By Rachel
Contrary to popular belief, I do not spend my day entire playing on Facebook. In fact, I only log onto Facebook to reply to audience engagement for clients or to check in on a few brand pages. Most of my time is actually spent on developing content as we’re responsible for the majority of the social media and blog postings for our management clients.
Revisions to Module 1
It might come as no surprise that I get tired of writing. My brain is fried by the time I’ve finished developing all of the content for the week, which makes it challenging to develop even more content for this product. But I’ve convinced myself that it’s a task I must do, just like the writing for our clients. No exceptions.
I’m discovering that it’s not the writing part that’s draining as much as the brainstorming and editing portions of the process. In the past few weeks, I’ve revised the module bullet points – and even the modules themselves – more times than Ficken missed kicks at the Penn State game on Saturday. I’m constantly re-evaluating the scope of the product to ensure that it will meet the needs of a small business owner, that it’s clear and simple to execute, and that every business will benefit from the content – no matter where they are in their social media plan. As I brainstorm, I write… as I write, I revise… as I revise, I brainstorm more.
As for editing – it’s no wonder there are full-time jobs for this role. Editing can be the most difficult part of the process. My husband Pete is a writer and an editor by trade, so he’s been “recruited” for this task. While hiring a brilliant editor will ensure the end result is high quality, a brilliant editor can also make you want to scream! Did you ever write something you thought was great only to have someone else tell you otherwise? That’s the battle I fight each week as Pete slices and dices my work into the top-notch product it has the power to be.
Writing: it’s a fun ride all its own!
Are you a writer or an editor? What are the most challenging aspects of your role?
"Developing a Product" Blog Archive:
September 5: Developing a Product: Marketing & List Building
August 29: Developing a Product: Marketing & Content
August 22: Developing a Product: A Fun Ride
I completely understand this seemingly never-ending exhaustion! Sometimes I think I've written this amazingly prolific revelation and, well, you know what usually happens from there! Having a second pair of eyes check your work has more value than it can seem. All those writing tips they taught us back in school (brainstorm, compose, edit, revise, give it time, re-read, revise, etc.) truly do come in handy.
Yes, I feel like it's 4th grade all over again! But it certainly does pay off!
I agree with you on both fronts - writing can be mentally exhausting and having someone pick it apart can be initially devasting.
It's a double-whammy, really!
Writing can be a never-ending process. You can always tweak more, rearrange this and polish that. It's finding the point to know when it is just right that can be a challenge when you are busy. I love that feeling when you get there, though! One of the most frustrating aspects about writing for a living is that many clients don't think about the brainstorming and creativity and planning that go into an email campaign or web page or newsletter article budget. I get the impression that many who don't work with writers often think that I get an assignment and--boom!--I start writing the finished project. I seriously had a wonderful-in-every-other-respect client wonder why I needed more than a week to research and write a 40-page ebook that had 5 chapters!
Anne,
I was hoping you would chime in! I know you know writing!
Love the feeling when you 'get there' too. When you just KNOW it's good stuff. I re-read it all the time - so proud of it. Writing is a process, for sure, though. It's requires a lot of mental space!