White Papers, Case Studies, Web Content
Semiconductors, Electronics, Manufacturing Companies, Physical Science
Double major of physics and mathematics. Physics coursework was a well-rounded curriculum. Mathematics emphasis was on applied mathematics, so included partial differential equations, complex variable theory, and special functions.
Degree was through the General Engineering Department. It was a custom curriculum centered around signal processing, but also included some engineering management, systems engineering, statistical design of experiments, and random variables.
Thesis "Characterizing Elevation Effects of a Prolate Spheroidal HRTF Model" won the engineering school prize for best thesis in the semester of graduation. (HRTF = Head-Related Transfer Function)
Writing articles and white papers from provided or researched sources. The electronics industry is a natural fit based on Rick's 14 years as an engineer in the semiconductor industry. Rick has no objection to working under a non-disclosure agreement (NDA).
What follows is a quote from a LinkedIn recommendation: "His written voice and ability to simplify complex processes is a welcome change from other writers I've tried to work with. I highly recommend him, both for technical, and non-technical audiences."
The below excerpt came from a position white paper describing the client's official position on a certain standardization with the potential to negatively impact their business.
Worked with a building materials supply company on providing content for their monthly newsletter. The content is a 500-word summary of the developments over the past 30 days, and a bit of futurism in the form of market and building supply projections.
What follows is a quote from the client. "Compared to the other copy writers, your work stands out. Almost to the point that I feel guilty changing anything…. writing is a work of art and I feel like my changes blow the chi of your writing."
Articles written include both corporate work and commercial publication work. Expertise and subject matter vary from technical to popular.
Content marketing is critical to competing in the 21st century. As the main fully-owned online property, a company's website is the most important piece of the puzzle.
Rick has built and maintained his own websites for two decades, and did the same for dial-up bulletin boards before the internet was fully integrated into society. Originally, he built his own websites in HTML code, but has since converted to Wordpress.
Content is the most important aspect of a website because it is intended to convert a prospect into a customer or client. It also builds trust with the prospect.
Working with some of the best internet marketing professionals for several years has driven home the importance of integrating SEO strategies into any online content. SEO is important, but it isn't a magic elixir. Search engines want to produce a satisfying experience for their users, so the best way to rank well is produce content people want to read. SEO keywords are a part of that, but they are a part that should remain transparent to the human reader.
White papers are among the most challenging documents to create, but they are also among the most interesting and satisfying. A long document such as a white paper requires somebody able to perform research. It also requires good decisions on what to use and what to leave out. It requires a thoroughness to enable the paper to stand up to scrutiny by a skeptical reader. These documents are intended for technical readers who are unafraid to do a little research of their own.
A prize-winning Masters thesis trained Rick for the rigors of white papers, and his ability to condense technical information into readable copy allows for a variety of target audiences. His fiction track record trained him for writing in active voice.