Frequently Asked Questions
(answered by Jeanne Mettner, principal of Planetary Ink)

What types of materials do you work on?

I enjoy working on a variety of assignments—ranging from books to booklets, work manuals to web sites—thoughtfully crafted to educate, enlighten and motivate. Variety keeps my creativity flowing, and I gently harness that energy to bring substance and life to the work I complete for you. At Planetary Ink, not even the sky can limit the possibilities of your communications projects.

Here are some things that I have worked on during my tenure as a writer, editor, content consultant and publications manager:
  • Annual reports
  • Books
  • Brochures
  • Catalogs
  • Employee incentive manuals
  • Grant proposals
  • How-to articles (also called "service journalism articles")
  • Journal articles (departments and features)
  • Magazine articles
  • Manuscripts
  • Marketing materials
  • Medical review articles
  • Newspaper articles
  • Pamphlets
  • Personality profiles
  • Posters
  • Press releases
  • Research articles
  • Tablets
  • Web sites

What types of subjects and topics are your specialties?

Many of the materials I produce fall under the vast umbrella of health and medicine; that includes medical manuscripts, worksite health promotion projects, patient education materials, consumer-directed feature articles, self-care books, and everything in between.

In addition to health and medical topics, I have also helped produce materials on the following topics:
  • Architecture
  • Building and remodeling
  • Business
  • Dining and entertainment
  • Employee relations
  • Environment
  • Finance
  • Fitness
  • Food service
  • Gardening
  • Graphic arts/design
  • Home improvement
  • Information technology
  • Internet
  • Life balance
  • Literacy/reading
  • Literature
  • Media issues
  • Nature
  • Nutrition
  • Organizational behavior
  • People
  • Restaurant management
  • Restaurant profiles
  • Sports and leisure
  • Travel
  • Veterinary medicine
  • Web sites

What style guides and reference materials do you use?

It depends on two things: (1) the type of style guides that you already use for your publications and communication materials and (2) the type of project that requires editing and writing.

Some examples:
For books written for the general reader or consumer, I usually use The Chicago Manual of Style. For medical manuscripts written for professional audiences (eg, physicians), the most appropriate stylebook is the American Medical Association Manual of Style.

For newspaper articles, the style guide I find most useful is the Associated Press Stylebook.

Sometimes, a company has a house style guide or prefers to use a certain stylebook. In such cases, I use whatever style guide is preferred.

Here are the reference materials that I use most frequently:
  • STYLE MANUALS
    The Chicago Manual of Style
    The Associated Press Stylebook
    American Medical Association Manual of Style


  • BOOKS
    Barlett’s Familiar Quotations
    Dorland’s Illustrated Medical Dictionary
    Health Writer’s Handbook by Barbara Gastel, MD
    Harrison’s Principles of Internal Medicine
    The Harvard Guide to Women’s Health
    Talking About People: A Guide to Fair and Accurate Language
    by Rosalie Maggio
    The Elements of Style by Strunk and White


  • NEWSLETTERS
    Copy Editor
    The Editorial Eye
    Harvard Heart Letter
    Harvard Mental Health Letter
    Harvard Women’s Health Watch
    Mayo Clinic Health Letter
    UC Berkeley Wellness Letter

  • OTHER REFERENCE AIDS
    Drug Facts & Comparisons (for information on prescription and over-the-counter medications)

What are Planetary Ink’s fees?
Fees for a project depend on the length of time I would be spending to complete it, the degree of background work or research required (if any), and the type of work being done—whether it’s editing, writing, or project management. For more detailed information, contact me at info@planetaryink.com or give me a call at 612.889.8047.

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