5 Keys to Writing Project Success – Part V: Finalization

This is Part V in a five-part series on keys to writing project success. In Part I, I introduced the topic, suggesting that a document may be good (i.e. well written, well organized), but not successful. I defined a successful writing project as one that “delivers not just the necessary content, but also the higher-level factors that ensure your message is heard and your objectives are served.” Those objectives include:

Ensuring expectations (of the person who assigned you the writing task–even if it’s you) are met
Understanding the audience
Being clear on the document’s purpose
Making the document an appropriate length
Taking context into consideration

In Part I, I also presented some steps you can take in the planning stage to ensure your writing projects are successful. In Part II, I offered tips for successful research. In Part III, I suggested strategies for incorporating your planning and research work into the drafting phase. In Part IV, I focused on things you can do to ensure writing project success during the revision phase. In this part, I present tips for ensuring success in the finalization stage.

You may think that once you’ve revised, you’re done with a document. But, there’s one more step: finalization. Finalization is about making sure all those picky little details we’ve been talking about are in place, and making sure you haven’t left out any earlier steps. Here are a few suggestions for using the finalization stage to ensure writing project success:

Triple Check

Remember the checklist we talked about in Part III? I suggested that, before you begin drafting, you make a list of the “success factors” needed for the document you’re working on. These success factors should have become clear during the planning and research stages. I recommended that you place this list at the top of your draft to remind you of everything you need to include. In Part IV, I suggested that, in the revision stage, you check your work against the checklist again, just to make sure you included all the important elements. Now, check it a third time. Did you include a quote from the CEO? Are your numbers accurate? Is there an emphasis on the new product line being easier to use?

Don’t Forget Formatting

If you’ve been following the steps in this series, you should have a good idea of who your audience is, what they want to know, and how to speak to them through your writing. But, there is another element that will help them understand your message, and that is formatting. Some writing projects also involve formatting, and yours should reflect your audience’s needs and expectations. If your audience is technical, for example, they may be used to reading complicated documents with long, unbroken paragraphs. If they are younger, they may be used to information delivered in brief chunks and bullet points. Each industry and each audience has its own conventions. Customize your use of paragraph length, subheads, bullet points, white space, and other formatting elements to be in alignment with these conventions.

Get to the Point

If you have read this entire series, you know that there are many factors to consider when writing a document. Which is why it is sometimes possible to spend so much time on them that you end up missing the point! You can get so busy making sure you have the right word count, audience understanding, and content that you miss the mark when it comes to what the document should really be communicating. Ask yourself if your document actually does what it is supposed to do. Does it, in fact, entice readers to sign up for your services? Does it help them understand a new technology in a way they can understand? Does it get across the need for funding for a new nonprofit? By this time, you should have enough information and awareness about your topic to make some minor adjustments if the answer turns out to be no.

Negotiate the Length

Let’s say you’ve done everything right, followed the suggestions in this series carefully, and STILL can’t seem to come up with the right word count. That may be okay. See if you can negotiate a different arrangement. Maybe the magazine piece becomes a two-page spread rather than a half-page article. Maybe the full web page becomes a sidebar. Or, maybe the blog post becomes a series (which is actually what happened to me when I started writing this series–I realized I had more information to convey than would be appropriate for just one post). Work with your boss, client, or others on your team to figure out the best use for the information you’ve developed.

Look Around

Now that this successful document has been created, what might you need to adjust in other documents? Have you written a press release talking about a company’s move? You’ll need to update the website and advertising with the new address. Have you created a data sheet for a new product in an existing product line? You’ll want to incorporate the product into materials that talk about the whole line. Have you developed an e-book? You’ll want to promote it in your marketing package.

For more tips for writing project success, check out the other posts in this series:

Part V: Finalization

Do you have examples of writing project success (or lack thereof)? Please share in the comments.

About the Author: Karen Marcus, M.A. is a Northern Colorado copywriter who has been helping clients in a wide range of industries to put their best word forward for 13 years.

Need assistance setting yourself up for writing project success? Karen can help! Click here for contact info.