That White Paper Guy

Hi, I’m Gordon Graham, award-winning white paper writer.

Over the past 25+ years, I worked on 325 white papers for clients like 3M, Google, Verizon, and the Linux Foundation… plus many smaller firms with big ideas.

And that was after almost 25 years as a tech writer, journalist, and all-around marketing writer.

So in the fall of 2025, I hung up my mouse. I am retired.

Gordon Graham aka That White Paper Guy

Still grooving. Just a little slower.

I turned 70 this summer, and that got me thinking.

I’ve had a great run writing B2B content. In fact, I’ve been writing for money since I was a teenager.

But I have other things I’d like to do while I still can.

Like renovating my 125-year-old house.

Spending more time with my wonderful wife and teenage kids.

And playing pickleball.

So I’ve retired from writing for clients.

But you can still benefit from my years of experience.

Need a white paper done right?

Whether you’re looking for helpful advice, useful resources, or a shot of inspiration…

Anything from time-tested tips on getting started… to my best advice on how to strengthen a shaky draft.

Even if you’re writing with AI, I can help you make it better.

What you’ll find on this site…

For common questions, look at my White Paper FAQ
Check out my free articles sorted by categories from design to writing, plus AI
Get my longer special reports
Sign up for my Substack newsletter
Watch YouTube for my analysis of white papers I found good and no-so-good
Get my book, White Papers For Dummies: a classic with tons of timeless advice

So write bravely. Rewrite wisely. And when in doubt, go for a walk.

Or have some chocolate.

That White Paper Guy

White Paper FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

Get answers to 35 common questions…

everything from from “What exactly is a white paper?” to “Won’t all white paper writers soon be replaced by AI?”

Free articles

And of course, many thought-provoking articles on White Papers and AI

Special reports (click any cover)

How to Pick the Perfect Flavor for Your Next White Paper

Ever wonder where the concept of “chocolate, strawberry, vanilla” white papers came from? That was right here, in my original “ice cream report.”

And I believe it’s still true today: 4 out of 5 white papers fall into one of these ice cream flavors.

White Papers For Dummies infographic

This 4-page PDF reveals:

The 3 main flavors of white papers
When to use each flavor
What to include, and what to leave out
A page-by-page recommended layout of content for each flavor

This infographic briefly sums up about 100 pages of my book, White Papers For Dummies.

With these insights, you can quickly pick the perfect flavor for your next white paper!

9 Reasons Why ChatGPT Can’t Write Your Next White Paper

An entire white paper written by ChatGPT early in 2023, plus my afterword. This took me 150+ prompts and 10 drafts, and I had to re-do the research ChatGPT made up.

Even so, the AI saved 1/3 of the time it would otherwise take to write this.

My conclusion?

“All in all, I’m convinced ChatGPT can help make writing white papers faster and easier than ever before.”

10 Quick & Easy Tips to Make Your Next White Paper a SMASH Hit!

These timeless tips touch on research, writing, designing, and promoting a white paper:

The biggest blunder you can make in a white paper, and how to avoid it
3 simple questions you must ask to target your ideal reader
5 proven formats for titles that grab your readers’ attention
3 sure-fire ways to make your writing more readable

Plus, each tip links to hand-picked articles from my website to give you even more in-depth advice.

These are my top all-time tips for any long-form project. And here’s my promise: If you follow these tips consistently, your next white paper will be far more engaging and persuasive.

Coming soon: What We Can Learn from the Oldest White Paper Ever

Forget the Churchill White Paper of 1922. Here’s a better model that’s a century older.

I discovered this 1818 document in the British Library, amazed at how it closely it follows the modern approach to B2B white papers.

Preview: My hunt for the oldest white paper…

Newsletters

White Paper World

See all 58 back issues of my regular newsletter from 2022 through spring 2025.

There’s a quick tip in every issue, most of them evergreen!

Substack

See my occasional news and views from fall 2025 to today.

I post when I have something to say, not to meet an editorial calendar. You can find quick tips, war stories, words I’m not using, and occasional thoughts on AI, B2B marketing, and the writing life.

The White Paper Review YouTube show title

The White Paper Review (YouTube)

Listen to myself and copywriter Brian Boys analyze two white papers from the real world. We pick one paper that we really like, and one with a lot of problems.

Episode 1: eHANG flying vehicles and Honeywell bar-coding equipment

Episode 2: officeMorph on office renovations and SAP / Business Objects

Episode 3: AXA Health insurance and HP color printers

Episode 4: IBM Security and Oracle Eloqua content marketing

Episode 5: ExactFlat fabric in manufacturing and Seamless online food ordering

Episode 6: Autodesk digital twins and Symantec SaaS

Episode 7: Lokker security and Oracle project management

Episode 8: Florida Eye Specialists B2C about cataracts and PlanetQuest online game

Special episode 1 on the white paper written by ChatGPT:
What we liked about this paper

Special episode 2 on the white paper written by ChatGPT:
What went wrong with this paper?

White Papers For Dummies

Originally published in 2013 and packed with tips and advice that’s still relevant today. The only thing that’s changed much is that we use later versions of software like Windows and Word.

And of course, AI. But no book can keep up with how fast AI moves!

I think you’ll find that 90% of the content in this book is timeless and relevant.