Did It? Wrote It? Own It!

If you write for a living — whether it be novels, journalism, poems, PR pieces, blogs or acquisition letters — there will come a time when someone doesn't like something you write, when you make a mistake or even just use a turn of phrase that rubs someone the wrong way. The key is in how you handle it. Playing possum and hoping the embarrassment, inconvenience or controversy will pass without you acknowledging it isn't the way to go. I've found that the more sincere, humble, apologetic (when called for) and open you are about the issue — whether it's a funny little typo or a serious concern — the faster and more eloquently it will be resolved. Social media is filled with examples to back me up. But the heat of the moment is no time to be making decisions on how to handle it. Get an organizational plan in place now. Then when the gaffe or negative feedback (warranted or not) comes, just take a deep breath, stick to the plan and tackle the issue head-on.