Research Writer Interview With Karson

The immediate impetus for my interest in freelance writing is a recent reading of Dave Tomar's The Shadow Scholar. Tomar opened my eyes to a field that I was only marginally aware of and made good arguments for why it should not necessarily be considered “shady” or frowned upon (as it is by many of my colleagues in the academic library world). I realized that I have a talent for which there is a substantial market and that there is no reason I should not capitalize on it.

My academic interests have always been wide-ranging. A fascination with the structure of the world of knowledge is what led me to my current career as a librarian. That, and the fact that I enjoy research and writing and assisting others in the research and writing process. I get great satisfaction in helping students and faculty fill their information needs, learn to utilize resources they did not know existed, or employ proper style and citation formats.

I always look forward to the opportunity to explore and write about new and interesting topics. If I can do this while providing a service to students who may be struggling with heavy workloads and tight deadlines, then all the better. I can write clearly and quickly and follow instructions explicitly. With my background in information science and access to the many local libraries, archives, and information centers available in a large city, I can draw on many reputable and unique resources in my research, as compared to the more limited resources available on the internet alone.

My information science background has also given me excellent search skills, whether utilizing a web search engine or an academic database. The ability to not only define exactly what you are looking for, but also to express it in well-formed queries appropriate to the source at hand is an important skill. Efficiently judging the relevance, authority, currency, and scope of a resource or set of search results is a companion skill and equally important.

This ability to refine a query is also useful when communicating with clients. Sometimes one must help the client define his or her precise information need, as well as the parameters of the work being requested. Is it an assignment with strict guidelines as to topic, sources, and format? Is it a free-form essay for a college admissions package? How many words, pages, references, etc. are required or desired? What exactly is the range of topics to be chosen from? I can work tactfully and diplomatically with clients in order to define all of the necessary parameters of the work and give them a product they are satisfied with.

Having pursued significant studies in the fine and performing arts, humanities, and social sciences, I have a wide range of knowledge to draw on. I can write on specialized topics in these fields, such as music theory, logic, and statistics. Within these areas, I have written everything from research proposals to annotated bibliographies, from poetry and musical compositions to graduate theses. There are other formats, more relevant to the working world, that I also have experience with: grant proposals, resumes and cover letters, budgets, project charters, job descriptions, etc.

I believe that my professional and educational background gives me a breadth of subject knowledge, versatility in terms of format and style, and a variety of skills that would make me an asset to any company providing custom essays and related services. I have a genuine desire to help others and look forward to any opportunity to apply my skills and knowledge.