24 hours in a Right On creative review.

Easy reading is damn hard writing.

—Nathaniel Hawthorne

Great writers don’t get to their greatest work alone. Just look at the acknowledgments in the back of your favorite book. You’ll see a whole list of trusted readers, advisors, agents, and editors who helped make the writing soar.

The same is true for standout marketing content. It’s a team sport. And that’s why internal reviews are so important. During an internal review, writers have the ability to step out of isolation and actively collaborate with another experienced writer who can provide guidance and inspiration. We help each other. We learn from each other. And together, we make our writing the very best it can possibly be.

At Right On, we allow at least 24 hours for internal review before our clients see a first draft. Here’s what happens within that critical timeframe.

9 a.m. Like sending a child out into the world, the writer submits their draft to a copy CD or peer reviewer on our team. The draft represents the writer’s best thinking and writing, and is already free of typos and distracting errors.

10 a.m. The reviewer starts by having all the right reference materials on hand: the creative brief, the writer’s outline with client feedback, and the client’s brand personality, voice, and style guidelines. This is in addition to the vast and eclectic reference library that already exists in the reviewer’s head—from literature to grammar to 10,000+ hours of writing practice.

11 a.m. Coffee handy and distractions silenced, the reviewer reads the draft, noting places where:

• Things are working well. They acknowledge and appreciate the story’s greatest strengths.
• Ideas aren’t fully formed. They suggest additional support points, quotes, stories, or other narrative devices that can help bring the idea to life.
• The story loses its structure. They offer ideas for cutting or reorganizing content to help strengthen the narrative arc.
• Brand voice and messages need reinforcement. They suggest strategies for amplifying the brand’s personality and style.
• The writing needs a shot of creativity. They provide ideas and inspiration to make the writing more human, emotional, and thought-provoking.

2 p.m. Before sharing feedback with the writer, the reviewer takes a few deep breaths and perhaps a nice little walk around the block. Then they edit their own comments to ensure that they’re clear, concise, and constructive. “Track changes” is used very sparingly—the emphasis is on offering suggestions, not “fixing” the writing.

2:30 p.m. With all the big ideas and little niggles duly noted, the reviewer hits send—and off the feedback goes to the writer.

3 p.m. The reviewer and writer take a break from glowing screens and tapping keyboards to chat IRL and collaborate on ideas. Then the writer gets to work revising the story. (Yes, there are always revisions after an internal review.)

9 a.m. The writer submits on-brand, on-target content to the client for review—and takes a well-deserved breather while awaiting the next round of feedback.

When the writing is great, the process can seem effortless. But there’s a whole lot of work—and talent—making it happen behind the scenes. It takes a writer who is open, curious, and focused on continuous improvement. It takes a reviewer who is also a highly experienced writer, and can review with a critical mind and a diplomatic heart. And it takes a wise and patient client who trusts the writing and revision process—and who shares our belief that it’s a critical step on the path to storytelling excellence.