diff --git a/batchconsumer/sender.go b/batchconsumer/sender.go
index c26be76..03e0421 100644
--- a/batchconsumer/sender.go
+++ b/batchconsumer/sender.go
@@ -5,42 +5,42 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 )
 
-// ErrLogIgnored should be returned by EncodeLog when it encounters a log line that will not be
-// consumed
-var ErrLogIgnored = errors.New("Log intentionally skipped by sender")
+// ErrMessageIgnored should be returned by ProcessMessage when it encounters a message that will
+// not be consumed
+var ErrMessageIgnored = errors.New("Message intentionally skipped by sender")
 
 // Sender an interface needed for batch consumer implementations
 type Sender interface {
-	// EncodeLog receives a raw log line.  It's expected to return an appropriately formated log
-	// as well as a list of tags for that log line.  A tag corresponds to a batch that it'll be
-	// put into.  Typically tags are series names.
-	// If a log line will not be consumed, EncodeLog should return a ErrLogIgnored error.
-	EncodeLog(rawlog []byte) (log []byte, tags []string, err error)
-	// SendBatch receives a batch of log lines.  All log lines were given the specified tag by
-	// EncodeLog
+	// ProcessMessage receives a raw message and is expected to return an appropriately formatted
+	// message as well as a list of tags for that log line.  A tag corresponds to a batch that
+	// it'll be put into.  Typically tags are series names.
+	// If a message will not be consumed, ProcessMessage should return a ErrMessageIgnored error.
+	ProcessMessage(rawmsg []byte) (msg []byte, tags []string, err error)
+	// SendBatch receives a batch of messages.  All messages were given the specified tag by
+	// ProcessMessage
 	SendBatch(batch [][]byte, tag string) error
 }
 
-// PartialOutputError should be returned by SendBatch implementations when a handful of log lines
+// PartialSendBatchError should be returned by SendBatch implementations when some messages
 // couldn't be sent to an output.  It's expected that SendBatch implementations do a "best effort"
 // before returning this error.
-type PartialOutputError struct {
-	// Message is a description of error that occurred
-	Message string
-	// Logs a list of logs that failed to be sent
-	Logs [][]byte
+type PartialSendBatchError struct {
+	// ErrMessage is a description of error that occurred
+	ErrMessage string
+	// FailedMessages a list of messages that failed to be sent
+	FailedMessages [][]byte
 }
 
-func (c PartialOutputError) Error() string {
-	return fmt.Sprintf("%d failed logs. %s", len(c.Logs), c.Message)
+func (c PartialSendBatchError) Error() string {
+	return fmt.Sprintf("%d failed logs. %s", len(c.FailedMessages), c.ErrMessage)
 }
 
-// CatastrophicOutputError should be returned by SendBatch implementations when the output is
+// CatastrophicSendBatchError should be returned by SendBatch implementations when the output is
 // unreachable.  Returning this error causes this container to exit without checkpointing.
-type CatastrophicOutputError struct {
-	Message string
+type CatastrophicSendBatchError struct {
+	ErrMessage string
 }
 
-func (c CatastrophicOutputError) Error() string {
-	return c.Message
+func (c CatastrophicSendBatchError) Error() string {
+	return fmt.Sprintf("catastrophic SendBatch error: %s", c.ErrMessage)
 }
diff --git a/batchconsumer/writer.go b/batchconsumer/writer.go
index a703880..6e3a3a7 100644
--- a/batchconsumer/writer.go
+++ b/batchconsumer/writer.go
@@ -159,8 +159,8 @@ func (b *batchedWriter) ProcessRecords(records []kcl.Record) error {
 			return err
 		}
 		for _, rawlog := range rawlogs {
-			log, tags, err := b.sender.EncodeLog(rawlog)
-			if err == ErrLogIgnored {
+			log, tags, err := b.sender.ProcessMessage(rawlog)
+			if err == ErrMessageIgnored {
 				continue // Skip message
 			} else if err != nil {
 				return err
@@ -220,12 +220,12 @@ func (b *batchedWriter) SendBatch(batch [][]byte, tag string) {
 	err := b.sender.SendBatch(batch, tag)
 	switch e := err.(type) {
 	case nil: // Do nothing
-	case PartialOutputError:
+	case PartialSendBatchError:
 		b.log.ErrorD("send-batch", kv.M{"msg": e.Error()})
-		for _, line := range e.Logs {
+		for _, line := range e.FailedMessages {
 			b.log.ErrorD("failed-log", kv.M{"log": line})
 		}
-	case CatastrophicOutputError:
+	case CatastrophicSendBatchError:
 		b.log.CriticalD("send-batch", kv.M{"msg": e.Error()})
 		os.Exit(1)
 	default:
diff --git a/cmd/batchconsumer/main.go b/cmd/batchconsumer/main.go
index 0285139..5d35924 100644
--- a/cmd/batchconsumer/main.go
+++ b/cmd/batchconsumer/main.go
@@ -44,13 +44,13 @@ type exampleSender struct {
 	output logger.KayveeLogger
 }
 
-func (e *exampleSender) EncodeLog(rawlog []byte) ([]byte, []string, error) {
-	if len(rawlog)%5 == 2 {
-		return nil, nil, kbc.ErrLogIgnored
+func (e *exampleSender) ProcessMessage(rawmsg []byte) ([]byte, []string, error) {
+	if len(rawmsg)%5 == 2 {
+		return nil, nil, kbc.ErrMessageIgnored
 	}
 
-	tag1 := fmt.Sprintf("tag-%d", len(rawlog)%5)
-	line := tag1 + ": " + string(rawlog)
+	tag1 := fmt.Sprintf("tag-%d", len(rawmsg)%5)
+	line := tag1 + ": " + string(rawmsg)
 
 	return []byte(line), []string{tag1}, nil
 }