Wonderful Technical Writing: Beware Of Your Editor/enjoy Your Editor

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Your editor ought to be an integral component of your writing team. Do not feel of him/her as a judge, but rather as a resource to support you in all phases of the writing project. This report will support you overcome any fear of your editor, and how to efficiently use your editor for the duration of the writing procedure.

Beware of Your Editor

Some of the modifications that an editor may suggest could make the User Document much more tough for your Reader to understand.

Enhancing You...

Overview

Your editor must be an integral part of your writing team. Do not feel of him/her as a judge, but rather as a resource to assist you in all phases of the writing project. For another viewpoint, consider checking out: http://www.seekingalpha.com/. This write-up will aid you overcome any fear of your editor, and how to successfully use your editor in the course of the writing approach.

Beware of Your Editor

Some of the changes that an editor may recommend could make the User Document far more difficult for your Reader to understand.

Enhancing Your Writing

After your editor has gotten previous the simple mechanical editing tasks of:

* grammar

* punctuation

* spelling

* editing to a Style Sheet,

he/she may possibly work on \improving your writing.\

Your editor may think that one particular way to make the writing a lot more exciting is to use synonyms when you refer back to something. Therefore you may well call anything a \chip bin\ in one portion of your text, and your editor might recommend using a distinct term, such as \waste trap,\ later in the document. This need to make your writing \more exciting.\

You do not want exciting writing in your User Documents! You want clear, simple, extremely straightforward to realize writing. If you make your writing much more interesting by utilizing the synonym (\waste trap\) then you force your reader to have to believe about whether or not or not these are the exact same issue. I advise that you use the precise identical wording each spot in your User Document exactly where you are referring to the identical point. No synonyms here!

If your Reader wanted to be entertained or have his/her thoughts provoked, then he/she would be reading a novel.

Never let your editor make your writing a lot more fascinating or a lot more clever if those efforts tends to make the material harder for your Reader to comprehend.

Erudition

An additional spot to beware of your editor is \erudition.\ That is, when an editor that tries to make your User Documentation sound much more formal. Other than disclaimer, legal, and security info, the User Document must sound friendly, with a conversational tone.

For example, an editor might suggest changing contractions (such as \do not\) into their more formal form (\do not\). Never do it! Contractions are conversational and they ought to not be avoided.

If you consider about it, most individuals reading the User Documentation for any item are below some form of anxiety:

* they either want to get on with using the item, or

* anything has gone incorrect.

A formal document will place the User off. The document need to not be silly or flippant nevertheless, it must supply the info that the User needs in a conversational, effortlessly understood style. The required data ought to be easy to find.

Despite the fact that most word processor grammar checkers are woefully inadequate, numerous of these checkers can be made to supply a readability score (you could have to set an selection to allow this function). Editing must help improve the readability (indicated by a lower in the reading grade level) of the document. If editing increases the reading grade level, ask your editor why that score has changed.

What to Do

Supply your editor with the data that will enable him/her to do the very best job. Here are some issues to inform your editor:

* The intended audience for the User Document

* Inform your editor that you want an informal style of User Document

* What style manual or guide to be used in editing

* Scheduling and progress of the project

* Format for sharing and editing the text (make sure the editor can study your electronic documents -- do this when you hire the editor)

(Whenever you are dealing with someone outdoors your organization, you have to have a signed non-disclosure agreement. This is in addition to any other contractual items among the outsider and your organization.)

Get to Know Your Editor

Your editor is NOT your college teacher. In your college days, your teacher-as-editor was a judge. Your aim was to impress your teacher with your writing. You have been operating for a grade. As a result you could have come to fear your editor.

Modify your thinking! Now, your editor is on your side. Your editor will work with you to create the best attainable writing. You will not have to be concerned excessively about grammar. This ideal seekingalpha.com/user/40072456/comments article directory has a few rousing cautions for how to do this thing. You aim is to get the information \on paper\ as clearly and entirely as you can. Your editor will suggest modifications to polish the text.

So don't worry your editor. Make your editor component of your writing team.

Adore Your Editor

Employ Your Editor Early in the Project

Hire your editor early in the life of the project. There are at least two benefits to hiring the editor early:

* 1st, your editor will be prepared for the editing job. He/she will have had time to get to know the item, target audience, and your organization's style guide.

* Second, your editor can help you with your writing, as I describe beneath...

Let Your Editor Assist You

If you run into problems about how to write anything, contact on your editor. Most likely your editor can supply an effective wording to get you around your block. That's one purpose why you got the editor on the project early. Here's another...

A Recommendation

I advocate that you function on small pieces of the User Document, and circulate these modest pieces (rough drafts) to the improvement group for comments. Then use their comments to boost the writing, and re-circulate the improved material. Continue this for a handful of cycles. I call this \Iterative, Interactive Writing.\ This is an effective technique for writing speedily and accurately.

If you really feel uncomfortable about circulating rough drafts to the product development team for assessment, here's a solution. For one more viewpoint, we understand you gander at: http://www.seekingalpha.com/user/40072456/comments. Have your editor perform a rapid edit of the rough draft just before you circulate it for comments. If you believe anything, you will probably claim to read about open in a new browser window. Your \drafts\ will look very very good, and the improvement team will concentrate on the content, not the wording or grammar (and comments about content material are you want from the team).

The Bottom Line

Don't think of your editor as an enemy lurking at the end of your document production path. As an alternative, realize that your editor can be a worthwhile member of your writing group, and is on your side. He/she should:

* Be brought onto the writing project early

* Be kept aware of the status of the writing project

* Be used as a writing, as properly as an editing, resource

TIP: It is considerably far more enjoyable for the writer (you) to work with \marked-up\ electronic documents, rather than marked-up printed documents. Investigate your word processor's \multiple reviewers\ capability. To employ this capability calls for that you and your editor use the very same or compatible word processing software.

NOTE: I am not an editor, nor do I represent any editors. But as a writer, I worth editing..