Wordsmith Or Writer?

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Credit: Yuri Arcurs on Photodune

One of my clients, for whom I regularly ghostwrite newsletter and trade journal articles, often drafts material and then sends it to me with a request “for a little wordsmithing.” Fortunately, he has learned that what he is really asking for is a writing consultation. Over the years, I have become his trusted ghostwriting resource (See From Temporary Help To “Trusted Ghostwriter” ) and I have acquired that status largely by going beyond “wordsmithing.”

Mechanical Fixes

Like many clients, when he first started working with me, he thought in terms of “fixing” and “improving” the fine points of his drafts, working at the word level of the material. He wanted me to:

• Fix grammatical problems or particularly striking style problems.
• Suggest a better word or phrase here and there, where he was groping for the right expression.
• Recommend edits to reduce the word count to what was needed for a particular publication, or for his newsletter.
• “Punch it up” a bit, which he thought of as using sexier words for the mundane language he started out with.

It is rather like someone bringing their car into the auto mechanic’s. The car already exists, but it is not quite right. The mechanic’s job is to identify what’s wrong and fix it. Or more accurately, the mechanic recommends repairs, and implements those that the customer approves.

Similarly, at the very least, the ghostwriter can suggest better wording, or added transitions, or cuts to the copy to improve its impact or fit the available space. These are basic services a skilled writer should be able to deliver, and they are often the starting point for a working relationship with a new client.

And make no mistake, these are valuable services. But there is no reason to stop there.

A Designer’s Perspective

Imagine that you take your car into the shop and complain that you skid a lot in winter driving conditions. The mechanic might look at your tires and discover that they are very worn. Or you might get a suggestion that you buy a different kind of tire, one especially designed to provide traction on snow and ice.

You probably would not get a recommendation that the mechanic should somehow change the car from two-wheel drive to all-wheel drive. Your auto mechanic does not redesign your vehicle for you.

But a ghostwriter can go beyond fixing or tweaking the client’s message to redesigning the message. When you consult on communication or content design, you might:

• Recommend covering the main points in the piece in a different order. As a professional communicator, you can often see how a different sequence of topics could make the overall message stronger.
• Identify content that should be left out, not from a space perspective, but from an impact perspective. Many clients will include details that obscure their messages, or even bring up points that work against their own messages. The writer’s job is to take the reader’s point of view and identify elements that strengthen or weaken the impact of the piece.
• Suggest a coherent framework for the content. This could be an analogy that works throughout the article, or a series of questions and answers, or a repeated theme that holds things together.

Unlike the auto mechanic, writers work in a medium where rearranging the construction of the piece and adding and removing elements is both feasible and desirable.

The Relationship Challenge

The main hazard associated with making design recommendations is that it is easy for some writers to forget how the relationship works. When you are ghostwriting business communications, the content is still the client’s, and the client makes all the final decisions.

That means applying some diplomacy when making design-level recommendations. The stakes are a little higher than with mechanical fixes, and some patience in educating the client can make all the difference.

Some writers have a hard time accepting rejection of their recommendations. They are skilled writers who know that what they have suggested will do a better job of reaching the client’s audience than what the client wants to use.

But if you cannot let go of your “superior” versions of clients’ material, if you cannot resist letting them know that they are rejecting some brilliant enhancements of their messages, you should not be in the ghostwriting business.

Over time, I have gradually brought along the client I mentioned above to the point where he uses the word “wordsmithing” to mean much, much more. In fact, for many of his articles, he gives me just a few bullet points, and I create the draft for him to review — almost the reverse of the process at the beginning of our relationship.

The result is that I provide more value to my client, and generate higher fees for this level of service. Taking the time to gradually educate my client and extend the services I provide has been good for his business … and good for mine.

Photo credit: Some rights reserved by Yuri Arcurs.