Editing Your Own Documentation  

Technical writers sometimes fall into the trap of thinking that the user is stupid. I have often heard technical writers say things like 'well, if the user can't figure that out, maybe he’s in the wrong job!'

Docsymmetry (2003). Articles>Documentation>Editing>Technical Writing

Editing Your Own Work

One of the most difficult things a writer can do is to edit his or her own work. It's great to have someone else, preferably a trained editor, review what you've written. But you may not always have that luxury, and even if you do, you should never be satisfied with a first draft.

Canavor, Natalie and Claire Meirowitz. Communication World Bulletin (2005). Articles>Editing

Editing Your Own Work, Part II

Someone once asked Lillian Hellman what was hardest about writing. "Killing your little darlings," she said. For a playwright, "the little darling" can be a favorite character or a hard-fought scene or a bit of sparkling dialogue—anything that, while dear to one's heart, doesn't contribute to the dominant theme. A similar challenge faces every writer, whether we work in the realm of reportage, marketing or employee communication.

Canavor, Natalie and Claire Meirowitz. Communication World Bulletin (2005). Articles>Editing

Editing Yourself

Here are some tips that helped me edit my own writing.

Leigh, Heather. Crazy for Words (2007). Articles>Editing>Writing>Technical Writing

Editing—We Meet Again  

Three papers on editing presented at the 1967 STC Conference are revisited to emphasize the belief that editing in 1996, despite changes introduced by modern technology, is still much the same as it was 30 years ago. Editors still make changes (in language, structure, and mechanics). Editors still can work more effectively when they have a basic knowledge of production processes (composition, illustration, photography, printing). Editors still need 'uncommon skills' in managing work people, and time.

Cox, Alberta L., Donald W. Bush, Elizabeth Babcock, David Dobson and Lola Zook. STC Proceedings (1996). Articles>Editing

Editing: An Arcane Strategy for New Millennium Technology?  

This paper discusses the relevance of editing to documentation produced in the new millennium. It also points out the importance of editing, for clarity of communication as well as for intent. Editing is approached first from the historical perspective provided by the history of written communication. This is followed by a brief discussion of the types of editing functions most often used prior to publication.

Block, Anne L. STC Proceedings (2001). Articles>Editing>History

Editor as Teacher, Writer as Student: Building a Relationship for Corporate Writing Improvement  

Corporate writing skills deficits may be minimized by effective technical writer training programs. One way to effect long-term writing improvement is to cast a skilled technical editor in the role of resident writing teacher. The successful editor-as-writing-teacher must confront personal writing processes and attitudes, develop a positive and trusting relationship with clients, develop writing assessment skills, analyze and understand the corporate culture and language, and keep abreast of new techniques and tools in writing education. Acquistion of these attributes and skills is a realistic goal for a seasoned technical communicator.

Abbott, F. Thomas. STC Proceedings (1995). Articles>Education>Editing>Business Communication

The Editor as Translator (or: How Do You Say That in Calculus?)

Sometimes English just isn't the most elegant way to say something. It might be so much easier if we write for a math journal, because the correct language for the explanation can be, in fact, mathematics.

Hart, Geoffrey J.S. Geoff-Hart.com (1999). Articles>Editing>Scientific Communication>Mathematics

An Editor Can Help Your Business

Your business must get its message out to succeed. An editor can help make your message clear, correct, attractive, and appropriate to your market.

EAC. Articles>Editing

Editorial Esoterica

Test your knowledge of a range of writing, editing, and publishing topics.

Sutcliffe, Andrea J. Editorial Eye, The (2003). Articles>Editing

Editors: Who Needs Them?  

Editors can play many roles, which, as the need arises, might overlap with those of the production editor, the writer, and even the writing manager. Within the category of editing itself, the editor can perform different levels of edit: formatting, language, substantive. Every pubs group needs an editor, even if only on a parttime basis. The qualities a manager should look for in an editor are somewhat different from those required in a writer. Editors are less likely to have a technical background. They must not shrink from the possibility of confrontation, and yet must be able to give constructive criticism in a manner that the writer will accept and welcome.

Arakelian, Caroline, Lisa Braz, Diane Kirsten-Martin, Bob Nowacki and Carol A. Ranalli. STC Proceedings (1998). Articles>Editing>Writing

Electronic Editing in Technical Communication: A Model of User-centered Technology Adoption    

This article connects the research into electronic editing reported by the author in two previous articles to a well-established theory of innovation adoption and diffusion. Everett M. Rogers's theory is first summarized, with emphasis on the perceived characteristics of innovations central to the innovation-decision process. The three most important of these categories for organizing personal judgments about an innovation are used to develop a model of the innovation-decision process with regard to electronic editing in technical communication. The central role of reinvention in the gradual, erratic diffusion of diverse e-editing practices in technical communication is discussed. The author explains and advocates a user-centered ethic of technology adoption, a perspective that values the agency of workplace communities in selectively adopting and reinventing innovations to support the work they do while preserving or enhancing their quality of life on the job.

Dayton, David. Technical Communication Online (2004). Articles>Editing>Online

Electronic Editing in Technical Communication: A Survey of Practices and Attitudes    

Presents results of a sample survey on why, how, and to what extent technical communicators use computers to edit. Suggests that electronic editing is becoming a common editing mode.

Dayton, David. Technical Communication Online (2003). Articles>Editing>TC

Electronic Editing in Technical Communication: Different Strokes for Different Folks  

The author conducted a multi-modal study of electronic editing practices, impacts, and attitudes among technical communicators. Data were gathered from focus groups and face-to-face and telephone interviews, as well as from email discussions and responses to open-ended questions on a Web-based survey. Observations based on a preliminary analysis of this data will be presented and discussed.

