Communications writing vs. Creative writing

By Michael Botur, March 23, 2020

Communications writing vs Creative writing – why I offer two disciplines for audiences

(and why I keep having to explain that there’s no money in creative writing)

When I tell people that KiwiWords director Michael Botur is an expert in day writing and night writing, what I mean is I deliver professional communications writing by day and unpaid creative writing at night.  

The two disciplines both necessitate a mastery of English, but they have some radical distinctions.

Day time communications writing aka Public relations / Corporate writing

This is a type of writing that’s often about taking on the voice of a body corporate – a business, a trust, a company, a public service… a group, in other words. 

Night time creative writing aka Fiction writing / poetry / prose

Recently, I’ve had some comments indicating confusion about  how I make a living. There is little to no money in creative writing, aside from the occasional prize, or payment for creative seminars which I deliver. 

If I was given a month to live, though, to be honest, I wouldn’t use it on PR/Communications. PR and comms have given me a living, and that’s wonderful – I love my business clients and I work hard for them – but if I was given the opportunity to write fiction for a year, I would hit the Pause button on professional PR/communications writing. 

So is marketing a type of creative writing?

Nah, it’s more like coding – ie Laying out key messages with the intention of making the material easy to consume. You structure your writing to deliver a message in a way which navigates the consumer’s resistance, builds trust and delivers a strong argument for the sale. 

The close sibling of marketing is communications, where the end result isn’t necessarily conversion of a sale – it’s the conversion of an uninformed consumer to the consumer agreeing that he/she has received the intended information. 

I run a business and I think I may need a writer. What can you do for me, Mister KiwiWords?

• Help you structure your sales pitch
• Compose responses to frequently asked questions
• Enhance your reputation by using the most effective English in your written communications
• Create a content calendar so your audience is continuously talked to

 

Mike B, KiwiWords