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Subject:RE: wording for training materials From:John Posada <JPosada -at- book -dot- com> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Fri, 25 Oct 2002 15:56:14 -0400
See my comments inserted below:
John Posada
Senior Technical Writer
Barnes&Noble.com
jposada -at- book -dot- com
212-414-6656
"Be accurate...the 4am wakeup call you prevent could be your manager's"
Questions:
>1. I expect that a writer, whether a junior or a senior, should be able to
>make all the editing changes marked on a document without missing several.
>Is this really too much to expect?
It depends on whether you are clear and unambiguous in your markups. Maybe
some of your edits don't make sense. If you find some that were not entered,
do you find out why?
I know in my case, I can always count on not understanding some of what is
being asked for. I circle it and place a postit note on the ones I don't
understand.
You aren't one of them that places a question mark and no explanation, are
you?
>2. For those of you who have an editor (or are the editor), how many
>editing passes typically occur? Does the editor typically perform a final
>pass on each doc before it is published? Is the editor expected to sign
>off on each doc before it is published?
I've never had an editor, when SME or peer edited, unusually about three
cycles does it.
>4. Others have stated that writers who deliberately ignore changes
>requested by the editor should be reprimanded. (Note: this action has been
>recommended when the editor is the manager, or when it is clearly
>understood that the editor has final say.) How is this typically handled
>in your group? Does the editor/manager pull the writer aside and say "hey,
>Joe, you need to start making those editorial changes"? Is the writer's
>work then carefully monitored for the next few projects? How *do* you
>handle this without crossing the line into dictatorship?
Some I make, some I question, never do I just ignore. Of those I question,
we usually ed up splitting 60/40 in favor of the editor.
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