Editing Principle 10: You Need to Know Whether You’re in the Business of Reminding People of Things They Already Know, or in the Business of Asking Them to Change Their Minds

This principle’s not for professional writers or even aspiring professional writers. It is more of an issue for clients who are cobbling together a communications strategy. But it’s a good question — for anyone, really, publishing anything. Here it is again:

You need to know whether you’re in the business of reminding people of things they already know or in the business of asking them to believe something new.

Which side you fall on has repercussions for your eventual structure. As do your answers to these questions:

1) Who’s going to read this?

2) Why? (You can’t know. But a good guess is useful.)

3) What types of responses have I had to my writing [ external communications / PR efforts ] in the past, and am I happy with those results?

4) Am I willing to risk being misunderstood or criticized if the upshot is more attention?

5) Whatever else I hope to achieve with this text, am I asking my audience to part with their money? i.e. buy something I’m selling? Or does the prospect of compensation leave me cold because I’ve different goals?