September 2015

Be a Better Freelancer
September 25 & 26

Nailing a new niche. Making Word work for you. Finding new clients and keeping the ones you have.

These are some of the great sessions planned for the 10th annual Be a Better Freelancer conference later this month--Sept. 25-26, in Rochester, NY.

Go to the conference website for more information or to register.

Hope to see you there (I am a presenter)--and please pass the word on to others.

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ease in writing?

"Ease in writing" comes from a poem by Alexander Pope, the British poet:

True ease in writing comes from art, not chance,

As those move easiest who have learn'd to dance.

Note he (and I) didn't say "easy writing." But just as dance lessons can help get you around the floor more gracefully, the goal for this newsletter is to share a tip or two to improve your writing.

Recipient of Constant Contact All Star Awards, 2011 through 2014!

Investing in a Writer? Make It Worthwhile

Whether you hire an outside writer or ask a writer in

your organization for her or his time, you have to decide

if it's worth the investment for a particular project. Likewise, if you offer your writing services, you want your client (internal or external) to feel like the investment was worth it.

Unlike, say, dentists or graphic designers (though some of my designer friends may disagree), writers have an extra hurdle. People learned how to write in school--as many of them tell me when they are wrestling with whether to outsource a writing project.

As professional writers and editors, we have to show them what we bring to the table. Yes, we say to them, you could write it yourself. But is doing so the best use of your time? Will you really write what you need or get lost in jargon? And will you actually do it, or put it aside for another day?

Two recent experiences--related to online content and meeting reporting--made me think about this.

Last week, SEO expert Janet Chiu interviewed me about what a copywriter can bring to a web project. Go to her blog for our interview.

An excerpt..

What is your process for ferreting out a compelling story? Are business owners surprised by the questions you ask?

For organizations, whether business or nonprofit, I gather as much information as possible. Ideally, we meet in person, at their site, at least once. If not, I read, ask a lot of questions, talk to a lot of people.

The surprise comes when a business has a disconnect: What they think is routine or ho-hum, readers find interesting or useful, and vice versa. Remember that in most cases, people are coming to a website to do or learn something they think they need to know, not what you think they need to know.

Read the interview here.

Meeting Summaries to Meet Your Needs

Another good use of a writer is to serve as a rapporteur for a meeting. You could record the meeting, ask one of the organizers to take notes, or gather up the presenters' slides. You could also assign a meeting rapporteur to do all this and more.

I don't usually do too much meeting work, but I have two on my schedule for September. I am also editing two meeting summaries written by other people this month.

So my assignments have made me think of a few ideas for writers and meeting organizers:

Come prepared

The rapporteur needs to know as much about the topic and presenters beforehand as possible. Try to find out acronyms, proper names, and terms that will pop up frequently. Check out where you will sit in advance. Can you use your laptop comfortably? Is there a power outlet, or do you need extra batteries? Can you see the screen if the presenters are using one?

Stay alert
Besides a laptop, I come armed with lined pads, assorted pens and pencils, and granola bars or snacks. I sometimes switch between laptop and handwriting (often on print-outs of presentations). The variety eases my hand and arm muscles and keeps me more focused

Foolproof the technology

Remember chargers, extra batteries if you are recording any sessions, a mouse and mousepad if you normally use them. If you are recording, check periodically that all is well. (My supposedly mega-memory recorder once "filled up," which required quick erasing of old files.)

Agree on the final product
Talk through what the deliverable should include (or not), such as--

Level of detail (main messages? all comments?)
Names of participants (especially in the Q and A after many presentations)
Use of graphics (such as charts used in presentations, and, if so, how to obtain permission and who will ask)
Direct quotes, or only paraphrases
Review of the draft by the presenters (and, if so, who will orchestrate the review)

A rule of thumb is two to three hours of writing time for every hour of meeting time, depending on the complexity of the meeting, the answers to these considerations, and the deadlines.

Add value

A note to writers--add value to the process. Go beyond just restating the presentations without the "ums" and "uhs." Provide the right level of detail. If appropriate, research to fill in holes. Suggest graphics, sidebars, or other elements that can enliven the copy.

A note to meeting organizers--take advantage of the rapporteur as a professional writer, not just a note-taker, to make the investment worthwhile.

Full Circle Communications, LLC / Alexandria, VA / 703.212.0350