TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
It's not really OK, it's just a matter of which battles are really worth the
purple hearts. Here are the steps I'd take:
1) If there's a style guide, gently suggest that you appreciate the effort,
here's a style guide to follow.
2) Thank him for the effort and ask if he wants some in-depth feedback to
improve consistency and message you'll be GLAD to help him. Diplomatically
suggest that you're presuming a first draft-since you can see a number of
things that could be improved.
3) Help him if he asks.
Do not assume that all marketing people are idiots--many are, and many are
not. If you're ready to tell him what features/improvements he should
emphasize and how to write it, you're as much a marketeer as he is. You'll
quickly get a rep for being elitist and patronizing if you take the venting
approach.
My lessons in learning which battles to fight: First make friends with
Administration, Finance and Marketing by offering to help them anyway they
need (teach them how to use MS Office, suggest that you'll be available to
edit marketing copy, help will RFP's and proposals). When it comes time to
call in the favors, you'll be ahead by a landslide. Only when you have them
convinced that you're the right hand of God should you ever consider redoing
their work, or diplomatically telling them they're idiots. When you've
helped them out of a jam, they love you, and they come to you before making
other large mistakes. It's the end result that counts. A method that has
never failed me.
"I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work." -
Thomas Alva Edison
-----Original Message-----
From: Paul Hanson [mailto:PHanson -at- Quintrex -dot- com]
Sent: Tuesday, May 16, 2000 4:44 PM
To: TECHWR-L
Subject: RE: What's a girl to do?
Innocent question:
jarnopol wrote "It's a marketing piece. I'd let it go, without the
sarcastic note.<snip>
I ask:
Why is it okay for marketing copy to have <snip> inconsistency of tense,
gross overuse of passive voice, unnecessarily large words, technical
jargon, sentences that should be broken into *paragraphs*, and stressing
the unimportant details over the major improvements <snip>
Seeing all this, regardless of the audience, would drive me nuts!
