How do I Work with a Content Writer?

Create a Collaborative Feedback Environment

Hi! I’m Angela. I’m a content writer who works with the LXDs at WGU Labs. I’m taking over the LXD blog for a minute to share a series of posts to offer new and experienced designers tips on getting the most out of their work with a writer.

Let’s revisit the scenario where you’re working with a content writer, and what they’ve written hasn’t quite met your vision for the project. What type of feedback will you give? And how do you give feedback respectfully to someone who, admittedly, may have more knowledge than you about writing?

Effective Feedback Leads to Authentic Collaboration

To offer effective feedback to a content writer or any other member of your team, it’s important to first consider your perspective on what it means to be a reviewer.

Instead of seeing feedback as the (dreadful or gleeful) moment where you’re in charge of telling someone what they did “wrong,” an effective reviewer sees feedback as a prime moment for authentic collaboration.

So, what can you do to create a more collaborative feedback process with a writer?

Four Tips for Building a Collaborative Feedback Process

Tip #1: Offer Specific Feedback

• Instead of saying: “This sentence feels weird.”
• Say something like: “Something about the phrasing, ‘expands into new territory,’ threw me off when I read this. What if we tried saying something like …”

If you don’t know what the exact issue is with a sentence, tell the writer a bit about your experience as a reader seeing the sentence for the first time. Also, offering an example of another way to phrase the sentence can help the writer with identifying the problem. This shows that you’re wanting to collaborate and open up conversation with the writer to find a solution together — you’re not just leaving them hanging to guess what’s wrong.

Tip #2: Ask Questions to Get on the Same Page

• Instead of saying: “What’s this supposed to mean? Actually, never mind, I just rewrote it.”
• Say something like: “When I read this, I interpreted it as ___________. What was the message you wanted to get across here?”

If you’re unclear about the message a writer is trying to convey, ask them about it instead of just rewriting. Doing this helps you and the writer get on the same page because you can see how the other person is thinking. Once you understand the writer’s perspective, you can then suggest wording and help them think through different ways to state that idea more clearly.

Tip #3: Tie Feedback to the Goal/Messaging

• Instead of saying: “Change the word ‘teacher’ to ‘educators’ here.”
• Say something like: “We’re trying to extend our outreach to more than just teachers, so the word ‘educator’ addresses a broader audience.”

As a designer, you may have a clearer vision of the project’s goals and stakeholder’s needs than the writer, so in your feedback tie your comments back to the “why?” or that overall vision, so the writer knows what you’re looking for. Briefly explaining, even what seems like small wording choices, can go a long way in helping the writer more clearly understand the vision, and in turn, inform the rest of the writing on the project.

Tip #4: Be Direct, But be Nice About It

• Instead of saying: “Well, what do you think this blog post needs?”
• Say something like: “This blog post needs a stronger hook. What if we start with a question like …”

If you’re a designer who dreads giving feedback because you’re unsure how the writer will respond, remember that not being direct with your feedback often won’t get the text in alignment with the project’s vision. Be direct, but be nice about it. If you offer a suggestion, be sure to offer a potential solution that you and the writer can talk through and collaborate on about how it could be executed.

Establishing a Good Designer-Writer Working Relationship

When you work with different writers their feedback needs may be different than what we’ve discussed here. This list just offers a jumping off point for a future conversation with a content writer about what they’d like to see from your feedback and vice versa. Striving for collaboration each time you give feedback will help you see how the writer works, learn from their process, and begin to build a good working relationship with them for all future projects.

About Labs
WGU Labs invents, builds, and enables innovative education products and offerings that multiply the effects of WGU’s mission to have a transformative impact on higher education: to expand access, improve quality, and optimize student outcomes. Click here to visit our webpage to learn more about our team, the projects we’re working on, and our expanding list of partners.

Work with Us!
You can check out our open positions here. We’d love for you to join us!