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About a month ago, I could have written this post. My "just the facts
ma'am" approach to writing doesn't really work for this kind of writing,
so I had to approach the whole project from a different perspective. I
won't offer any advice, as I am still in the learning process. However,
I did find a good blog that helps:
I'll be interested to see a summary of what you learn from private
messages from list members. Good luck with the project!
Adrianne Mora
Technical Writer
-----Original Message-----
From: techwr-l-bounces+adriannem=envipco -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
[mailto:techwr-l-bounces+adriannem=envipco -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On
Behalf Of Nancy Allison
Sent: Tuesday, May 05, 2009 11:21 AM
To: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Subject: Shazam! You're a marketing writer!
I have been asked to put on a marketing writer's hat and write some
stuff for the web site.
I am a tech writer in my bones and want nothing more than to give people
the information they need as concisely (not to say *tersely*) as
possible. I'm all about figuring out doc structure, page structure,
topic structure, sentence structure, with associated headings and
keywords and formatting so people can find what they need and recognize
when they've found it.
Marketing is a related but definitely foreign language.
I've been down this path once before and crashed into the prickerbushes
much too soon.
"It's too list-y,' grumbled my manager. "You've got a header, then a
sentence-and-a-list, then a new header, then a sentence-and-a-list . . .
that's not marketing writing."
I kinda got what he meant. I used bulleted lists because, for busy users
who are trying to get their work done, that's what makes info pop out.
(Yes, I know, tables, too. You get my drift: Terse and pared to the bone
and organized to make key topics obvious.)
But marketing pieces, on the company web site, are trying to lure
someone into a relationship with the product, right? They're more in
seduction mode. Correct?
Please don't get hung up on the listy bit -- I have some marketing
pieces in front of me and I do see bulleted lists hither and yon, but
they do also have more of a conversational feel. I think that's the
difference.
What advice would you give a tech writer who wants to do better this
time? What's the difference, after all? When you put on your Marketing
writer hat, how do you write differently?
Any suggestions gratefully received.
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^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
ComponentOne Doc-To-Help 2009 is your all-in-one authoring and publishing
solution. Author in Doc-To-Help's XML-based editor, Microsoft Word or
HTML and publish to the Web, Help systems or printed manuals. http://www.doctohelp.com
Help & Manual 5: The complete help authoring tool for individual
authors and teams. Professional power, intuitive interface. Write
once, publish to 8 formats. Multi-user authoring and version control! http://www.helpandmanual.com/
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