An Extra Income Stream

Report writing is often overlooked as a source of income for writers, but it can be a lucrative one. So it’s well worth finding out what this opportunity is all about—and how you can make the most of it.  

Report writing involves the creation of a concise document to inform readers about a specific topic. The report may also make recommendations for future actions. In a professional setting, it typically requires the writer to outline some aspect of an organization's work and draw conclusions about its effectiveness. 

For example, a budgetary report may outline the annual expenditures of a marketing department and present recommendations for reducing them. By implementing the recommendations, the company may be able to save money. 

Sometimes, you may receive instructions on how to structure your report and what to include in it. You may also be told what the report recipient wants to get out of reading it. Bearing these factors in mind is a critical part of effective report writing.

There are many types of reports to write. The most common ones include:

Research Reports

Organizations conduct research on all kinds of topics, often spending a lot of money in the process. But none of the data produced is useful unless managers can understand it. That’s where report writers come in.

Your job in this instance is to summarize the important information in a form that’s easy to understand. The skill lies in extracting the key data without getting bogged down in detail. 

Sales and Marketing Reports

When entering new markets, companies need to know a lot about the opportunity they are considering, including:

By putting together a sales and marketing report, you can help executives cut through the noise and get to grips with what they need to know. 

Annual Reports

Public companies are obliged to produce annual reports for distribution to their shareholders. While accountants will put together all the financial info, several other sections need to be written.

As a report writer, you can help with creating these sections, including:

One advantage of this type of work is that budget is usually not a problem. Companies will spend whatever it takes to communicate positive messages about their work. 

White Papers

Let’s start with a definition—what is a white paper exactly? According to Investopedia:

A white paper is an informational document usually issued by a company or not-for-profit organization to promote or highlight the features of a solution, product, or service that it offers or plans to offer. White papers are also used as a method of presenting government policies and legislation and gauging public reaction. 

Hi-tech companies often use white papers to explain their technology. Someone on the technical team usually writes the first draft of these. The problem is, such people are notoriously bad at writing in plain English. 

As a professional report writer, you can help. Your job is to turn the technical ‘gobbledegook’ into simple language that’s easy to understand. This is a skill that comes with practice. But when you’ve mastered it, you can make a lot of money. 

PDF Giveaways

Businesses often give away reports to entice people to join their mailing lists. For example, a financial services company may offer a free PDF on, ‘10 Ways to Increase Your Retirement Nest Egg.’

These reports need to offer valuable information in a digestible format. So you will use your writing skills to produce a report that fulfills the promise made. 

There are many other kinds of reports that you could be asked to write. Once you get a reputation in this sector, an interesting variety of work will likely come your way. 

Raking in Report Money

Report writing is an under-the-radar writing niche, but there is a lot of money to be made if you know what you are doing. According to Salary.com, report writers typically earn between $48,463 and $158,361annually.

That’s the range for someone in a full-time job. But as an independent freelancer, you have an opportunity to earn more. Based on feedback from our members, you can expect report writing to pay in the following range:

If you want to make the big bucks, it’s a good idea to specialize in database report writing. This requires some technical knowledge, but it ramps up your earning potential. But whatever kind of reports you choose to write, you can make an excellent income in this niche. 

Be the Best

Most executives struggle to write reports because they don’t have a plan. The result is muddled and confusing information that no one can understand. No wonder professional report writers are in such demand!

You can avoid making the same mistakes by following this writing plan:

Narrow Down Your Audience

You need to be 100% clear on who will read the report. It’s important to understand how much they know about the topic and what their level of expertise is.

Once you know this, you will find it much easier to write a report with the right tone and style. You will be able to include enough technical detail without overloading readers with complexity. 

Investigate your Topic

For a report of limited scope, you may not be required to do much investigation or research. Other reports, like financial updates, require you to evaluate documents and other records to gather data.