Dayton, David. STC Proceedings (1999). Articles>Editing>Online

Electronic Editing in Technical Communication: The Compelling Logics of Local Contexts    

Reports a qualitative study of e-editing practices and attitudes in specific workplace contexts. Sheds light on how specific workplace contexts influence perceptions and interpretations of e-editing's benefits and drawbacks.

Dayton, David. Technical Communication Online (2004). Articles>Editing>Online

Electronic Editing: Results of a Dual-Mode Survey  

The preliminary results from an STC-sponsored survey of electronic editing practices, impacts, and attitudes will be presented. In addition to a full-scale survey of a random sample of STC members, the research included a pilot survey administered on the World-Wide Web and a pretest using email software that automates the survey administration process. The potential advantages and problems associated with these innovative survey methods will be discussed.

Dayton, David. STC Proceedings (1999). Articles>Editing>Online

Electronic Image Manipulation - Technological Advances and Ethical Considerations  

Electronic imaging has enabled the desktop publisher to capture and manipulate images to produce documents that are both attractive and cost-effective. In addition to making basic corrections such as balancing colors and improving highlight and shadow detail, the desktop publisher can retouch photographs and other artwork to repair damaged areas, eliminate distracting elements, or alter composition. However, the ease of manipulation has, in some cases, overshadowed the many ethical issues that desktop publishers need to consider. Integrity of the image, ownership of artwork, and copyright laws are some of the issues that desktop publishers must confront.

Adams, Rae and Stephanie S. Babbitt. STC Proceedings (1993). Articles>Graphic Design>Image Editing>Ethics

Electronic Outlining as a Tool for Making Writing Visible

The electronic outlining software found in many commercial programs, when projected on the classroom wall, helps us train students in the main activities involved in creating an outline. Freed from paper, the electronic outline allows continuous revision, encourages multiple iterations of the many interdependent activities involved in research, planning, writing, and revision, and serves as a focal point for discussion of the ways in which the group is developing an ongoing consensus, as part of a larger conversation.

Price, Jonathan R. Communication Circle, The (1997). Articles>Education>Editing>Writing

Electronically Indicating Approvals or Rejections of Editorial Changes

This technique (involving two macros) works in Word97, but not in Word6 or 7/95. The requirement is to indicate (for audit purposes) whether an editorial change was accepted or rejected by the author or other authority.

Hollis Weber, Jean. Technical Editors Eyrie (2002). Articles>Editing>Software>Microsoft Word

Escape From the Grammar Trap

Too many editors focus on the details and don't pay enough attention to the bigger picture. Editors can--and should--add even more value through substantive, technical, and usability editing. Copyediting is important, but the details are only part of what an editor can and should be reviewing. After all, a document can be correctly spelled and punctuated, grammatically correct, use only approved terminology, and follow the style guide perfectly--and still not serve the audience's needs. This article covers some reasons why editors focus on details and not the bigger picture; describes how much attention technical communicators should pay to formal rules of grammar, punctuation, and usage; and describes how we can distinguish between essential and nonessential rules of grammar, punctuation, and usage.

Weber, Jean Hollis. TECHWR-L (2002). Articles>Editing>Grammar

Estimating Editorial Tasks: A Five-Step Method

Everyone would agree that publications work is subject to many unknowns, but it's still possible to pin down key aspects of a project, apply educated guesswork, and calculate a relatively accurate time estimate. Here's a five-step method for arriving at that elusive number.

Cormier, Robin A. Editorial Eye, The (1997). Articles>Editing

An Example of Substantive Editing

Some years ago I edited a quarterly magazine for the users of a large Australian computing network. This example (from 1985) is fairly typical of the technical articles I received from department managers. I include here the unedited text and my revised version.

Hollis Weber, Jean. Technical Editors Eyrie (2001). Articles>Editing>Case Studies

Experiencing Technical Writing as Textual Coordination  

This paper describes a recent study of how of four technical writers managed the many artifacts (existing texts and information technologies for producing and manipulating text) that mediated their writing process. The author describes the study and characterizes several recurrent patterns of mediation, including textual reuse, remediation of information, and the staging of texts and software programs. The author describes the value of a repertoire of information technologies to technical writing and argues that technological skill should be considered a core competency of the field.

Slattery, Shaun. STC Proceedings (2005). Articles>Writing>Technical Editing>Technical Writing

Factors in Reader Responses to Negative Letters: Experimental Evidence for Changing What We Teach    

This article summarizes the scholarly discussion about negative messages and reports the results of two pretests and two experiments using negative letters. The results show that buffers did not significantly affect college students' responses to simulated letters refusing credit and denying admission to graduate school, and strong resale was counterproductive. Students responded least favorably to rejection when they were surprised by it and when their other options were limited. On the basis of these experiments and the published literature, the author recommends that negative letters normally begin with the reason for the refusal, using a buffer only if one of several exceptions apply. If the reason makes the company look good, it should be spelled out in as much detail as possible. If an alternative or compromise exists, the writer should suggest it. Although a positive ending is not necessary, if one is used, a bland positive is better than a strong one, especially in letters to clients or customers.

Locker, Kitty O. Journal of Business and Technical Communication (1999). Articles>Editing>Collaboration

The Fault of Vacuity  

I labeled wordiness the most obvious fault in technical writing. In retrospect, I think I was wrong. I believe the greatest fault our writing can have is vacuity, or lack of substance. We too often write words that say nothing.

Bush, Donald W. Intercom (2004). Articles>Editing>Technical Editing>Technical Writing