Comments on: PR Pros: It's Never Our Work, but the Brand's Work

By: What’s up with Community? | LAF

What’s up with Community? | LAF — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 12:10:46 +0000

[...] couple months back I wrote about how PR professionals have to put the brand first. It’s never about you. In the social space, it’s still not about you. It’s about [...]

By: Nadine Bonner

Nadine Bonner — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 02:06:50 +0000

I think all of us have egos and try to produce excellent work. And that’s why the red pen hurts – when you give your best, it’s hard to accept that someone thinks it could be better. When those edits don’t bother us, it’s time to find another profession.

That said, I think the relationship you have with your boss or your editor affects how you react. I had one of those bosses mentioned above who wanted everything to sound like she wrote it. She had a very formal, stiff style, and I don’t, so we weren’t a good fit. My last boss thought I was the greatest writer since Ernest Hemingway, so when he changed something, I something was off. He also sent me his stuff to edit and never questioned any of my edits, so I felt we were a team trying to produce great copy, not two writers jockeying for best position.

By: Jennifer Wilbur

Jennifer Wilbur — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 22:05:14 +0000

I think we beat ourselves up because we sometimes take it as someone telling us we wrote something wrong or badly. Or that we “don’t get it.” It’s definitely good to remind yourself that it’s a collaborative effort.

There’s also the reality that some people in the organization are extremely close to the “news” behind the release and can’t communicate it to you before you write the release. It’s in their head, and they don’t get it out until they are forced to look at a press release in front of them.

By: Lauren Fernandez

Lauren Fernandez — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 20:14:21 +0000

Thanks, Jenn. I wrote this blog post to keep reminding myself what I believe in – that you can learn from constructive criticism, but stand up for yourself if the edits just don’t make sense.

I think it’s difficult at times for PR pros to have the team mentality, especially when they start the press release. I’m not really sure why this is.

By: Jennifer Wilbur

Jennifer Wilbur — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 20:03:20 +0000

Hey Lauren – since I haven’t seen the markup, I don’t know the reason behind the edits, but I learned one thing years ago that to this day eases the pain of a red pen.

If the change improves the release, accept it as a great addition. If it muddies it or causes further confusion, or is just plain wrong, communicate your disagreement and why. And then allow whoever is the decision make to decide what stays/goes.

But, most of all, don’t fight style changes. Often, I’ve found clients and colleagues that edit mostly for a different selection of words or overall voice style. If it’s the brand’s style (and you haven’t learned it yet), great. Learning is good. But, even if it’s just a case of your client hating a certain word or pushing their writing style, but the content is still strong. Let it go.

You will save yourself tears and energy for something bigger and better.

If you think of the press release a group effort, as you mention, versus a personal reflection of our writing, the changes aren’t as painful.