Re: Are editors still needed today?

[yehoshua paul <yehoshua -dot- p -at- technicalwriting -dot- com>]

Same here. I manage the documentation for my division (or rather it manages
me). When the workload is really heavy, I can repurpose another writer or
two from elsewhere in the company, but usually it's just me writing,
editing, and formatting documentation for the sales, training and technical
teams. It's a far cry from perfect, but for the most part the workload more
than enough for one person to handle.

Yehoshua Paul
Community contributor and documentation expert,
www.technicalwriting.com

On Wed, Jun 13, 2012 at 6:01 PM, McLauchlan, Kevin <
Kevin -dot- McLauchlan -at- safenet-inc -dot- com> wrote:

> Same hats. Same reasons. Not 35 years. I was part of an actual
> department during the eighties. But lone writer since then.
> Current gig has been (... counting on fingers... pause... take
> off shoe... counting on toes...) 13 years as lone writer, then
> this past year as one of two in this division.
>
> Strangely, dividing the workload that I used to do alone, plus
> a little, the two of us still don't have time for editing
> each others' verbiage.  We tweak when we have to bend or
> repurpose something the other has written, but otherwise,
> it's been fine.
>
> I do pretty-much what Gene does - write it, let it sit for a
> day or three, read it, maybe edit a bit.
>
> I find that if I revisit topics several months later, I
> only rarely trim or re-write, but I often ADD more content
> or glue that might not have been obviously needful or helpful
> those many months ago.   HAH!  I used "ago".  Unapologetically, too.
>
>
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: techwr-l-bounces+kevin -dot- mclauchlan=safenet-inc -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-
> > l.com [mailto:techwr-l-bounces+kevin.mclauchlan=safenet-
> > inc -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On Behalf Of Al Geist
> > Sent: June-13-12 8:07 AM
> > To: 'Cardimon, Craig'; 'Gene Kim-Eng'; wondersofone -at- gmail -dot- com
> > Cc: 'tech2wr-l'
> > Subject: RE: Are editors still needed today?
> >
> > I am in the same boat as Gene and Craig and have been off-and-on for
> > nearly
> > 35 years. The times I did have a budget for an editor were heaven. If I
> > had
> > a staff, we peer edited, but for the most part it was me wearing all
> > the
> > hats, including technical photographer and graphic artist.
> >
> > Al Geist-Geist Arts, LLC
> > Fine Art Photography - Exceptional Note Cards
> > Mobile: 231-301-5770
> > E-mail: al -at- geistarts -dot- com
> > Website: www.geistarts.com
> > Blog: www.gooterschmeltz.com
> > Facebook: Geist Arts
> > See Also:
> > Technical Communication, Help, Documentation Management
> >
> > "We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used to
> > create them." (Albert Einstein)
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: techwr-l-bounces+al=geistarts -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
> > [mailto:techwr-l-bounces+al=geistarts -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On Behalf
> > Of
> > Cardimon, Craig
> > Sent: Wednesday, June 13, 2012 7:48 AM
> > To: 'Gene Kim-Eng'; 'wondersofone -at- gmail -dot- com'
> > Cc: 'tech2wr-l'
> > Subject: RE: Are editors still needed today?
> >
> > I too am a lone writer and department of one.
> >
> > Craig
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: techwr-l-bounces+ccardimon=m-s-g -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
> > [mailto:techwr-l-bounces+ccardimon=m-s-g -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On
> > Behalf
> > Of Gene Kim-Eng
> > Sent: Wednesday, June 13, 2012 12:11 AM
> > To: wondersofone -at- gmail -dot- com
> > Cc: tech2wr-l
> > Subject: Re: Are editors still needed today?
> >
> > I'm currently a department of one (laying the foundation for another
> > round
> > of future empire-building), so I am self-editing; write, wait a day,
> > review
> > and correct.  When I've had writers but no editors in the past we have
> > peer-edited.
> >
> > Gene Kim-Eng
>
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