Last Stop: Editing

/ Ann Aubrey Hanson / Leave a comment

It amuses me to see how many people have months to write a paper, an article, or a book, and yet wait until the 11th hour to get it edited. In the past few weeks, I’ve received several Ph.D. proposals and dissertations to edit, many of which were due the following week or week after. A few have only needed formatting and cleaning up, but others have required major rewrites and reorganization.

Few people realize that early editing is key. Once the outline is completed and a first draft has been completed, that is the time to get an editor, simply to verify that the paper is on track, to catch errors in organization and presentation of facts early on. Otherwise, it’s like building a car and completing it, down to the leather seats and the hi-fidelity sound system, only to discover that the two front wheels point forward and the two rear wheels point sideways. All that extra work amping up the interior for nothing, because you have to go back to the drawing board on the initial design.

Design, check your design, refine your design, then build. That’s the key to success. Same for editing. Organize, draft, check your draft through editing, rewrite, and do a final edit. Simple.

Left Coast Crime 2010 Panel

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It appears that I have been selected to appear on a panel at the upcoming Left Coast Crime 2010 conference in Los Angeles in March. When I registered to attend, I indicated that I would be willing to serve on a panel if they needed me. Apparently, they need me. I have received word that I will be on a panel, though I don’t know yet which one it will be.

Not a published crime writer yet, I suspect that I will serve as an editing expert. Truth is, I would be delighted to serve in whatever capacity they need, but am most confident in terms of editing. I am working with several clients right now, one of whom is a mystery writer, and teaching courses at UCSD Extension, one of which will be repeated in the Spring: Evil, Vile Villains.

My award-winning friend and author, Meg Gardiner, will also be on a panel at Left Coast Crime 2010. Her presence there was one of the main reasons I registered. Can’t pass up a chance to see her when she’s on the Left Coast! Then, turns out that Lee Child is one of the main presenters. I’ve just “discovered” his books and am eager to hear him speak.

So, time will tell what’s in store for me at Left Coast Crime 2010. I’ll update this blog as I learn more.

Choosing Contracts Wisely

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So, when one is submitting proposals for writing contracts, it pays to do research before hitting the Submit button. I just narrowly missed getting involved in a problematic project, writing a Wiki article about someone who turned out to be, let’s just say “dicey,” at best. Once I had been awarded the job and more information came my way, I realized that I couldn’t in good conscience be a part of the project and would never want any association with the person or his agenda.

The upshot of the incident was my withdrawing from the project, with good will on both sides (I was dealing with an intermediary, not with the subject himself), and a new awareness on my part that I must always ask for the full facts before I bid, even if it means delaying the bid for a short while. Better to take the time and not rue the rush.

On the other hand, I have chosen wisely with respect to several other bids and projects, so I have to expect a dip in the road once in a while.

Back to Freelance

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Having just spent three months working as a contract technical writer, I am happy to report that I completed twice the number of documents they were hoping for in two-thirds the allotted time. I am also happy to report that, having finished the contract with blazing speed and applauded success, I have declined another contract at Sony and am returning full time to my freelance writing and editing work.

I enjoyed the work at Sony, learning four new software programs for which I then wrote online help content for a knowledge base, but I found that I missed the variety that freelance entails. Not for me the monotony of writing about the same subject day in and day out. As a freelance writer and editor, I typically have 5-10 projects in house, which means that I get to juggle what I do on any given day. Boredom is never an option.

“Finishing” is also rarely an option because there is always work to be done. But I don’t mind that. In fact, I embrace the idea of the work floodwaters rising. The more the merrier. I am one of those people who can sit and immediately focus, whether for 15 minutes or 6 hours at a stretch. And, variety being the spice of life, my tastes are satisfied at every moment.

So thanks to Sony for the three-month experience, but welcome me back, freelance life! It’s good to be home!

Technical Writing for Sony

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I am currently working on contract at Sony USA in San Diego as a contract Technical Writer. It’s my task to write job aids and process guides for Customer Care agents. These are the front-line agents who receive phone calls from Sony customers, either to place orders or to deal with customer needs and complaints. Since the newly trained agents can’t be expected to know all aspects of the business, my documents will be available to them on an online knowledge base, which they can access during a phone call to find the procedures and answers they need to satisfy the customers.

The task involves using job aids that were created before, adapting them to the new software that will be used, and also interviewing the in-house subject matter experts, trying to take their hard-earned knowledge and put it on paper.

Because I’ve done technical writing for so many years, this is not a difficult task. Initially, the main concern was just getting published as much information as possible. Now, during the second phase, I will go back and concentrate on conceptualizing the documents, adding explanations about when certain processes are used, and the likely exceptions the agents will encounter. That’s the tougher job; I have to think like an agent and decipher what their needs might be and their thought processes under stress. Interesting and definitely the part of the task that I most enjoy.

Self-Publishing Works

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Many of my clients are trying to get their books published. Most realize how difficult it is to get a book published through a renowned publishing company. As a result, they are looking into self-publishing.

One of the best sites I have found for self-publishing is Ron Pramschufer’s at http://www.selfpublishing.com. This is not a vanity press publishing site. Unlike vanity and on-demand publishers, Ron’s site helps authors to publish their books at a reasonable cost, with excellent results.

Ron’s most recent blog about self-publishing bemoans the fact that the vanity presses and on-demand publishers have convinced people that if you can put it on a computer, we can see that it’s published. Thus, says Ron, and I heartily agree, there is a tsunami of awful books hitting the market. These books are often horribly written, completely unedited, and rarely proofread. There is so much tripe floating in the waters of the printed word that it’s hard to find the real books, those worth reading and that have been carefully prepared for publication.

It doesn’t matter that a book gets published. That alone will not guarantee success. Success is never guaranteed, but an author has a better chance at achieving some financial success if the book he or she publishes is well written, carefully edited, and prepared free of errors before it is sent to an editor, agent, or publishing house. That takes time and money (editors don’t work for free), but in the long run, the potential for success is definitely enhanced.

Can You Spell Potato?

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Many people for whom English is not the first language comment on the difficulties of learning English, with its multitude of rules and legions of exceptions to those rules, and with the seemingly arbitrary spelling rules we follow. For me, that is part of the fun of language, but I know that it drives others nuts.

When I was six, my grandfather taught me to spell fish as “ghoti.” I’ve loved telling people about this ever since.

“F” as in enouGH.
“I” as in wOmen.
“SH” as in naTIon.

This January, riding the tube in London, I came across another wonderful comment on English spelling.

Spell “potato” phonetically as: Ghoughphtheightteeau:

If PH can stand for P in hiccough
If OUGH can stand for O in dough
If PHTH can stand for T in phthisis
If EIGH can stand for A in neighbour (British spelling, remember)
If TTE can stand for T in gazette
If EAU can stand for O in plateau,

then the way you spell potato is PHOUGHPHTHEIGHTTEEU!