a.k.a writer

a.k.a writer

copy distinguished

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The tips here for gaining perspective on your writing are worth bookmarking to reference again and again.

November 11, 2011

I’m not a fan of picking on journalists, but this site Unnecessary Journalism Phrases is an interesting refresher to peruse before editing your own work.

November 4, 2011

On Revisions and Feedback: It’s Critical to Writers

June 9, 2010 — 13 Comments

Editing_I tend to scribble. Image courtesy of Unhindered by Talent under a Creative Commons LicenseWhether it makes you want to hang by your fingernails or you love digging in to a pile of notes and edits, revisions are part of any writer’s life. Fortunately for me, I fall into the camp that enjoys the process—at least I do on most days.

Occasionally, my ego squeaks out a faint complaint, wishing that a draft were marked “perfect” upon its return. Obviously, that’s a little unrealistic! That wish sneaks up more with my copywriting projects than with my personal writing. Yet, the funny thing is that I want clients to provide feedback. It makes a big difference in the quality of the final product.

Why is client feedback so important to copywriting?

  • It creates trust. I find this especially true with new clients. When they see how you are able to improve the copy based on their feedback, they become more comfortable with you. It can lead to more work and fewer revisions down the road.
  • It drives specificity. Even companies that claim to be laid back about their brand voice care very deeply. They want things said in certain ways, even if they don’t share that upfront. When a client provides feedback and edits (especially using “track changes”), you can start identifying those preferences. It’s the difference in being able to edit with a scalpel or a hatchet.
  • It can inspire. I’m lucky enough to have several clients that are big on collaboration. In one case, what was a good headline became a sharp tagline used across several campaigns. It wasn’t that my work wasn’t good enough the first time around, it was that the client liked it and wanted to push it further.

There’s also no doubt that feedback can drive a writer crazy. For me, it’s when the so-called “feedback” is “I don’t like it” and no reason is given. It’s okay if a client doesn’t like something—I just need to know why so I can fix it. This hasn’t happened to me in a very, very long time and I’m grateful. Of course, I’ve also learned that if someone won’t go beyond “I don’t like it,” there are usually bigger problems at hand.

It can also be difficult when feedback comes in again and again—and now you’re on version six for a 250-word landing page. This tends to happen when the client team wasn’t aligned before starting the project, although it can be a sign that something’s not in sync between the copywriter and client. It’s (fortunately) a rare occurrence, but it can happen, especially on projects billed by the hour. I like project-based fees because you and the client can agree upfront what the revision process will look like.

What about you? How do you deal with revisions? Do you base your projects based on a set number of feedback rounds? Do you dread getting feedback from a client? What are your tips for dealing with the revision process?

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Cognitive Connection, May 28

May 28, 2010

Cognitive Connection. Thinking. Image courtesy of stock.xchng®Like many people in the U.S., I’m taking advantage of the three-day Memorial Day weekend to unplug. I’ll be spending time with my family, giving my laptop a chance to cool down for a few days.

In the mean time, here are a few reads for your (long) weekend:

  • Editor Devil Illegal Stacking Ahead I like Christine Fairchild’s breakdown of this particular writing issue so much, that I’ll forgive her the use of two exclamation points on one sentence. Seriously good advice here.
  • Lisa Romeo Writes Stuff My (Writing) Students Say, Part III Lisa’s recent series that answer student questions (and frustrations) regarding the writing process is interesting and helpful. This one offers tips on revising, yet feeling married to your words.

Your turn. Any great reads that you’d like to share with your fellow readers? Print counts, too, it doesn’t have to be something online. If you’re hooked on a new book or loved an article or essay in a magazine, include it here. Please share in the comments below. Thanks!

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Feedback on Your Writing: It’s Not All Created Equal

May 10, 2010 — 10 Comments

spices. Image courtesy of stock.xchng®I don’t know about you, but drafting can be hard for me. I struggle to turn off that inner editor and critic. Once I do have a draft in hand, I love the process of editing, revising, soliciting feedback and revising again. My approaches to copywriting and my own creative non-fiction writing are relatively similar, but for this post, I’m referring strictly to my writing, not writing for hire.

Feedback can be a writer’s best friend—and biggest obstacle. Thoughtful, detailed constructive criticism can push you to improve your writing and produce a piece that’s even stronger than you first imagined.

But not all feedback is created equal. How do you know when to take it or leave it? A workshop peer recently gave me the perfect example of criticism gone wrong. I loved how she handled it so much, I’m sharing it here. (FYI, the person who provided the off-the-mark edits was not in the workshop.) The reader didn’t give comments such as “this sentence is confusing” or “I’m not sure what you mean by this phrase.” Nope, the reader re-wrote took it upon herself to rewrite what she didn’t like.

