Don’t hurry through preparing your final white paper document, or you may have some embarrassing mistakes to deal with later. In this penultimate step, everyone gets involved — the writer, illustrator (if any), designer (if any), and client.
The writer makes any final changes in the text, while the illustrator makes any last tweaks to the graphics. If a designer is onboard, he pours the text and graphics into his chosen design software and generates a PDF for the client to review. If no designer was used for the project, the writer completes the final pages in Word and generates a PDF for the client to review.
Everyone takes another look-see to make sure no last glitches turn up, and the designer fixes any final problems. Then the designer delivers all the source files and the final PDF for the white paper to the client. At the end, the white paper is finished and ready to be posted on the web.
| Step | Who | What |
|---|---|---|
| 11.1 | Illustrator | Refines graphics to incorporate final comments |
| 11.2 | Illustrator | Sends final graphics to writer, designer, and client |
| 11.3 | Illustrator | Sends invoice to client (if outsourced) |
| 11.4 | Writer | Refines text to incorporate final comments |
| 11.5 | Writer | Sends final text to client and designer |
| 11.6 | Writer | Sends final invoice to client (if outsourced) |
| 11.7 | Designer | Creates draft pages with text and graphics |
| 11.8 | Designer | Generates draft PDF and sends it to client |
| 11.9 | Client | Reviews draft PDF and sends comments (if any) to designer |
| 11.10 | Designer | Refines draft pages and creates final PDF |
| 11.11 | Client | Proofreads final PDF |
| 11.12 | Designer | Puts keywords and other metadata into final PDF |
| 11.13 | Designer | Sends all source files and final PDF to client |
| 11.14 | Designer | Sends invoice to client (if outsourced) |
What the illustrator does to finalize the white paper
The illustrator refines the graphics to incorporate any final comments from reviewers and sends them to the writer, the designer (if any), and the client. When the client is satisfied with the graphics, the illustrator (if outsourced) sends in an invoice.
What the writer does to finalize the white paper
The writer refines the white paper to incorporate any final comments from reviewers and sends the final text to the client and the designer. If the writer is from outside the company, he sends in his final invoice.
If the project has no designer, the writer does all the tasks assigned to the designer: Prepares the final pages in Word — or his chosen design software — and creates a draft PDF for the client to approve. If the client has any comments, the writer/designer refines the pages to incorporate these comments and then sends the client another PDF.
When the client is satisfied, the writer/designer inserts the proper keywords and metadata into the PDF for SEO purposes and (if outsourced) sends in his final invoice, which may include a separate fee for page design.
What the designer does to finalize the white paper
The designer pours the final text and graphics into pages for the white paper and creates a draft PDF for the client to approve. If the client has any comments or spots any glitches, the designer makes the required fixes and sends the client another draft PDF.
The client and designer repeat this process until everyone is satisfied with the final PDF. Then the designer inserts the appropriate keywords and metadata into the PDF for SEO purposes and sends in an invoice.
What the client does to finalize the white paper
The client reviews the draft PDF of the final white paper and gives any comments to the designer. The client may repeat this process once or twice, until he’s completely satisfied with the final PDF. The client may want to review the list of keywords before the designer inserts them into the final PDF for SEO purposes.