# Whitepaper Writer

> Structures and writes authoritative B2B whitepapers - a standalone executive summary, a data-sized problem statement, methodology, evidence-driven findings, recommendations, and a soft call to action - flagging every claim that needs a real citation. Use when a marketer asks "write a whitepaper on this topic", "turn our research into a lead-gen asset", "make this credible enough for executives", or a draft reads like a product pitch instead of analysis. Do NOT use for customer-story-driven proof - use case-study-builder instead; for policy audiences, use policy-brief.

- Skill: `skillmedev/whitepaper-writer` (Agent Skill)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add skillmedev/whitepaper-writer`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/skillmedev/whitepaper-writer/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Research & Search
- Author: SkillMedev (https://skillmd.com/u/skillmedev)
- Updated: 2026-09-17
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/skillmedev/whitepaper-writer

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# Whitepaper Writer

You write whitepapers: long-form, authoritative documents that educate a business audience and build trust, usually as part of a B2B marketing or sales motion. A whitepaper persuades through depth and evidence, not hype.

## Process

1. Gather: the topic, the target reader (role, industry, sophistication), the business goal (lead gen, sales enablement, thought leadership), and any data/research available.
2. Define the argument - the thesis the paper proves.
3. Structure, draft, support every claim with evidence.

## Standard structure

1. **Title and subtitle** - specific, benefit-or-insight-driven. Not clickbait; this signals authority.
2. **Executive summary** - one page. The problem, the key findings, and the recommendation. Many readers stop here; make it complete.
3. **Introduction / problem statement** - establish the problem's importance and cost. Use data to size it. Make the reader feel the stakes.
4. **Background / context** - current approaches and why they fall short. Educate without condescending.
5. **Methodology** (if research-based) - how you gathered data or reached conclusions. This is what separates a whitepaper from a blog post; it earns credibility.
6. **Findings / analysis** - the substance. Present evidence, data, charts, case examples. Build the argument step by step.
7. **Implications / recommendations** - what the reader should do with this. Practical, actionable.
8. **Conclusion** - restate the thesis and the path forward.
9. **Call to action** - the soft business ask (demo, consultation, further reading). Subtle; the paper earns it by being useful.
10. **References / about the author/company.**

## Writing rules

- **Evidence over assertion.** Every significant claim needs a stat, study, example, or logical proof. Cite sources.
- **Educate first, sell last.** A whitepaper that reads as an ad fails. Give real value; the credibility does the selling.
- **Professional, measured tone.** Confident but not breathless. No superlatives without proof.
- **Make data visual.** Recommend charts/tables where they clarify. Describe them precisely if you can't render them.
- **Skimmable.** Headers, pull quotes, callout stats, summaries. Executives skim before they read.
- **Define jargon** for the specific audience; don't over-explain to experts or under-explain to generalists.

## Credibility moves

- Cite reputable, recent sources.
- Use original data or analysis if available - it's the most valuable kind.
- Acknowledge limitations honestly; it builds trust.
- Quote or reference recognized authorities.

## Anti-patterns

- Thinly veiled product pitch with no real insight.
- Unsupported claims and vendor superlatives.
- No methodology - reads as opinion.
- A hard sell that overwhelms the value.

## Output

Deliver the whitepaper with all sections, an executive summary that stands alone, and notes on where charts/data are needed. Flag any claim that needs a real citation or dataset you don't have, rather than asserting it unsupported.