(by 2 people)
Incredible Editables--If you have written something editable, I can help you make it Incredible!
The world of writing has changed--maybe not the thinking part, but the tools used to get the words "out there".
From pads and pencils (and before that, tablets and stylus), our writing has progressed through typewriters and then rudimentary computers with ASCII monocolor screens, to laptop computers featuring powerful tools such as MS-Word, FrameMaker, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, and Adobe Acrobat (not to mention a whole slew of other software applications as well!).
Unfortunately, we may have come to rely too much on spell-check and grammar-check. Thus, it might be good for all writers to have someone else read their work to make sure no embarrassing typos or spelling errors got away. Even better, it's good to have a professional editor read through your work to ensure that it's ready to go to a publisher.
Thus, the reason for this Squidoo lens:
I'm an experienced, professional editor (and my writing has been published in both newspapers and magazines, so I understand the publishing process as well).
I'll include some tips here to help you with self-editing your manuscripts and documents, as well as point you to resources that can help you with your writing.
Further along in this lens, I've provided some METRICS for both Writing and Editing that you might find helpful in your own writing and editing projects.
Contents at a Glance
- You Need Style Guides? These Can Help With Your Writing!
- Editing By Dave (aka "EditorDave")
- Incredible Editables on Gift Goodies!
You Need Style Guides? These Can Help With Your Writing!
Microsoft Manual of Style for Technical Publications Third Edition by Microsoft Corporation
Get the reference that defines standards and best more...0 points
Scientific Style And Format: The CSE Manual for Authors, Editors, And Publishers
Scientific Style and Format: The CSE Manual for Au more...0 points
Editing By Dave (aka "EditorDave")
Editing by DaveI enjoy improving the communication value of the written word.
--Moving toward doing more editing, writing, and consulting in marketing communication (marcom) and copywriting for industries that can use my background in high-tech, biology, chemistry, and multi-cultural communication.
--Also editing fiction and nonfiction manuscripts for general audiences.
Services I provide through my editing, writing, and documentation consulting business:
Hardcopy Proofreading, Copyediting, and Editing:
When you send your hardcopy document (Post Office, FedEx, UPS, or DHL), I identify potential errors in English grammar, spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and usage. I can also point out awkward phrasing, paragraphing, and organization. I can make suggestions for improving readability and appearance.
Using standard editorial notation, I mark a hard-copy of your document and return it to you so you can evaluate the corrections and choose which ones to incorporate into your document.
Online Proofreading, Copyediting, and Editing:
When you send your Notepad, MS-Word, or FrameMaker document to me, I can identify and correct errors as previously mentioned, but online. When completed, I e-mail the fixed document back to you.
Critique:
My critique of your document provides you with a detailed analysis of what you have written. This analysis gives you a realistic (although sometimes painful) second opinion of your document.
My skills include:
--Improving the results of translations from foreign languages into native English.
--Editing of highly technical documentation to satisfy audience needs.
--Increasing effectiveness and response for marketing and sales literature.
Now also taking on copyediting for novel manuscripts, screenplays, and trade publications.
Contact me at dave@incredibleeditables.com for more information.
Specialties:
Hardware/software engineering; biological/chemical analyses; environmental fieldwork; scientific documentation; education/training/curriculum development; responses to RFPs; government regulations/compliance documentation; audit reports; MIL-STD, MIL-SPECs. Doc project planning, scheduling, budgeting.
Document types:
Articles (Magazines, Newspapers, Journals)
Manuals
Sales/Marketing Materials
Press Kits
Resumes/Curriculum Vitae
Letters
Websites
Incredible Editables on Gift Goodies!
If you have written something that's editable, I can help you make it incredible!
IncredibleEditables.com Mug
If your documents are EDITABLE, I can help you make them INCREDIBLE! For editorial and documentation services, visit my website, http://www.IncredibleEditables.com !
Mug
Price: 12.99
IncredibleEditables.com Hooded Sweatshirt
If your documents are EDITABLE, I can help you make them INCREDIBLE! For editorial and documentation services, visit my website, http://www.IncredibleEditables.com !
Hooded Sweatshirt
Price: 26.99
IncredibleEditables.com Ash Grey T-Shirt
If your documents are EDITABLE, I can help you make them INCREDIBLE! For editorial and documentation services, visit my website, http://www.IncredibleEditables.com !
Light T-Shirt
Price: 16.99
IncredibleEditables.com Trucker Hat
If your documents are EDITABLE, I can help you make them INCREDIBLE! For editorial and documentation services, visit my website, http://www.IncredibleEditables.com !
Trucker Hat
Price: 12.99
IncredibleEditables.com Tote Bag
If your documents are EDITABLE, I can help you make them INCREDIBLE! For editorial and documentation services, visit my website, http://www.IncredibleEditables.com !
Tote Bag
Price: 14.99
Modern Documentation--Just Because You Have Spell Check Doesn't Mean You Caught All The Bugs!
Modern documentation now is so simple that everyone who can use a computer keyboard can get words on a website or piece of paper.However, we have come to rely so much on so-called "smart applications" with "spell-check" and "grammar-check" that glaring errors can escape.
Why?
Human languages have synonyms (different words, similar meanings) and homonyms (different words with different spelling, different meanings, but same sounds when pronounced) and different denotations and connotations--all of which can make translation and interpretation a nightmare. We've all experienced the confusion produced by the words to, too, and two or struggling with thought, though, and through. You can inadvertently mix up these words in your documents--using one when the other was intended--and guess what? Spell check won't catch them because they are spelled correctly!
