rogerd - 1:30 pm on Nov 28, 2005 (gmt 0)

Briefing a professional journalist is different than briefing a copywriter, or at least it CAN be in many cases. Your expectations should be somewhat different, too. An experienced magazine writer (you'll have to gauge the level of experience from the writing samples) will be able to produce a well-researched, very readable article on your topic. You'll need to specify the length, the audience, any editorial considerations, etc.

If you are looking for optimized web copy, you may end up with some conflicts. Skilled writers like to use cleverly worded headlines and avoid using the same phrase twice in the copy. Here's the dilemma - if you try to get the author to write to some kind of optimization specs, it's likely to be a frustrating and unpleasant experience (unless the author is interested in developing a new skill set). On the other hand, if you take well-written copy and replace clever wordplay with keyword repetition, the author may be unhappy that you butchered the copy.

My advice is to have a clear understanding of your expectations and what will happen with the copy after the author is done. As long as everyone knows what's expected up front, problems later in the process will be minimized.