What is Professional Writing? A Guide for Students by Perry Glasser

1. What is Professional Writing? A Guide for Students by Perry Glasser

2. All Writing - Process Object Message Writer Audience Different teaching theories focus on different aspects. Diagram adapted from A Rhetoric for Writing Teachers by Erika Lindemann

3. Qualities of Professional Writers • Collaborative – professional writers work with subjects, primary sources and editors • Audience focused • Interdisciplinary thinkers • graphics and layout are part of the creative process

4. Professional Writing Compared to: • Rhetoric – traditional composition, focuses on the Message • Persuasion and argument, or forms. • Writing in the Disciplines • Research for a social science or literature for examples • focuses on an agreed upon model of the world, the “Object” • Creative or Imaginative Writing • focuses on the Writer – “Write what you know.” • Professional Writing focuses on Audience

5. JOIN THE EMERGING CREATIVE CLASS • Organizational Writing • Some writing requires a specialized vocabulary: finance, education, etc. • Professional writers “translate” special knowledge for generalists • Interviewing and research are professional writing skills • Publishing • Literary journalism differs from reporting • Desktop publishing is a necessary part of writing • Publishing careers are built on editing and critical thinking skills • Professional Writers are needed for Print and Web! • Electronic Media • PowerPoint, Desktop publishing, Web and Internet, Blogs, DVD, CDs You name it.

6. Professional Writing Careers • Publishers – book and magazine editors, literary agents • Writers – freelance and staff writers • Corporate writers produce internal documents and external documents • Grants writers often work in the non-profit sector