I'm frequently approached by writers looking for work, and the first thing they want me to see is a sample of their writing. In ten seconds, I can tell whether a writer can put a decent paragraph together. But writing is only the first of many skills needed to produce content for an enterprise.

Some of these additional skills sound "soft," but there would be hard consequences to building a large body of content without them.

• Research and interviewing: Web content writers are usually responsible for gathering the raw information from which they write, from interviews with subject-matter experts (each of whom has their own style of communicating), previously written material, and the web.
   
• Project management and workflow: Content writers require an understanding, and respect for, the approval and review process. In one large project, we have 5 writers on our team, who are working with 25 people on the client side: subject-matter experts, reviewers, marketing managers and other stakeholders. Our writers are managing a project plan of interviews, reviews, and intermediate milestones.
   
• Version control and reviews: The number of documents in a large project, multiplied by the number of versions that go back and forth, is daunting. We use Basecamp to manage the review process and version control; Basecamp also provides a portal for our clients.
• Content management systems: The tools of the writer have evolved--not just from pen to typewriter to computer, but to Word, WordPress, Drupal, and a variety of other content management systems. Writers must be adept with these tools--and be ready to lear new ones, since there are so many.
   
• Brand management: Although a project requires multiple writers to complete on schedule, the body of work represents our client's single voice.Our writers must understand how brand extends into the copy they write. They use and contribute to style sheets when the project requires it. And they collaborate with each other to achieve a common voice.
   
• Search engine optimization: This topic is already exhausted, but suffice it to say that although content management systems automate many SEO basics, real SEO skills are required to optimize web content.

All these skills require an attention to detail that we do not take for granted on our team.  We're fortunate to have process-oriented writers with broad experience who understand enterprise content management: how these projects work, and how to work them.