowledge
I will happily work on any subject, however complex or technical.
I've a degree in physics and a PhD in physiology, and good knowledge of:
Health and healthcare
A
wide range of sciences
Exercise and nutrition
Environment/ecology
Nuclear power
IT
Government
& the civil service
Music
and much more; see About me for further details.
My experience
I have written hundreds of thousands of words professionally as a writer, and hundreds of thousands more in previous jobs in the private and public sectors, including
Two books (a guide to health and disease, and a novel)
Numerous reports, policy documents, analyses and proposals
Text for project plans and a business plan
Keynote and other speeches, including for ministers and senior civil
servants
Minutes of countless meetings, many at a senior level
Presentations
Press releases
Government documents aimed at the public
Scientific papers
A vast number of letters to people at all levels
Scripts
See Examples for some samples of my writing and About me for details of my main previous work experience.
How much will it cost?
The price depends on how long the work will take me, plus any expenses such as for travelling to meetings. My hourly rate is fairly typical and I am generally able to complete work quickly, which means I offer you good value for money.
The price I give you will normally be a maximum amount. The exceptions are if you change your requirements significantly, when I would need to come back to you with a revised higher price.
If the work takes significantly less time than I estimated then I will give an appropriate discount.
URGENT WORK: If you have an urgent deadline to meet, I may be able to help by working beyond my normal hours or by delaying other work. I would need to charge an additional 20% for this.
How to commission me
First, have a look at the "Availability" section of my Contact page; and perhaps send me an email to make sure I haven't suddenly become snowed under.
If you aren't sure exactly what you want, or you'd like to find out more about me before going further, give me a call. I'm quite friendly!
I'll need the following to calculate a price for you:
An outline of the work, with as much detail as you can conveniently give, including
The intended readership
Your
formatting requirements. Are you happy
with an ordinary Word document, or do you need special formatting
for, say, a leaflet, a presentation or to meet a publisher's
requirements? (Please note that I am not a typesetter,
although I have a reasonable eye for layout.)
Any
style requirements, such as matching a
particular style, working in US English, following a company style
sheet, etc.
A rough idea of the total number of words
or pages.
Any other specific requirements.
How I obtain the basic material I need for the writing, such as
meetings, phone calls or
Skype discussions
documents or other
written material
through my own
research
etc.
The earliest start date, and your deadline.
Your maximum budget, if you have one. Don't worry, I will set you the same price whatever your budget is; but if your maximum is lower than what I need to charge, I will either suggest ways to reduce the cost or I will politely turn down the work.
Your contact details.
Once we have agreed this information I will summarise it in an email with a price for the work and an indication of when it will be complete.
At any stage in the process, if you feel unsure of anything at all please just give me a call.
I look forward to working with you.
