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Presentation at Technical Communication UK Conference (TCUK)
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Letters from the Editor
David FarbeyTechnical Communication UKNewcastle, UK4th October 2012
Agenda
•Scope of technical editing•Advice for editors•Survey responses•Letters from the editor•Any questions?
Agenda
•Quiz!•Scope of technical editing•Advice for editors•Survey responses•Letters from the editor•Quiz Answers!•Any questions?
Quiz!•The next slide shows an editor from a TV
drama. Can you name:▫The actor?▫The character?▫The TV show in which the character first
appeared?•Answers at the end of the presentation!
Trust me I’m an Editor
Technical editing
Relationships
AudienceOrganisati
on
Content Writers
Editor
The Levels of Edit
Robert Van Buren and Mary Fran Buehler.Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, 1980
http://www.technical-expressions.com/learn2edit/levels-of-edit/levels_of_edit.pdf
Nine types of edit1. Coordination2. Policy3. Integrity4. Screening5. Copy Clarification6. Format7. Mechanical Style8. Language9. Substantive
Van Buren and Buehler
General classes of edit
•Policy edit (includes Coordination and Policy)
•Copy edit (includes Integrity, Screening, Copy Clarification, Format, and Mechanical Style)
•Developmental editing (includes Language and Substantive)
An ideal workflow
1. Author and Editor plan work (Policy)2. Author develops text3. SME reviews4. Author corrects5. Editor reviews (Developmental)6. Author corrects7. Proofreader copy-edits8. Organisation publishes
Advice for editors
Editing is not fact-checking
Editors verify external facts
Authors and SMEs confirm accuracy
Editing is not evaluation
Grading the content
Preparing the content for publication
Mentoring, not Managing
Command and control
Support and growth
Building the Style Guide
Take decisions once
Searchable collective memory
Accuracy, Clarity, Consistency
Text conforms with principles
Text is free of mechanical errors
What about structured authoring?
Written in chunks, so edit in chunks
Each chunk conforms to type
What about Agile development?
Consider when the doc item is shippable
Consider when the whole doc is shippable
Having the last word
Ongoing skirmishes with other managers
Clear organistional policy
Survey responses
Technical Editing SurveySeptember 2012
79 responses in 3 days
indicative, not representative
Is your work routinely reviewed by a subject matter expert?•69 responses•No my work is not routinely reviewed –
5.8% (n=4)•Sometimes my work is reviewed but not
routinely – 15.9% (n=11)•Yes my work is routinely reviewed –
73.9% (n=51)
Is the work that you produce routinely edited by another person?•68 responses•Yes my work is routinely edited – 17.6%
(n=12)•Sometimes my work is edited but not
routinely – 35.3% (n=24)•No my work is not routinely edited –
41.2% (n=28)
Comments from the survey
•Do you think that technical editing improves the quality of your work?
•Do you think that technical editing makes your job easier?
• If you are a writer, how would you describe your relationship with your editor? If you are an editor, how would you describe your relationship with your writers?
Comments on quality of work•“Undoubtedly. More importantly, a technical
edit can greatly improve the cohesiveness and consistency of bodies of work (e.g. documentation sets) that are produced by multiple writers.”
•“Yes. Whenever I persuade someone to look critically at my work I get feedback that helps me improve the quality of that document. The feedback is often applicable to other documents, so the overall quality can be improved.”
Comments on quality of work (2)•“When I've worked with a technical editor
in the past, it has definitely improved the quality of my work. I learned most of what I know about technical writing from the editors.”
•“Yes, it's vital both to ensure the quality of my output and consistency across the company.”
Comments on ease of work
•“Not necessarily. Dealing with the editor's comments can take quite some time.”
•“Doesn't necessarily makes it easier - but does ensure a very high standard of content/quality.”
•“Yes, in that it provides an alternative view. No, in that it often delays the work beyond the required deadline.”
Comments on ease of work(2)
•“Two of the biggest challenges in my role are knowing what the audience needs and knowing whether my work is as clear and useful as I intend. An editor could help significantly with the second and at least give a second perspective on the first.”
•“Yes, if the editor is good.”
Comments on relationships
•“Good -- so long as the editor is consistent from one edit to the next, and keeps writers appraised of changes to the standard style guide/layout/content guidelines.”
•“Very good. They respect my ability to describe subject matter clearly and I respect their in-depth knowledge of the subjects.”
Comments on relationships (2)
•“Earlier in my career as a writer, I very much valued the input and feedback given by editors. it certainly helped me grow and develop. However, editors are a dying breed now.”
•“It's one of mutual respect - and it works best when the editor is empathetic: understanding what the writer is going through.”
Comments on relationships (3)
•“I have had good, open relationships with my editors over the years, although it was a learning curve to get there and understand my role as writer being edited. It helps that I want to learn and improve.”
•“I have a great relationship with our editor. He asks good questions, makes comments, generally helps me improve the document, and accepts comments on his comments when I think he's mistaken.”
Letters from the editor
Dear Organisation
•Please give us clear guidelines on editorial policy.
•Please help us reach out to our audience.•Please give us the professional authority
to do our jobs.•Please employ us!
Dear Audience
•Please let us know what you do.•Please tell us how we can help you.•Please give us your feedback.•(We need your feedback!)•(No, really, we do!)
Dear Writer
•Your editor is your friend.•(Even if your editor is also your manager.)•If there’s a style guide please use it.• (If there isn’t a style guide please remind
us to create one.)•If you have any questions, please ask.•We’re only human so we can make
mistakes too.•(No, really we are only human. Honest.)
Quiz Answers•The actor is Ed Asner•The character is Lou Grant•Lou Grant first appeared in the sitcom
The Mary Tyler Moore Show. The drama series Lou Grant was a spin-off.
Any questions?
•David Farbey•@dfarb•[email protected]•www.marginalnotes.co.uk