When it comes to choosing writers and editors for projects, you need the right person for the job. Not everyone can work with any kind of text. Some prefer working on fiction, for instance, while others are great at travel books. Certain areas are very specialized though. For example, if you're going to produce a book that engineers would use, you need an engineering technical writer and editor.
Ideally you would like a person who has a background in engineering. However, not many engineers are great with words. If you can't find someone who can communicate the technical know-how efficiently, it's often better to look for someone with a background in writing and editing instead.
One of the main reasons why engineers don't always make great writers is that they tend to assume that their readers already know something about the subject. They then don't spend as much time explaining concepts as is necessary. People who are good at writing and editing will take a complicated idea and explain it in the simplest terms, so that the reader will understand the text and won't lose interest.
Great technical writers and editors have excellent research skills. In fact, they like doing research and learning new things. They won't just take everything at face value but will think deeper about the facts to ensure that they really understand the subject before trying to find ways of explaining it to the reader.
Editors naturally need to be excellent at going through texts and correcting grammar and spelling. They should also be able to restructure sentences or even entire paragraphs to make the text as readable as possible. However, you can shave weeks off the production process by choosing an author who pays attention to spelling, grammar and structure too, since the editor will be able to get through the text more quickly. In addition, light edits cost much less than rewrites of texts.
One thing to remember is that because your writing and editing team don't necessarily know much about the subject, factual errors may slip through. In a text for engineers this can have disastrous consequences. Therefore, as an extra measure of quality control, find a subject specialist, in other words an engineer, to go through the edited text to ensure it's accurate. This person doesn't need to look at the language but simply at the content.
Finding writers and editors with the right background can be done by contacting specialist employment agencies or websites. However, you need to thoroughly check the candidates' background and experience. Don't be afraid to ask for references and for samples of their work. Professionals won't be offended but will gladly provide these.
Finally, it helps to remember that, as with all things in life, you get what you pay for. If you're not offering market-related rates, the good writers and editors won't be interested in working for you. However, pay well and set realistic deadlines and you might have your pick of people who will be a real asset to your project.
Ideally you would like a person who has a background in engineering. However, not many engineers are great with words. If you can't find someone who can communicate the technical know-how efficiently, it's often better to look for someone with a background in writing and editing instead.
One of the main reasons why engineers don't always make great writers is that they tend to assume that their readers already know something about the subject. They then don't spend as much time explaining concepts as is necessary. People who are good at writing and editing will take a complicated idea and explain it in the simplest terms, so that the reader will understand the text and won't lose interest.
Great technical writers and editors have excellent research skills. In fact, they like doing research and learning new things. They won't just take everything at face value but will think deeper about the facts to ensure that they really understand the subject before trying to find ways of explaining it to the reader.
Editors naturally need to be excellent at going through texts and correcting grammar and spelling. They should also be able to restructure sentences or even entire paragraphs to make the text as readable as possible. However, you can shave weeks off the production process by choosing an author who pays attention to spelling, grammar and structure too, since the editor will be able to get through the text more quickly. In addition, light edits cost much less than rewrites of texts.
One thing to remember is that because your writing and editing team don't necessarily know much about the subject, factual errors may slip through. In a text for engineers this can have disastrous consequences. Therefore, as an extra measure of quality control, find a subject specialist, in other words an engineer, to go through the edited text to ensure it's accurate. This person doesn't need to look at the language but simply at the content.
Finding writers and editors with the right background can be done by contacting specialist employment agencies or websites. However, you need to thoroughly check the candidates' background and experience. Don't be afraid to ask for references and for samples of their work. Professionals won't be offended but will gladly provide these.
Finally, it helps to remember that, as with all things in life, you get what you pay for. If you're not offering market-related rates, the good writers and editors won't be interested in working for you. However, pay well and set realistic deadlines and you might have your pick of people who will be a real asset to your project.
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