Often, when people are reviewing quotes or opinion pieces I’ve written on their behalf, they object the loudest to the places where I have quoted them word for word. And they’re always aghast to read in the transcript that, yes, they did indeed say the thing that is causing them to recoil in horror.

Why does this happen?

Because when  you read words on a page or a screen, even if they are exactly accurate, you’re not getting the whole picture – you’re missing all of the cues like tone of voice, facial expression and gestures that help you to decode the meaning behind people’s words.

So don’t assume a writer has necessarily misquoted or misrepresented you – they’ve just recorded what you said, rather than what you meant. And then work with them to capture that meaning accurately.