Comprehensively Edited
At the time that I am writing this, the comprehensive edit project has been completed and turned in. Though it was an extraordinarily complex endeavor for someone just starting in technical editing, it was a great experience. As I stated in my previous blog post, I was a bit nervous about completing a team project at first. As we moved through each step of the comprehensive edit, we worked as a team to accomplish our goals. My teammate was understanding when I had to change the schedule of our meetings due to other obligations that I had agreed to before starting my master’s degree. My teammate also provided guidance based on experience as a technical writer from undergraduate studies. I’m incredibly happy with the end result of our comprehensive edit project and look forward to receiving feedback so that my teammate and I can consider this piece for our portfolios.
Everything presented throughout this course was beneficial to the comprehensive edit project. To complete the comprehensive edit project, my teammate and I used Microsoft Word as the primary editorial tool, although my teammate tried different editing tools such as ProWitingAid and PerfectIt by Intelligent Editing. Links to each of these editing tool websites will be provided at the end of this blog post.
Each module added another concept to understand that culminated in the edited document my teammate and I submitted. I admit that I still don’t fully grasp estimating time, cost, and the scope of an edit project, but I have the tools to look up that information and people that I can ask for help. No matter what, as I continue my journey as a technical communicator I must always continue learning. It is the most essential tool in our toolkit.
My Journey
I am still just starting out on my journey into the field of technical communication. This course has changed my perception of what it means to be an editor and has shown me that it is a viable career path that I am now considering. Even if I don’t wind up pursuing a career as a technical editor, the skills that I have learned in this course make me a better writer and technical communicator.
I used to think that an editor was just a person reviewing documents in an office solely to correct spelling, punctuation, and grammar. My perception now is that an editor is a crucial part of the production process of any piece of writing. Editors are quality control, dictionaries, proofreaders, and a whole lot of other titles involved in the production of a piece of writing. Editors provide feedback about style and tone so that the author can reach the intended audience.
Editors also have legal and ethical standards that must be followed in order to resolve problems before they begin. Following these standards allows an editor to help the author(s) avoid legal problems associated with plagiarism and copyright infringement, because an editor has an obligation to mention the potential error in the document before it’s published. Ethical practices also allow the editor to help the author(s) avoid other problems associated with issues of stereotyping, sexism, racism, and even ageism. Even though some of these issues are legal they are generally speaking unacceptable and immoral practices that should not appear in twenty-first century writing nor in society at all.
Looking Forward
As I have progressed through the course in this first eight-week term, I have learned a lot, but I really struggled with meeting deadlines. Juggling a full-time job with a fixed schedule, graduate school, familial responsibilities, and other previously agreed to obligations is an immense challenge. It is a lot to take on at one time, however, I know that it is doable with proper planning and clear, open, and honest communication.
Proper planning is essential to successfully completing an editorial project. Likewise, proper planning is essential to matriculating through a master’s program. Graduate students and editors must make a realistic plan to complete their best work on time, every time. Failure to do so is an invitation for elevated stress and anxiety and risk removal from the program.
Clear, open, and honest communication is also essential to successfully completing an editorial project. Likewise, it is essential to earning a graduate level degree. Using the communication channels that instructors provide, or even some outside of school such as a spouse or a manager, to get feedback before the situation is dire helps to stay on track with educational and career goals. I am lucky that my professors have shown me grace and compassion this semester though it is not required of them to do so.
After I am done writing this blog post I am going to write out and print my plan for success in the next eight-week term and beyond into other terms so that I can earn my master’s on time.
I really enjoyed this course and learned a lot about the editorial process. I look forward to future courses. Thank you.
Here are the links to the editorial tools mentioned in this blog post.
ProWritingAid
PerfectIt
C. W. Fowler 