Agency Etiquette for Writers and Editors: Please Don’t Be That Person

I have been writing for a long time, both as a freelancer and as an employee. No matter how you file your taxes or bill your clients, you’re most likely going to work as part of a team at some point in your writing or editing career. When I talk about an agency, I mean any collaborative content creation project that has a team lead (i.e., lead editor, content manager, etc.), an editing team, and a writing team. You could be scripting social media posts or writing a book with the help of a publishing company. Regardless of what you are doing, content workflows and communication practices are generally the same. 

Agency work runs on communication. When it’s clear, thoughtful, and professional, projects move quickly, trust stays intact, and everyone’s work comes out polished. When it isn’t, even small missteps can snowball into wasted time, unnecessary confusion, and chip away at credibility —often without anyone realizing how it started.

Messaging platforms like Slack and Teams are designed for speed, not nuance. A skipped sentence, a rushed reply, or an unclear response can derail an otherwise straightforward task. Deadlines slip. Assumptions get made. People end up wasting their days solving problems that didn’t need to exist in the first place.

Strong agency relationships—between writers, editors, and project leads—depend on intentional communication. Reading carefully, responding completely, and keeping interactions professional isn’t about being overly formal; it’s about protecting the work, the process, and your reputation. The following best practices exist for one reason: to help everyone collaborate more effectively and keep projects moving forward without unnecessary friction.

Don’t Be That Person: Essential Steps For Effective Communication

In most teams that I have worked with, there are several channels for discussion. Usually, there is one for writers, one for editors, and the option to direct message team members privately. In some cases, there are additional channels for things like billing and accounting, specialized projects, or “water cooler” channels where people can discuss personal or fun things. Beyond the communication channels, every agency should have documents for writers and editors to review to maintain quality standards. 

If you’ve worked with agencies long enough, you’ve met that person. The one who fires off a half-baked Slack reply without reading the full message. The one who assumes bad intent, escalates too fast, or treats routine feedback like a personal attack. The one who turns a simple edit into a multi-day standoff. Maybe you've even been that person. I know I have at one point or another.

Agency work is collaborative by nature. Writers, editors, strategists, and clients are all working toward the same goal. That only works when professionalism, clarity, and mutual respect are non-negotiable.

This is your reminder (and maybe a gentle reality check) on how to communicate like a professional writer or editor in agency environments—especially over Slack, Teams, or other messaging platforms.

Read The Whole Message And/Or Check Your Guidelines

When you encounter a problem or have a question about policy, guidelines, or announcements, take your time to review everything. Before you respond, read the entire message. All of it. Yes, even the last paragraph. Especially the last paragraph. There is nothing I hate more than seeing TLDR (Too Long Didn’t Read) attached to a message in a writing or editing team. The one company I worked for that did this frequently treated the writing team like a tech team and is now out of business because of it. There is NEVER a time when it is okay to not read company announcements, emails, or discussions before getting to work. 

It’s still not time to respond yet! You may have read and understood the message, but are you up to date on the discussion? Make sure you read through the entire thread before responding; your questions have likely already been answered. If your question/comment relates to a policy, check the guidelines and reference the policy with links in your response. 

Most communication breakdowns don’t come from malice—they come from skimming. When you reply to only one part of a multi-point message or fail to take an extra minute to consult threads or guidelines, you create confusion, slow the process, and signal that you’re not paying attention. This can lead management to wonder, “if you aren’t reading through messages fully, what else aren’t you fully paying attention to in your workflow?”

Best practice:

• Pause.

• Read the message fully.

• Check the responses for clarifications. 

• Reference documentation, guidelines, and policy whenever necessary.

• Respond to every point, even if the response is “Got it—working on this.”

Writers And Editors Need To Respond Clearly—And to Everything

If someone sends a message with questions, feedback, or action items, address each one directly. Partial responses waste time and frustrate everyone involved.

Clear communication looks like:

• Structured replies (bullet points help).

• Explicit answers to each question.

• Stating what you’re doing next and when.

Vague responses like “I’ll take a look” or “That should be fine” don’t move projects forward. Specificity does. Most of the time, I don’t even write this out. I use the “eyes” emoji to let someone know I am reviewing what they sent, and I will respond when I have an answer. When there is nothing else to be said, but I want to let the message sender know I understood them, a simple “thumbs up” is standard. 

Writers: Do Your Due Diligence

Professional writers don’t guess. They verify.

If you have concerns about content, edits, direction, or policy:

• Ask clarifying questions.

• Consult the guidelines before pushing back.

• Follow established communication procedures instead of improvising.

When something isn’t clear, say so—politely and early. When something feels off, document it and escalate through the proper channels.

And remember: feedback on how your work adheres to guidelines is not feedback on you.

Editors: Be Transparent and Intentional

Editors set the tone for collaboration. That means clarity isn’t optional—it’s part of the job.

Editors should:

• Clearly state what changes were made.

• Explain why those changes were necessary.

• Provide a clear checklist for revisions, not vague discussion or incomplete direction.

• Edit for guidelines, accuracy, clarity, and quality—not personal style preferences.

If a change doesn’t materially improve compliance, readability, or client requirements, it probably doesn’t need to be made.

Over-editing creates conflict and breaks down trust. Strategic editing builds it.

Respect Is Not Optional (Even When You’re Right)

Tone matters—especially in written communication where nuance gets lost fast. Yes, you can have tone in written communication. When you feel like something is wrong, confusing, or even unethical, you have a professional responsibility to address these concerns with respect. It could mean the difference between long-term partnerships and contract termination. 

Don’t:

• Get defensive.

• Make accusations.

• Assume intent.

• Vent in public channels.

Do:

• Stay neutral and professional.

• Ask questions before drawing conclusions.

• Move sensitive discussions to private channels when appropriate.

• Loop in a mediator (project manager, editor, or lead) if things start to go sideways.

If a conversation is making you angry, that’s your cue to pause, not hit send. Imagine what you would say if you were in a physical team meeting. 

Document Everything (Yes, Everything)

Agency work moves fast. Memories don’t. 

If you are a freelancer, this is your business and your reputation that you are protecting. You are not an employee and, therefore, do not have as much say in policy changes. Plus, since there is no fallout for the company if they end your contract (beyond needing to hire a new freelancer), persistent quality control issues (on either side) will likely result in loss of contract. 

If you are an employee, you are protected by certain laws. However, without proof, you likely won’t get support from the company or, if it comes to it, a lawyer. 

When decisions are made, feedback is given, or conflicts arise:

• Keep records.

• Summarize outcomes in writing.

• Save relevant messages and documents.

Documentation protects everyone—not because you expect conflict, but because clarity prevents it.

Don’t Take It Personally (Really)

This might be the hardest rule—and the most important.

Writers: edits are part of the process.

Editors: pushback isn’t an attack.

I like to think of feedback as an opportunity for growth. If there is pushback, ask yourself: why? Sometimes the answer is simply that you made a mistake. Other times, it might come down to talking to the wrong audience. Unfortunately, you may find that the answer might be that you are just out of your element. In any of these cases, you need to look at the situation as a professional. Identify where the breakdown happened and develop a plan to address it, whether that’s making edits, adjusting your workflow, reviewing policies, or getting management involved. 

In most cases, everyone is just trying to deliver the best possible work under real constraints. When professionalism leads the way, collaboration gets easier, trust grows, and projects move forward without unnecessary friction.