Jumping Ship

I’ve spent the last 10 years or so as a writer. I’d always heard the comments that someone had “jumped ship� when they switched over to PR. I never really knew what they meant, but I always thought it had a negative connotation. In one of my old jobs, I had PR people calling me all the time, and they always started out by saying … “You know, I’m a writer too.�

I didn’t like PR people. Sometimes they’d present you with a good idea, but for the most part, they got in the way. They were an extra hoop you had to jump through to get the story. And now it’s fair to say that I’ve officially jumped ship. I’ve become one of them, and the crazy part is … I think I like it.

It used to be exciting when one of my stories came out. Especially in my younger days, I was thrilled to have the byline. But this week, one of our clients got into The Washington Post and I was just about as excited for her – to see her name in print. I love trying to sell the story. It’s similar to freelance writing, trying to get the editor to bite.

I’m good at PR because I know what makes a good story, and what doesn’t. I’ve been writing and reading them for years. I’ve always defined myself as a writer. A storyteller. And I’m not anymore, at least not in the same sense as I used to be.

Today I’m a PR practitioner. A PR professional. Instead of creating the story, I sell the story. And strangely, it feels kind of good.