Big Ring Media Team, Inc.
Specializing in applications stories
What We OfferWe provide writing and photography services that demystify technology. While we can work from any point of view, we have found that there is no better way to explain complex technologies than through applications stories. Seeing how technology is employed and hearing users' experiences in their own words adds critical human interest, drama, and even humor. Readers gain understanding and feel empathy. Their experience is much more rewarding than if they had read a compilation of specs shrouded in marketing hyperbole. Yet the writing is tightly focused to make maximum use of readers' time.
The Advantage To You
Readers associate you with articles that are informative but also engage their intellect. They know you value them as persons, not simply as potential buyers of advertisers' goods and services. You gain respect, trust, and are viewed as a credible source of insights into technology. And adding human interest further reduces the risk that readers will dismiss your copy as advertorial.
How We Work
Our services are tailored to your needs. We can work up complete articles from our offices by relying on phone interviews, online research, and stock photos. At the other end of our service spectrum we go on site to perform personal interviews, conduct local research, and shoot project-specific photos. We can develop our own list of contacts but our clients often prefer we work from a list provided by their editorial and sales personnel, an approach that works very well for everyone. We can deliver lengthy features, spreads, short pieces, online content, or any combination of these. All material is provided to sources for tech review to ensure accuracy before being delivered to the client.
Fees
Each project is priced according to the needs of the client. You'll know your end cost before we start work and that will be your fixed, final fee. No hidden costs. No last-minute add-ons. If a client issues a change order, the scope and cost of that order will be agreed to before the change is implemented. Because each project is individually priced, we can't cite specific fees here. However, typical fees for short pieces with no travel are $1200 to $2000, for online content with no travel are $500 to $1000, and for full-length features with travel are $3500 to $5000. We're always seeking ways to minimize our clients' net costs. For example, we often provide packages of materials derived from the same project, such as a feature, online content, a product review, and a business profile. Or we may combine several projects that fit different parts of a client's editorial calendar into a single effort. Either of these approaches reduces the cost-per-unit and provides you with more advertising opportunities. We also combine projects from multiple clients when possible and prorate such things as travel expenses among them.
Who We Are
The Big Ring Media Team has always been a small company and since 2008 has been operated solely by husband and wife team Richard and Julie Ries. Richard began his writing and photography business in 1984 and incorporated that business as the Big Ring Media Team in 1999. Julie's work history includes extensive management experience with retail antiques and at the Lanier Mansion, a State historical site in Madison, Indiana.