Apr 21 2010
This article is part of a series of examples of editing illustrations.
This example is taken from one of the OpenOffice.org (OOo) user guides, which was being updated from OOo version 2 to version 3. I show the author’s instructions to the illustrator, the figure the illustrator produced, and my analysis and edit of the figure.
Continue reading
Apr 19 2010
Geoff Hart’s Effective Onscreen Editing is an essential resource for anyone who edits onscreen, regardless of the word processor in use. Geoff’s examples are from Microsoft Word, but most of his recommendations can be translated readily to OpenOffice.org or other programs. The book is available in both PDF and printed forms, each optimised for its format: the PDF is in landscape format, while the printed book is in portrait format. See this page for details.
Continue reading
Apr 16 2010
This article is the first of a series of copyediting examples, taken from the OpenOffice.org (OOo) user guides. I won’t be looking at grammar, punctuation, and spelling (the topics most people associate with copyediting) but rather at other errors that copyeditors should also be looking for. These errors include (but are not limited to) incorrect cross-references, missing or duplicated information, incorrect or unclear figure captions, and incorrect fonts.
Look at each of the examples. How many errors can you spot? How many things should you check to determine if they are correct or wrong? (I missed all of these on a previous, rushed, pass through the document. We definitely need more people reviewing/editing/proofreading/final checking the user guides.)
Continue reading
Apr 13 2010
My article Editing illustrations discusses a range of substantive editing issues, but it doesn’t go into what to look for at the copyediting or proofreading stages of document development.
This article is the first of a series of examples of illustrations and how I edited them. The examples are taken from the OpenOffice.org (OOo) user guides.
The first things to check when copyediting or proofreading an illustration are (1) does it show what the text says it shows, and (2) do the labels, the figure caption, and the text agree.
Continue reading
Apr 12 2010
After a delay at the publisher’s end, my (co)author’s copies of Technical Editing in the 21st Century have finally arrived. Good to have it in hand. The Amazon.com listing now shows the correct title, too.