The Imbalance Creating a BIG Opportunity for Writers (Plenty of Work and $1,000 per PAGE Fees)
By Sandy Franks

It’s rare. So few people own their niche so utterly and completely they are crowned with a title that sticks with them throughout their long career.

Think …

The King of Rock and Roll …

Mr. Television …

The King of Pop …

Mr. Baseball …

Forever synonymous with the specialty that made them famous. Very few reach the career pinnacles Elvis Presley, Milton Berle, Michael Jackson, and Bob Uecker did.

In our copywriting world, there is a guy so well-known for his specialized work that it became his title.

That White Paper Guy.

He’s written over 300 top-notch white papers and counting. And he gets calls from businesses worldwide — too many calls to handle.

His name: Gordon Graham.

And these days, the white paper opportunity for writers is much bigger now than when he started. In addition to the unprecedented growth in content marketing, businesses need help now to fill in the continuing gaps left by cancelled trade shows, conventions, and in-person demonstrations.

As Gordon recently told me, “All through the pandemic, the demand for white papers was steady and even expanding. And now that I’m trying to retire, I find myself turning down a couple of projects every week. I just wish I knew more writers who could handle a white paper!”

Gordon says he turns away over 90 new clients a year. That sounds like a great opportunity for writers to me!

But before we look at how big the white paper market is, let’s talk about what a white paper is, and who can use them.

If you’re not familiar, a white paper is a factual report or guide that informs readers concisely about a B2B offering that’s relatively new, complex, or expensive. It is meant to help readers understand an issue, grasp a new concept, solve a problem, or make a decision.

White papers are not long — most are only 6-8 pages — yet they are still the “heavyweight” in the lengthy B2B sales cycle, providing proof the product can do what you say it can.

You see, they’re a key part of a content marketing strategy, great for drawing attention in a crowd and supporting a product launch. White papers are useful in all three parts of a sales funnel: for generating leads at the top, nurturing prospects in the middle, and supporting evaluations at the bottom. That’s a powerful tool in a B2B marketer’s toolkit.

Businesses highly value white papers, especially technology products because they need explaining. But if you’re not into tech, don’t let that hold you back because any new idea can use a white paper. Finance, HR, insurance, construction, health and wellness, retail, and other industries also use white papers to explain new ideas to their business buyers.

When Gordon was researching his book, White Papers For Dummies, he tried to calculate the size of the white paper market.

He used statistics from countries throughout the English-speaking world, including the U.S. Census and the OECD.

And he was very conservative, only counting companies with more than five employees in industries that traditionally use white papers: software, technical service providers, and high-tech equipment manufacturers for things like medical devices and telecom gear.

Even with all those limits, he came up with 613,230 companies that could use white papers written in English.

And that was more than seven years ago, so he estimates today’s actual count is probably much higher. Think about that. More than a million — and probably several million — businesses in the world could use white papers.

Yet right now, while two out of three B2B vendors are using white papers to promote their company’s products or services, marketing managers are having a lot of trouble finding anyone to write them.

That imbalance — a high demand for white papers but a low supply of writers who know how to create them — means one thing. A huge opportunity for writers trained in this lucrative specialty.

That could be you, Dear Copywriter.

Gordon thinks there is PLENTY of room for you as a White Paper Specialist. He recently explained it to me like this,

“When I first started working on white papers in 1997, the typical quality was pretty terrible. Most that I saw were quite unengaging and unpersuasive. That’s one reason I jumped into this field: I thought I could do better!

“Today, the average quality of white papers is somewhat better. But the bar is still pretty low. It’s not difficult for a writer with some training to create a white paper for a small client that outdoes those from much bigger competitors.

"You can use white papers to level the playing field and help a smaller business compete with the big guys. That’s when you feel like you’re really making a difference for your client. I’ve been doing that for 20 years, and you can too.”

Combine your foundation in copywriting or content writing with white paper writing know-how, and you could be making $1,000 per PAGE.

To get started, you just need a bit of training in what the most popular white paper formats are, how to structure them, where to do the best research, what sources you should use, and how to find quality clients when your training is complete.

Luckily, AWAI has an ideal training Certification for you — but I must warn you, this is a limited opportunity. It may even be your last chance for it. (Check it out now.)

Right now, Gordon is taking on a select few writing protégés who will have the privilege of being personally tutored by him. Spend just six weeks learning directly from him and you can set yourself up for great success in this in-demand specialty.

But Gordon is semi-retiring and he doesn’t know when (or if) he’s going to lead this personal training in the future. He can’t walk away completely because there’s just too much demand for this unique project. But this may be your one and only chance to learn from the man who’s been titled That White Paper Guy for over two decades now.

You’ll want to check this out while enrollment is open. This opportunity can change your career, and your writing income, faster. It’s your turn to make a name for yourself.