Contents
Epiphany. This course is where it struck me that so much of writing is editing and vice versa. There is 42 times less pressure to start the first draft when I remind myself it doesn't have to be perfect the first time—future me has my back. Editing others’ work is also great way to revel in my reason for pursuing technical communication; I get to learn stuff, then share that stuff. Reading subject matter experts’ (SMEs) content means learning about all sorts of stuff, and, through editing, I help them share their stuff to effectively achieve their goals!
The SME ("client") this time around was my sister—who kindly provided an employee handbook that she had just finished for her role serving homeless veterans at a social services non-profit. While going over the handbook for the first time, we chatted about the context in which the document would be used and landed upon a training manual and reference guide for new hires.
Since the handbook was a scanned PDF, it needed to be retyped into Word. After, I did several passes (one printed and hand marked) that focused on each of our predetermined editing objectives. Most edits were in proofreading, missing information, design, readability, usability, and manual genre conventions. After client review via Word's editing tools (track changes and comments), I implemented approved changes and filled in any missing information provided by the client. The final document was delivered with a letter of transmittal for the client and a memo for the professor.
Editing a live document highlighted that the simplest things like a working links or an expanded abbreviation are important for reducing confusion, especially in the context of a new position where the user may already be overwhelmed. Good documentation is peace of mind.
My sister, her boss, and my professor were pleased with the final handbook and overall editing process.
Below are samples from the project. Click the image to expand.
