Long-form content · Features · Thought leadership
Long-form content people finish.
Features, essays and explainers for readers who need to understand a subject properly rather than skim it. I research from primary sources, structure each piece so a general reader can follow it, and write to the length the subject needs rather than a word count. Published under my own name and ghostwritten, for publishers and brands.
What is long-form content for?
Long-form content is any piece over roughly 1,500 words: features, essays, explainers, reports and white papers. It exists to cover a subject in enough depth that the reader finishes with a proper understanding of it rather than a summary. That depth is what makes a piece worth linking to, worth citing and worth ranking for the many related searches a short article cannot cover.
It is also the format AI answer engines draw on most. ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google's AI Overviews tend to cite pages that define their terms, name their sources and answer the question in full.
How I approach it
I research from primary sources wherever possible: the original paper, the filing, the interview, the dataset. I then plan the piece so that a reader with no background in the subject can follow it from start to finish, with context introduced at the point it is needed.
The structure is straightforward: set out the question, present the evidence, explain why it matters and reach a conclusion. The length is decided by the subject rather than by a target word count.
What you get
- A researched, sourced draft at the agreed length, with a link for every claim
- Title, subheadings, standfirst, meta description and suggested pull quotes
- A structure that AI search and featured snippets can extract from cleanly
- Unlimited edits until the piece is right
- Interviews arranged and conducted where the piece needs them
Our ancestors once huddled in small, isolated communities, their faces illuminated by flickering fires.
Opening line, "(Dis)connected", DailyAI
AI is immersed in a fog of uncertainty.
"Three debates facing the AI industry", DailyAI
Big tech might load the game so the house always wins for as long as it stays standing.
"The battle of the AI godfathers", DailyAI
- FeatureA new thesis for the Fermi Paradox3,000 words
- FeatureThe evolution of bio-inspired AI2,500 words
- OpinionAI, language and culture in the Library of Babel2,000 words
- AnalysisNavigating the labyrinth of AI risks1,600 words
Subjects I've gone deep on
Subjects I have covered
AI and machine learning, technology policy, neuroscience, astronomy, Web3, equity and tax, construction and renewables, the natural sciences, music and culture.
Questions people ask
Questions about long-form content
What counts as long-form content?
Anything over about 1,500 words that has to hold a reader's attention on its own: features, essays, explainers, reports, white papers and ghostwritten thought leadership. My sweet spot is 2,000 to 3,500 words.
How much does a long-form article cost?
It depends on research depth and whether there are interviews. A 2,000-word researched feature typically sits in the mid hundreds of pounds; a 3,000-word piece with interviews and original analysis is more. I quote a fixed price per piece after a short brief, so there are no surprises on either side.
Do you ghostwrite thought leadership?
Yes, and much of my B2B work is ghostwritten. I interview the executive for 30 to 45 minutes, write in their voice, and they approve every word before it is published.
Can you write about AI credibly?
I wrote daily for DailyAI for two years, around 700 pieces across research, policy, industry and the philosophy of the field, and led its event coverage and interviews. I also write AI Marketing School, a newsletter on AI in marketing read by teams at Apple, Microsoft, Fidelity, Lyft and Forrester.
How fast can you turn a feature around?
Five to seven working days for a researched 2,000 to 3,000-word piece. News-led pieces can be faster: at DailyAI I wrote a new story every day for two years.