So who is the real author?
Our clients are experts in their field – as such, they’re often asked to author an article, speech or some other written communication. Many times these opportunities come along because, as their PR firm, we were out there trying to find them.
While people are usually excited by the idea of authoring a well-read piece, the act of actually writing the document can cause a lot of stress. While our clients are experts at what they do, some are not comfortable putting pen to paper to tell a story or share their perspective. And even if they are, it can be challenging to find the time to do it. You can imagine the relief when we explain this is a task we not only can help with but that we enjoy.
One of the many roles we have as PR professionals is to be a ghostwriter. This doesn’t mean we simply write stories for clients – we have to write the stories as if we were the clients. To do this, the first thing we do is interview the person we’ll be writing for. We ask a lot of questions and do a fair bit of research too. We not only have to know the subject matter, but we need to understand where the client is coming from. We have to capture the tone, recognize the vision and appreciate the passion.
Once we’ve learned all we can, it’s our job to put pen to paper and help the client’s story come to life. But at the end of the day, it’s the client’s words, thoughts and ideas. The client is the real author. We’re the storytellers.
Having trouble getting your message across? Talk to us. We would love to help you tell your story.