I started to write “Repurposing makes Sense,” but then Wham! A brilliant thought popped in my head with “Repurposing Makes Cents.”Even if I do say so myself.
Um, actually, this time it’s not so much me saying so as it is Marcia Peterson over at Wow! Women on Writing. She wrote a very detailed How 2 in the latest issue that can answer every question you have about repurposing articles and show you how to make mo’ money in the process. Check out Marcia’s How 2 article here if you want a primer on the subject.
You know that I’m a big believer in repurposing. I do it all the time with essays. Take my latest essay, “The Sign Solution” over at New Christian Voices. When I originally wrote it, I had a work-at-home mom pub in mind (WAHM Magazine, for you nosy readers). I submitted the essay, but I hadn’t heard anything in awhile. So, I took the thing out for a reread, and thought, “Hmmm. This little essay doesn’t really work for that market.” (To put the thought politely) I gave it a few humor tweaks and sent it over to NCV. Repurposed, the essay found a home and I’ve made a few cents.
But a part of that essay (how Mr. Hall likes music BLARING when he works vs. my need for silence when I work) was a nugget from a column I’d written over a year ago. But it was part of the new story regarding the sign solution. And that’s repurposing, too.
So, now you can truly appreciate the title of this post! Even if I do say so myself.
Cathy C. Hall Writes 
Politicians, or their speechwriters do this every day, “repurposing” remarks for delivery to different audiences. If you are on the inside looking out, it can get quite boring. If you are on the outside looking in, it works!Now if I could just put a few “humor tweaks” on this economy….
It’s gonna take a lot more than a tweak for this economy. Hadn’t thought about the speech writing angle. Very interesting, A.
And radio folks have taken this to an art form recycling morning show bits later in an air shift when an audience turns over. You do remember the famous Cathy and Bill production comedy technique of a crowd racing into a room and repeating the same thing in unison? lol Oh that we could teach real crowds to do the same!
Sure, I remember that. But didn’t you dub that? I mean, if we’d had to actually, in real time, say the same thing together, we’d never have finished a single commercial. Am I right?