For our workshop, my fellow writer used that “feedback” to re-write a section of her chapter. In contrast, she also gave us the original section, as she’d originally written it. The difference was incredible—so much so that most of the workshop participants were in stitches. By the end, we’d all lost our composure and were laughing uncontrollably.

We weren’t laughing at the person who had given the mis-directed feedback. We were guffawing because the re-written work sounded nothing like the author. Her voice had been obliterated.

So how can you make sure you’re getting feedback that’s going to help, not hinder you? There’s no guarantee, but these are a few tips that have worked for me over the years.

  • Set ground rules. Whether you trust a single reader or a larger group of people to critique your work, set a few rules so that everyone knows what to expect. Rules can include keeping the feedback focused on structure, characters and plot or agreeing that readers can ask questions but not re-write sentences or paragraphs. The point is to make sure everyone agrees up front.
  • Check your ego. This goes for writers and readers.
    • Readers: when you’re critiquing a piece, make sure that you’re focused on helping the writer. If you don’t like a sentence because that’s not how you would write it, is that really going to help the author? Voice and style are part of what makes each of us distinct.
    • Writers: receiving feedback can be hard. Sometimes it stings when something you poured yourself into isn’t received the way you thought it would be. If you struggle with a piece of criticism, set it aside for a few days. When you go back to it, you may find you now agree with it—or not. Either way, it’s your decision.
  • Trust your gut. The example I gave you earlier of the reader re-writing instead of offering constructive criticism was easy to laugh off. It won’t always be that easy. I was very lucky to have a classmate once who gave me amazing critical input. Some days I dreaded it and others I was eager to read his comments. It was my gut that knew he was right, even if I sometimes wished he wasn’t. On the flip side, if someone always tells you that you’re great and doesn’t ask any questions or provide meaningful notes, is that person really the best reviewer to have?

To quote literary agent Betsy Lerner, “I never care if a writer takes my notes so much as uses them.”

What about you? How do you managing giving and receiving feedback? Do you have tips that work for you and your feedback groups? Please share!

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Cognitive Connection, May 7

May 7, 2010 — 1 Comment

Cognitive Connection. Thinking. Image courtesy of stock.xchng®Due to a hectic schedule, I’m offering you only four recommended reads this week. If you’d like to more to read or if you’d like to discover some new blogs, check out the list of WordCount Blogathon 2010 participants. These brave bloggers are posting every single day in May. I’m sure they would love your support.

  • PR Breakfast Club PR ADD Eric Berto makes a terrific point about how it’s so easy to “focus on what’s next, sometimes we do it at the expense of what’s current.”

Your turn. Any great reads that you’d like to share with your fellow readers? Print counts, too. If you’re hooked on a new book or loved an article or essay in a magazine, include it here. Please share in the comments below. Thanks!

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Lessons I Learned About Writing—Twice

April 29, 2010 — 3 Comments

Double Hour Glass. Black & White. Image courtesy of stock.xchng® Surrounded by boxes of pizza and eager interns, I felt a shock of recognition listening the communications manager who had agreed to speak to my charges. She said that finding and forging her career path was “simple.”

“I knew exactly what I wanted to do when I was in high school and editor of the school paper. I studied journalism in college and got a job.” She had worked in corporate communications for an international travel outfit, a well-known natural beauty brand and a global coffee company, which is where we met. She added that she’d always been focused on writing and editing, even in high school.

I was, too, in high school. Like my guest speaker, I’d written for the school paper, plus I’d edited the yearbook and competed in journalism contests. So, why was she the head of a communications division and I was wrangling interns?

We made different decisions. I chose a school that didn’t offer a journalism degree, but did provide an independent, unique approach to learning. However, I lost focus and tried a variety of subjects and post-grad jobs, including managing a small business and recruiting. Employers would rave about my writing and find ways to use it, but I didn’t (and they didn’t) see me as a writer.

Inspired by my guest speaker, I started thinking about what I wanted to do with my writing as well as my goals. Several weeks later, approached her to be my mentor—and less than a year later, she hired me as a writer and editor for her team. Now she’s claimed the title of my “biggest fan.”

Between being the high school journalist, the corporate newsletter editor and the freelance writer I am today, these are the lessons I had to learn twice.

