When Sarah, the team leader of the commissioning editors at contentstrategy.at, approached us about writing an article for the knowledge base, I saw it as a great opportunity. The elective "Management of Enterprise Content and Content Operations" covered several interesting topics, and writing about one of them seemed like a good way to deepen my understanding.
First Draft: Tuesday Night
My first draft focused entirely on content localization. I wanted to make the concept easy to grasp by starting with a clear definition and adding practical examples, such as adjusting text direction for Arabic or adapting imagery to suit cultural norms. I broke the topic into smaller components, which helped me explain tricky concepts like "localized attributes" in a way that felt approachable. While writing, I constantly asked myself, "Does this detail matter? Will someone without a technical background understand this?
With adding practical tips I aimed to make the article more useful for the reader. These tips turned abstract ideas into actionable advice. By the end of the draft, I felt it was a good balance of depth and simplicity. Still, I decided to let it sit for a few days before revisiting it with fresh eyes.
Shifting Directions: Friday Night
Three days later, I returned to my draft. In the meantime, Sarah shared the initial goal for the article with me: it should help future students decide whether to take the elective or choose another one. This feedback made me realize my original focus on content localization wasn’t broad enough to meet the brief. So, I started over.
The new article, titled Mastering Enterprise Content: The Role of Content Operations, took a completely different direction. Instead of concentrating solely on localization, I provided an overview of all the key topics covered in the elective. I explained what "enterprise content" and "content operations" mean and highlighted how these concepts are interconnected. This broader approach aligned with the article’s new purpose and made it more relevant for its intended audience.
Final Reflection
This experience taught me the importance of reflection-in-action. As I wrote and rewrote, I continually evaluated my decisions and adapted to new insights. Letting the first draft sit gave me the clarity to see its limitations when Sarah’s feedback came in. Starting over wasn’t easy, but it was necessary to create something that truly served its purpose. This approach also showed me the importance of getting a clear picture of the main goal before starting. Having a solid understanding of the objective can help prevent additional work and re-dos later on.
Looking back, I believe the article offers valuable insight into the elective. The text is now being reviewed for feedback, and I am looking forward to receiving comments that will help refine it further. Although I initially felt unsure about abandoning my first draft, the process taught me the importance of flexibility and embracing feedback. The first draft wasn’t wasted effort; it played a crucial role in deepening my understanding of content localization and gave me the confidence to approach the rewrite with a stronger foundation. The article is not published yet, but it will be soon. In the meantime, feel free to explore the knowledge base at contentstrategy.at. It’s packed with interesting articles and resources about content strategy that are sure to inspire and inform. I’ll keep you updated as soon as my article is online, so stay tuned!