Decide What Information to Include

Reports should be concise and focused, so selecting the most valuable information for inclusion is important.  When you start the project, you will probably receive a lot of data, much of which may be irrelevant. 

You need to sift through everything and discard anything off-topic. Focus on the relevant information and get familiar with the details. 

Structure your Information

The basic structure of a report consists of an introduction, main body, and conclusion. Within this broad template, you may choose to present data in various ways, including tables, graphs, or bullet points. 

For instance, a list of recommendations in bullet point form can help a reader identify your proposals and review them. A graph can help a reader to understand sales figures more easily by showing them visually whether they are increasing or decreasing.

Write Professionally

Your report will appear more convincing and credible if it’s written using professional language. You don’t want to be too formal, but the document needs to be business-like. 

Your vocabulary should be a little more technical than you would use in other forms of writing. But keep sentences and paragraphs short and easy to read. If people can scan the report and get the gist of it, that will work to your advantage. 

Example Report Structure

Although every report is different, there are many common elements. Here’s a good report structure to use as a template for report writing projects. 

1. Title page

2. Abstract or overview

3. Table of contents

4. Introduction

5. Main body

6. Conclusion

7. Title Page

This should include the title of your report, your full name, the date of the report, and your company's name.

Abstract or Overview

Sometimes called an executive summary, the abstract should give the reader a brief outline of the issues dealt with in your report and the conclusions you draw. You can present some specific details, but do this sparingly, so you don’t repeat material presented in the main body.

Table of Contents

This is only required in longer reports over three or four pages in length. It should list the page number on which each section begins.

Introduction

The introduction explains your report’s purpose and the areas it will cover. The idea is to let the reader know what they will learn. This section is usually short so that the reader can quickly familiarise themselves with what to expect and then move on.

Main Body

This is where you will discuss the subject of your report and present relevant information to back up your points. For example, the main body of a sales report could feature the figures from each sales team in separate tables. 

Conclusion

Here you should discuss the findings of your report and make appropriate recommendations. For instance, a report on your company's IT systems may identify that employees are not correctly using certain features within the content management system. So you may recommend that everyone attends a compulsory one-hour training session to explain the basics.

The conclusion should be brief and avoid introducing new information not been previously discussed. Conclusions that are too long can divert attention away from the recommendations.

Report-Writing Tactics

If you want to stand out as an exceptional report writer, here are some tips to point you in the right direction. Follow these, and you will put yourself in the top tier of report-writing professionals. 

Write the Executive Summary Last

Although the executive summary comes at the beginning of a report, it's a mistake to write this first. Instead, go ahead and write the main body of the report. Then come back to the executive summary later.

You will then find it much easier to extract the information you need to write this introductory section. Keep the summary short, so busy executives can skim and get the gist of what’s important.

Stay Focused 

Make sure you understand the purpose of your report and who you’re writing it for.  It’s a good idea to write a clear objective statement. This helps you decide what’s relevant and important for the reader. You can use the objective as the title of the report, or put it in the introduction. 

Plan Before You Write

Gather all your research and relevant information before starting your first draft. You might need to interview people, do some background reading or carry out experiments.

Decide on a structure for your report. Ask yourself: 

Plan your structure by writing all your points on a piece of paper, then grouping these ideas into sections and headings. Alternatively, try a ‘mind map.’ Write a subject word in a box, and then write ideas around it, drawing lines to connect them to the subject word. Doing this can help you see where information is related and where it can be grouped.

Edit Carefully

When creating reports, you are often writing about specialized topics. This means that external editors or proofreaders may struggle to understand the details. 

Because of this, you need to review the document very carefully yourself. If possible, put it aside for 24 hours after writing, then re-read. You are sure to spot errors and find better ways to rewrite some sections. In report writing, careful editing makes a big difference to the quality of the output. 

Be sure to ask yourself:

Report writing has the potential to keep you busy. And that means you can make very good money! If you are looking for a new way to make money from writing, creating reports may be the perfect fit for you.