The Invisible Writer

By a senior bid writer with 20+ years of experience and one very sharp pencil

I think there are fairies at play in Bid World because fully formed responses appear on portals, packed with compelling narratives, perfectly pitched answers and miraculous CVs. And what’s actually behind this curtain of apparent spontaneity and dark magic? I can guarantee it’s a bid writer – half-strategist, half-translator and full-time miracle worker – typing away like a caffeinated maniac while the rest of the team cheers, “We did it!”

Except…did we?

Ask any seasoned bid writer and you’ll hear versions of a story as old as time: the bid is submitted, the win is announced, and the credit floats up the chain. And the writer? They are still behind the scenes, smashing through the next submission, pleading with SMEs and rewriting technical answers that need ‘fluffing up’ (real words actually said to me recently). Bid writers are the invisible ink holding submissions together, and we only tend to be visible and legible under the pressure of a looming deadline.

Let’s be clear, I’m not asking for parades or bunting. But for me, the bid paradox is this: bid writers are held accountable for the quality of the final submission, often with minimal input, shifting deadlines, and eleventh-hour ‘suggestions’ from people who’ve only just opened the brief. We’re accountable for the win, but rarely visible in the victory.

Part of the problem is that great bid writing looks effortless. At our best, we move mountains, making complex narrative flow, and because the completed responses sing off the page, it’s easy to forget the difficult and messy steps it took to get there.

This isn’t a personal gripe; I believe it’s a systemic issue across most sectors. From infrastructure to tech, health to housing, bid writer invisibility is echoed in every industry that bids. And it’s time for a change.

So how can businesses fix this?

Treat bid writers as strategic partners, not glorified admin. Invite us into the room early. Let us test and challenge the win strategy so we can shape the story with you to make maximum impact. When the writer understands the strategy, the submission performs better.
Build cultures where writing isn’t a last-minute rescue job but a respected craft.Great bid writers don’t just fill in the blanks; they align, interrogate, translate and often make your product or service sound more coherent than it is.
Give credit where it’s due.A simple “This win wouldn’t have happened without you” will go a long way. And yes, we will screenshot it and perhaps even post it on our noticeboards.
We know SMEs, reviewers and designers are stretched too, and this is why collaboration and great relationships matter. Everyone benefits when we all work together with a shared goal.

After two decades of decoding tenders, I can tell you: the invisible writer has been there all along – in every win, every shortlist and every compliment from a buyer who understood what you were trying to say.

It’s time we stopped pretending the magic happens by itself – and it’s time we said it out loud.