  • Dream big. In the late 1980s, I wanted to be the editor-in-chief of Sassy magazine. When I was the fiction editor of my college’s literary magazine, I wanted to be a playwright. And, when I hit the real world, I wanted to pay my rent, so I took temp jobs and lost sight of the big dreams. Once I started focusing on my goals again, I refueled my writing dreams—and started pursuing them.
  • Believe in yourself. I was so nervous the first time I turned in a writing assignment to my mentor—and I failed! She told me the style was unnatural, stiff and not at all what she expected from me. I’d used formal business language that I thought I should use. When I revised the assignment, using my gut instincts, my mentor loved it.Much later, when I was applying for my first writing job, my current manager said, “But you can’t write!” It shocked me to hear those words, but I was determined and still applied. When I got the job, I learned from someone else in my former department that my manager just didn’t want to lose me. Good thing I believed in myself and didn’t let her stop me.If you want to freelance, you have to believe in yourself. Your clients and prospective clients aren’t going to give you business if they suspect you’re unsure and timid.
  • Fight limitations. Growing up in a small Texas town, the writing-related career options presented to me were newspaper editor and journalism teacher. The local newspaper editor even told us to find a better-paying occupation. I was determined to find more options for myself.Once I worked in corporate communications, the prevailing mentality was that if you wrote for an internal audience, you couldn’t write for an external audience. Are you kidding me? I fought hard to earn assignments that included press releases and other marketing materials.
  • Invest in your word skills. My high school journalism teacher enrolled me in contests my very first year—and I continued those contests until I graduated. I didn’t take many writing classes in college, but I certainly relied on those skills to get me good grades. But I took them for granted. It wasn’t until about six years ago that I realized I should keep pushing myself, not just relying on mentors or talent. I took creative writing classes as well as copywriting-related courses and was amazed at the leap my writing took. My clients noticed, too.

Sometimes I wonder how my life would be different if I’d followed a journalism or writing path from high school. Most likely, I’d be where I am today. But I’m glad I veered of course, picking up business skills, new subject matter expertise and a diversity of experience. It’s made me a better freelancer, a more well-rounded writer—and it’s definitely provided me with plenty of juicy tales to tell.

What about you? Are there “lessons” you wish you’d learned the first time? Did you have to go through the same experience or situation more than once to figure out how to achieve a different outcome? Share your experiences in the comments.

To Retreat or Not: The Writers’ Conference Question

February 24, 2010 — 5 Comments

Underwood Typewriter KeysWhen I first began taking creative non-fiction writing classes, I balanced heavy homework loads with a full-time (plus) job. To keep up and get the most out of these opportunities, I shut off the TV and gave up my weekends. It was rewarding—and exhausting.

I felt a slight envy towards my classmates who were full-time freelancers and, seemingly, could better balance the demands of a writing class with earning money. Once I became a freelancer myself, I promised that I would take classes and focus on my writing.

That hasn’t been so easy. Even if I’m not working on projects, I’ve got to market myself and stay up on tasks like invoicing and quarterly taxes. After almost a year of freelancing, I finally committed to making time to write.

This spring I’ll be upping that commitment with a class through Denver’s Lighthouse Writers Workshop. In addition to learning from my instructor, I’m eager to become involved in Denver’s active literary community.

Which brings me to writer’s conferences. I’ve never been to one but just a few days ago, I discovered the Aspen Writers’ Foundation, which hosts the Aspen Summer Words Writing Retreat and Literary Festival. It’s practically in my own backyard (well, not really, but close enough.)

Should I apply to the writing retreat? If selected, I’d spend five intense days working on my manuscript and getting feedback. And if I wanted to spend a little more money, I could attempt to get 10-minute meetings with agents and/or editors.

The thought of five days away from everything except one of my writing projects is thrilling. But the practical part of me says I could do the same thing at home, if I just scheduled myself to write for five days.

I’m still torn. So, of course, I turned to the Internet for some feedback. Here’s what a few people had to say.

Agent Betsy Lerner (in her always-blunt fashion), says: There is only one reason to go to a summer writing workshop and that is to get laid. She also describes those 10-minute agent-meet-writer meetings as drive by shootings.

Agent Rachelle Gardner penned the thoughtful blog post Should You Go to Writers’ Conferences? but her reasons lean towards demonstrating to your family that you’re serious about writing and being part of a community, neither of which speak to my intentions for going.

Yet another literary agent, West Coast-based Nathan Bransford has written about attending writers’ conferences and seems to feel positively towards them. He even offers his own take on Conference Protocol.

One of my past writing instructors, Liza Monroy, was selected as the Jack Kerouac Writer in Residence and spent the summer working on her novel and teaching an online personal essay writing class. She said she loved being the writer in residence and highly recommended it. Although it’s not the same as a writers’ conference, I include it here because of the retreat nature of it.

To squirrel away—outside of my home, in Aspen—to write? Or to be disciplined and carve out a summer writing retreat at home?

What would you do? Are you dreaming of attending a writers’ conference or retreat? Do you have experience with writers’ conferences? If so, do you recommend it? Please share in the comments below.

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