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You don't say *why* they're giving you the test. Is it for a position
you're applying for? What type of position? How much do you want to work
there?
I'm sure that a bunch of "bad" copyediting stuff is floating around in
the writing world. In my coursework for a technical writing certificate,
I took several editing courses where part of the testing was editing
really really bad work.
Are you really sure that the material they gave you was actual writing
they had from their authors?
I have to say that, as yet, I have not been asked to do an editing test
as part of the hiring process. I got into my first tech writing position
without knowing *anything*, and nobody at my current company knows
nearly as much as I do about tech writing!
Having said all this...
If I were in your situation, and you *are* in the midst of applying for
a position/contract/whatever, then I'd simply say that for a variety of
reasons I was not interested in continuing the process, and thank them
for their time. As much as I get angry, I've learned my lesson not to
burn bridges.
My current instructor told a great story last night. She was applying
for a contract, and went into an interview with the company's "money
manager", who told her that he'd Googled her. Her immediate response was
"So you know about my PUlitzer!" He didn't laugh, and she withdrew her
application.
Joe
Joe Malin
Technical Writer
(408)625-1623
jmalin -at- tuvox -dot- com
www.tuvox.com
The views expressed in this document are those of the sender, and do not
necessarily reflect those of TuVox, Inc.
-----Original Message-----
From: bounce-techwr-l-216553 -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
[mailto:bounce-techwr-l-216553 -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On Behalf Of Bonnie
Granat
Sent: Tuesday, July 26, 2005 2:25 AM
To: TECHWR-L
Subject: OT: Declining a copyediting test
A company (book packager who says its manuscripts are primarily from "a
well-known POD publisher") has sent me a copyediting test consisting of
2-3 page portions of three remarkably bad documents that I don't believe
any copyeditor would regard as ready for copyediting. Copyediting these
would be like putting a Band-Aid on a dislocated shoulder. I just cannot
(read, "will
not") do it.
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