Recently I drafted another award submission. The draft received positive feedback from my client and those who knew the product. I was confident I had addressed all the criteria and backed up the claims with evidence. I’d worked to capture an enthusiastic tone and injected a consistent voice throughout. I’d stripped it of typos and fluff. The word count was bang-on.
It was close to ready for the judging process.
Then it was critiqued by a submission expert – a previous national judge for these awards – who picked up a few significant points that none of us had considered. It was a timely reminder of the subjectivity factor and provided some valuable improvements to the draft.
The feedback reminded me that each and every reader brings a
lifetime of personal and professional experience to your words. They draw on their views and their values, and apply these to the text.
Then throw in a few distractions or stresses while they're reading, and they may not absorb every word on the page.
Depending on all these factors, a reader may
misread, misunderstand, misinterpret or
simply miss a point you have made.
It's tricky to cut through all of that. Subjectivity is intrinsic to both the writing and the reading process.
By all means, write for your audience. Know your reader/s and what information they need. Address every criteria and answer every question. Use a
simple structure and plain English where possible. Use stories,
case studies and anecdotes to explain your points in different ways.
But always remember the
complexity of each and every reader. While you aim to convince, persuade or sell, you won’t win them all over.
And when you get the opportunity to have your writing critiqued – take it and embrace it. Every writer must be able to reflect on reader feedback to refine, enhance and improve.
It will make you a stronger writer.
