Writing/Editing - Art or Business Service?

[wyt...@hotmail.com]

Dear Group,

I trust this post is not misplaced here, as I would consider it to be
within Mr. Kryachkov's concept of Knowledge.

The Background:
Coming from the Customer Services Industry, I have done quite a bit of
Writing/Editing within a Customer Service Support environment, namely
of business process flows, documenting and developing existing
structures and creating and implementing new ones. It was my task to
write&edit single document (even single page) process flows out of
months and sometimes years of scattered documents, e-mails etc, in a
single-interpretation-allowed format.

The Current Dilemma:
While brainstorming on a new concept, I looked into adding a new
position for myself to my LinkedIn profile, and found out that
Writing/Editing is to be found under three Industries only: "Arts and
"Media", and the inter-related "Recreation, Travel and Entertainment".
Writing/Editing is apparently not part of "Corporate Services" or
"Service Industry" etc, under which the various forms of CRM and
Business/Management Consultancy would be found. (Or for example the job
of Medical Transcriptionist, which would be Writing/Editing in the
Medical Industry).

The Question:
Is Writing/Editing still largely (and wrongly) viewed as either an
art-form, a leisure or part of the media (journalism), and not
considered to be an integral part of succesful business
management/development? Even so in a networking platform like LinkedIn,
where business & management consultants and recruiters (resume
editing!) are very much present? Perhaps so, or maybe otherwise there
would be no need or a group like KnowledgePersons...

Thank you for your attention and views!

Regards,
Wytze Rijpkema
http://www.linkedin.com/in/wytzerijpkema

[Nikolay Kryachkov]

Wytze, you have asked an excellent question.

I would add "technical writing" (manuals) to your list of
industries where writing and editing are required. Maybe other
Knowledge Persons will add something else.

You're right when say: "Writing/Editing is apparently not part of

"Corporate Services" or
"Service Industry" etc, under which the various forms of CRM and
Business/Management Consultancy would be found".

It's because current management practice (and theory) is fragmented
and there is no (or very weak) connections between content and
cash-flow in business as usual, as far as I know. Such the
old-fashioned businesses practice results in too frequent bankruptcies.

The idea of KnowledgePerson.com is to explain the way to find the
problematic content that can negatively influence the organization. And
the persons like you, Wytze, can be in demand for editing/correcting
the content.

Read:
http://knowledgeperson.blogspot.com/2006/10/source-of-competitiveness.html

I see 2 variants for Content Business Services:

One is - blogging, story telling and narrative as a current mainstream
especially with the use of so-called "social software". It's a
kind of art, I think. To be a blogger can be a position in order to
explain the goods and services, promote them, establish customers'
real loyalty, etc. on a paid basis - corporate blogging.

Another one - is a consideration of documents in a structured way:
http://knowledgeperson.blogspot.com/2006/07/consultant-directory-c.html

http://knowledgeperson.blogspot.com/2006/07/consultant-directory-f.html

(I would like to convert my knowledge of content structuring in a new
profession for interested people)

Anyhow the basis for all this is the fact that understandable
information part of goods and services influences their sale
positively.

Compare the prices of well explained (well known) goods and poor or not
explained ones. I think customers prefer not only cheap goods but
knowledge about them.

Practically it's possible to go to a company and say:
- I know the framework http://www.knowledgeperson.com/how.html to find
a problematic content to correct it and could do the corrections if you
don't mind;
- Give me any document that you think is excellent and I'll try to
verify it for you from customer's or user's point of view;
- Let me blog your goods and verify what customers really think about
them.

Why not?

Or maybe we can think about joint project?

Nikolay

[Nikolay Kryachkov]

Additionally:

http://knowledgeperson.blogspot.com/2006/11/writingediting-art-or-business-service.html

Nikolay

[chandn...@gmail.com]

Hello,

I've just joined this group.
I'm Chandni from India but currently studying in UK. View my detailed
profile at http://www.linkedin.com/in/chandnikapur

I wanted to respond to Wytze's comment as I worked in the
writing/editing industry for over 3 years. Our company is a niche
provider of editing services to the South East market.
Companies, especially in Asia, view this as an outsourced function by
the marketing communication department. Your right in the fact that it
has'nt achieved industry status. In India we categorize this under
ITeS.

Communication services could be a broad category that can be
introduced.

Cheers
Chandni