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

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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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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Rescuing Writing That Feels Like Overworked Cookie Dough

December 14, 2009

One of the hardest things for me to do as a writer is to turn off my inner editor and just write. I’m getting better about actually allowing myself to get the words onto the page. That said, I really enjoy revisions. Whether it’s fine-tuning and delicately tweaking web copy or slashing extraneous paragraphs in an essay, I find revising to be fulfilling.

But there needs to be a stopping point. This past fall, I penned copy for a marketing campaign and website as part of a project that included a creative director and several mulitple writers who were responsible for other products. The group was great for brainstorming and it was refreshing to hop on the phone for an impromptu headline bantering session.

At one point in the project, however, I realized that my copy was stiff and no longer pliable. Had I baked it, the result would have been the equivalent of cookies that tasted like cardboard. And, when you’re hired (like I was) to make a something traditionally “boring” sound new and snazzy, dry copy is a big, fat fail.

What happened? I was writing around too many “sacred” phrases that weren’t necessary to the message—but they were precious to someone else. So here’s what I did to resuscitate my writing:

  • Open a blank page. While I was careful to keep in mind the edits I’d received and the essence of what the copy needed to sell, I rewrote the text in a new document. The act of writing from scratch infused the words with new energy. Sometimes a blank page can be your friend.
  • Create a hybrid. Once I’d created a fresh draft, I turned on my editor mode and merged what I liked from the new with what had worked well from the old. It’s like adding a small bit of fresh, cold water to revive dough that’s dried out.
  • Walk away. Getting some distance from your copy can make a tremendous difference—especially if you do something to raise your own energy level. A walk in the park, a swim, dancing around your house or playing fetch with a pet.
  • Turn to inspirations. If you’re on a tight deadline and can’t walk away or give yourself a break, turn to things that inspire and uplift you. Things that help you start a project—like music—can often help you when you’re stuck.
  • Be confident. I realized that I had succumbed to believing the other writers on the project were better than me because they had more experience with the particular industries. But we were hired for very different reasons and my expertise was delivering creative marketing copy—and the client wanted originality. That meant I had to believe in myself and, when necessary, defend the copy to keep it lively, not over-floured with too much industry-specific language.

Your turn. Have you rescued copy that turned into overworked dough? How did you do it? Or have you had to completely start over? How did you handle it? Please share your opinions and experiences in the comments below.

Photo attribution: (note, the cookie dough shown is not overworked) http://www.flickr.com/photos/sweetbeetandgreenbean/ / CC BY-NC 2.0

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When Clients Care to Give Writers the Very Best: Feedback

September 16, 2009 — 11 Comments

Talk_Feedback. Image courtesy of stock.xchng®Now that I know how this story ends, I can share the lessons I’ve collected over the last 12 days. The process wasn’t easy and it’s entirely possible my growing pains are showing.

The situation: I’m in the thick of writing creative copy for a one of the biggest projects my client has ever done. In addition to tight timelines, we’re all working with lots of firsts, including relationships within the creative team.

The nutshell: Hours after turning in my first draft, I was one the receiving end of a conference call. “Your copy missed the mark completely.”

Ouch. I pride myself delivering fresh, well-written work. It’s rare to be perfect with a first draft, but I’m usually pretty close. And I can handle raw, unfiltered feedback – it can result in stellar new ideas.

But, that phone call really threw me. I had chosen my words so meticulously and was sure I’d produced a solid first draft. Fortunately for me, the client asked me how we could turn around the work instead of dismissing me.

The final result: My client’s end customer was very happy with the copy.

So how did I get from mortification to celebration? Here are tips for handling feedback – especially when you’ve made a mistake.

  • Talk Red and Yellow. Image courtesy of stock.xchng®Apologize. Immediately. I kept it simple, saying that I was very sorry I was off track and that I was willing to do whatever it took to get this right. My words – and tone – quickly re-set the tone of the conversation. It was clear to my client that I was not defensive, which helped everyone relax.
  • Breathe. By staying calm, I sounded professional. It also helped me listen, instead of getting caught up in “how could this happen?” thoughts.
  • Take notes. Writing down specific feedback is key to remembering it later. In my case, it was late and I knew we’d all be better off if I produced new copy in the morning. I also kept my client informed, saying, “If I’m quiet, it just means I’m taking detailed notes.”
  • Reiterate and repeat. I made sure to restate key points to demonstrate that I understood the direction I needed to take. It showed I was listening and even helped elicit a few additional – and very helpful – details.
  • Take risks. It can be extremely hard to be creative in stressful situations. But it can also be the perfect opportunity to test an idea before you start working on it. As we were discussing how one idea could be more creative, I lobbed a headline with, “so if I were to write something like [idea here], how would that grab you?” The client loved it – and it gave me the confidence to know I could turn this situation around.
  • Follow up. Fast. When my client asked when she could see revisions, I told her that I could produce them that night, but we might be better served with me delivering the new draft in the morning. Her light tone told me that she appreciated my responsiveness and then she said the next day would be fine.

I gave up my weekend and didn’t get much sleep for more than a week. But things turned around. I saved an important relationship and learned in the process.

How do you handle feedback? How do you work with your clients when you’ve made a mistake?

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