It should be a very satisfying experience as you and your writer work together to transform your goals and ideas into words. Here are some important points to ensure the success of your relationship.

Talk first--Your writer will need a lot of information about you or your company. Before you even meet with your writer for the first time, gather together any other written material about your business. This includes recent newsletters, brochures, relevant Web pages or any articles that have been written about your company. When you do meet, your writer will probably ask you several questions about your company's background, goals for the current writing project and target audience.

Work as a team--Many writing projects require approval or input from other people at the company. Get this going in the very early stages of a writing project. In fact, it's a very good idea to include people who will need to contribute to the project in the first or second meeting with the writer.

How much will it cost?--Writers generally charge in two different ways--on a project basis or an hourly basis. It may take your writer a few days after meeting with you to decide on the costs involved. Make sure you know what services are included: meeting time, writing time, editing, arrangements with graphic designers, travel, or other expenses that you and your writer will negotiate. A writer may be able to charge you on a project basis if the writing assignment is a short-term job, such as a brochure or a number of newsletters. An hourly basis would be appropriate for a more long-term project, such as developing the content for a Web site--a job which often changes in scope.

Expect editing--It is very unusual for you or your writer to get it exactly right the first time. Writing is an evolving process. Expect several drafts before the final material is finished. In the end, you will be amazed at what you started with, compared to your completed writing project.