Grammar check may catch certain problems (to keep your 6th-grade grammar teacher happy), but many of the problems perceived by the application are not applicable for business or commercial use.
This is why a professional editor can help you to ensure that your manuscripts and documents don't have any of these bloopers. Professional editors are trained in spotting these problems and helping you to fix them before they get out in public and cause you unnecessary embarrassment.
If your target language is not your native language, you should get a professional editor who has native fluency in the target language. For the U.S., you should get an editor who has been raised and trained in the U.S. If your document is intended for the U.K. or Australia, you should get an editor with U.K. or Australian native English proficiency. If your document is intended for Russia or Japan, get an editor with native fluency in Russian or Japanese, respectively. Otherwise, your document will have very obvious errors for your target language readers.
If you have technical material that must be edited, it helps to not only have an editor with a strong command of the target language, but also with a proven aptitude with technical material. This applies to biotech, pharmaceutical, aeronautical, telecommunications, computer, and other specialized industries.
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Metrics for Documentation? It's More Than Just Spelling and Grammar--It's PLANNING!
For average "technical" documentation (from blank page to finished-for-audience)--8 hours per page.
Now, before you think this number is hysterically funny, consider the following. This figure includes the planning, budgeting, research (searching references and interviewing Subject Matter Experts -SME-), outlining, writing first draft, incorporating figures and illustrations, review, running spell-check and grammar-check, clean-up, writing final review draft, composition/formatting, and the final approval process before release. This figure may also include the printing/publishing process (depending on whether hard-copy or electronic --PDF-- version is distributed).
Obviously, for simple material, easy-to-access references and SMEs, and appropriate tools (software), and an experienced writer, this process can take less time, say, only 3 hours per page.
For highly technical material, harder-to-find references and uncooperative SMEs, and uncooperative tools, and an inexperienced writer, the process might take more than 15 hours per page.
But if you go for the average of 8 hours a page for a high-quality technical document of 100 pages, you could expect to take about 800 hours (about 20 weeks or about 5 months). Yeah, you can put out a 100-page manual quicker--maybe in a month--but you'd have to have an expert writer, with readily available SMEs and references, readily available illustrations, and cooperative and accessible tools.
Writers and their clients or employers should use these figures when estimating the work-load required for writing projects.
Loading these figures into a MS-Project Plan can give a more clear picture of a writing project. The Gantt Charts or PERT Charts are helpful in planning a documentation project.
Learning a New Technology--Sometimes the Manual Isn't Enough, So the Help Desk is Required!
Medieval helpdesk with English subtitles
Helpdesk support back in the day of the middle age with English subtitles. Original taken from the show "Øystein og jeg" on Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK)in 2001. With Øystein Backe (helper)and Rune Gokstad (desperate monk). Written by Knut Nærum.
Writing Has Metrics! So Does Editing!
Again, it depends on the proficiency of the editor as well as the complexity of the document being edited. It also depends on the depth of editing be required.
There are quick edits--just to check for typos, spelling errors, and small grammatical problems... and there are in-depth copyedits that in addition to going after typos, spelling errors, and grammatical problems, also work on fixing organizational problems, structural errors, and usage problems.
Editing can also fix cultural problems (UK spelling versus American spelling, UK usage versus American usage, and so on) depending on the intended audience.
The average editing time for a simple edit is about 8 pages per hour.
For easy to read and non-complex material with a proficient editor, up to 15 pages per hour could be possible.
For highly technical, academic material, 3 pages per hour might be expected.
These times should be calculated into the documentation time under a separate timeline within the documentation plan.
New Link List
- Dave's Images on Gift Goodies
- I like to capture images of the beautiful sights I've seen. CafePress stores are where I can share these images with others. So far, I have pictures of Sharks, Sea Turtles, Sailing Pictures, and Napa Valley Scenes for others to enjoy.
- My so-far official website--still sort of clunky.
- This is my first attempt at building a site on my own. It's still clunky, but it works. I'll be improving it as soon as I get the time and figure out some of my tools for working on it.
- Like to find treasures in used and rare books? Glenn and Winnie at Tracy Books can help you!
- Glenn and Winnie run this nice little store--and although they are moving their physical location to perhaps a more obscure place, folks will still be able to order used and new books online through their website.
Glenn and Winnie provide wonderful personal attention to their customers--and Winnie, being a former librarian, really has the knack for books. Glenn is a US Post Office employee--and thus provides his expertise in packing books such that they arrive in great condition and with the most efficiency. If you want books on writing and editing--as well as those by great authors and rare books, this is the place to get them from!
Drop a Note and Say Hi! I'm Sure What You Write Will Be Incredible!
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Zee7
Hello Dave, you sure do have a lot of lenses I didn't know which one I wanted to read first! haha I think it's great that you have a lot of lenses on different topics. I'm working on my copywriting skills, (some say i'm good but i know i can be better) so it's good to know someone like you can help me improve too. =) Posted July 20, 2008 |
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EelKat
cool lens... I found it via the automated lensroll on my new lens for self publishers: http://www.squidoo.com/PublishingStartUp Posted January 17, 2008 |
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groovyoldlady
This is a smart move! I've seen some lenses/sites in desperate need of your services. I have offered to edit a few, but I think my implication that their writing was sub-par insulted some folks. Now I just cringe; then I smile and nod and give them stars accordingly! (Consider yourself linked.) Posted June 19, 2007 |
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anicholson
Hi. Thanks for visiting. I'm still trying to figure this thing out. By the way, I've been inspired to start a blog, I've put a link to your site there, I'll send it when I get some pictures on it. This is a slow process for me because I have to get my kids to helop me figure out the technicalities. Posted May 24, 2007 |
