contracting with technical writers and editors: why, when, and how
TRANSCRIPT
Contracting withTechnical Writersand Editors: Why,When, and HowWILLIAM F. NESBIT
ABSTRACT: By the very nature of their jobs, engineers have a fundamental and ongoingresponsibility to report their work and capabilities to a variety of audiences: peertechnical audiences, less technically informed but otherwise sophisticated managementaudiences, and often the general public. Yet many do not have the editorial skills toeffectively convey their messages to these audiences to achieve their communicationsgoal. One way to address this problem is to contract for writing and editing services.This article discusses when contracting makes the most sense, types of technical writersand editors, considerations in assessing technical writers and editors, ways to preparefor work with technical writers and editors, and typical steps in publication planning,writing, and production.
Mark Twain once said that the dif-ference between the right wordand the almost right word isthe difference between lightningand the lightning bug. This dis-tinction, which highlights the
importance of ensuring that what you say and writeis clear and accurate, is nowhere more important thanin technical communications. Indeed, if no one knowsabout your work or your capabilities or can understandwhat you’ve written, you’re essentially irrelevant.
By the very nature of their jobs, engineers have afundamental and ongoing responsibility to reporttheir work and capabilities to a variety of audiences:peer technical audiences, less technically informed butotherwise sophisticated management audiences, andoften the general public. Yet many do not have theeditorial skills to effectively convey their messagesto these audiences to achieve their communications
goal. One way to address this problem is to contractfor writing and editing services. Contracting may goagainst the grain of those who, in the mold of theclassical engineer, believe that responsibility forpreparing their communications should fall to themalone. Be this as it may, contracting with technicalwriters and editors offers a number of potential bene-fits to technical staff, technical managers, and theirdepartments and organizations. Among these, con-tracting can and likely will
• Reduce the time technical staff spend on commu-nications (writing, editing, management, and coor-dination), thereby expanding overall departmentand staff productivity by freeing staff to focus inareas where they are specifically trained and primar-ily interested;
• Improve the quality of communications output,expanding both individual and organizational reachand influence;
OCTOBER 2011 Leadersh ip and Management in Eng ineer ing292
Leadership Manage. Eng. 2011.11:292-296.
Dow
nloa
ded
from
asc
elib
rary
.org
by
UN
IVE
RSI
TE
LA
VA
L o
n 07
/08/
14. C
opyr
ight
ASC
E. F
or p
erso
nal u
se o
nly;
all
righ
ts r
eser
ved.
• Speed production of communications material fromconcept to completion, improving the overall vo-lume of communications output;
• Ensure consistency in the quality, look, and feel ofcommunications products;
• Reduce the amount of time technical managersspend specifying revisions to material sent to themfor review by subordinates; and
• Offset most or all of its costs by improvements inoverall department and company productivity re-sulting from the contractor’s work.
THE CHALLENGE/OPPORTUNITY
Most technical managers, like other professionals, havebasic writing and communications skills. However,most are not polished communicators and typicallydo not have the time or interest to focus on buildingtheir skills. Most appreciate the value of effectivecommunications and view communications as afundamental aspect of their jobs. But they often seecommunications more as an obligation than an oppor-tunity, a low priority compared to their other respon-sibilities. Consequently, many come to the taskreactively and recalcitrantly rather than proactivelyand eagerly.
There are a number of reasons for this lack of ini-tiative and enthusiasm. First and foremost, technicalcommunications is hard work and time consuming,and most technical people would rather be doing othertasks—tasks for which they were trained and at whichthey have demonstrated skill. When they do write,their information is often not well organized, in theirminds and on paper, and they have little patience fordetailed publication planning, viewing it as a timesink or the sign of a weak mind. Moreover, in manycases they have a tendency to load on qualifiers and gointo excruciating levels of detail, all of which obscurestheir key messages and slows the flow of their discus-sion. Finally, more often than not they woefullyunderestimate the amount of time required to producewell-written material and, finding themselves timeconstrained, cut corners.
Even acknowledging these shortcomings, manytechnical people are loath to contract for writingand editing help because they don’t know where tolook, don’t feel they can spare the time and effort re-quired to bring writers and editors up the learningcurve, don’t want or can’t afford the expense, and oftenfeel—generally incorrectly—that they could do thejob better if only they had the time. As a result, theyfrequently undertake the job themselves, only to later
begrudge the effort because it took more time thanthey anticipated (or would or could make available);their output was not as comprehensive, precise, effec-tive, or well received as they hoped; and the wholeeffort was harrowing and unrewarding. Subsequently,and not surprisingly, their material often fails to gainthe exposure it might otherwise merit.
WHEN CONTRACTING MAKES THE MOST SENSEContracting for writing and editing services is mostcost-effective and prudent when one or more of thefollowing conditions exist:
• Communications products will be highly visiblewith key audiences or are critically important tothe individual and organization;
• Multiple authors or layers of review, approval, andrevisions are involved;
• The audience is nontechnical and the information tobe communicated is complex and detailed;
• The organization places a premium on quality;• Managers are dedicating more time than they wishto reviewing and editing materials their staff pro-duces; or
• Staff have limited writing skills and training andlimited time to devote to the process; as a result,the responsibility is burdensome, and opportunitiesare lost to market and promote products and ser-vices, inform key audiences, and influence policyand opinion.
Even when in-house technical communicationscapability exists, retaining outside contractors maymake sense, especially when a large discrete projectis involved, the outside contractor has specific exper-tise or experience, or in-house staff do not have theflexibility to respond in a timely manner.
TYPES OF TECHNICAL WRITERS AND EDITORS
In contracting with writers and editors, it’s importantto appreciate that writing and editing are distinct—although often complementary—disciplines. Writerstypically create documents from scratch independ-ently or in concert with technical staff. They conductinterviews and literature searches and carry out inde-pendent research to develop the information to beincluded in documents, and they draft and redraft ver-sions of the document to incorporate review changesand get the material to the production stage. As a con-sequence, they often receive acknowledgment recogni-tion or are listed as coauthors.
Leader sh ip and Management in Eng inee r ing OCTOBER 2011293
Leadership Manage. Eng. 2011.11:292-296.
Dow
nloa
ded
from
asc
elib
rary
.org
by
UN
IVE
RSI
TE
LA
VA
L o
n 07
/08/
14. C
opyr
ight
ASC
E. F
or p
erso
nal u
se o
nly;
all
righ
ts r
eser
ved.
Editors, on the other hand, work on documents thathave already been researched and written—typicallydocuments that have been tortured by their authorsto the point of exasperation. There are two types ofeditors: developmental and copyediting. Developmen-tal editors typically
• Assess documents’ clarity, conciseness, consistency,and comprehensiveness, focusing specifically on thecontextual and organizational structure of the textand the effectiveness and usefulness of graphicsmaterial;
• Correct perceived deficiencies or prepare a detailedanalysis memo describing perceived problems andsuggested remedies;
• Develop front and back matter as necessary—forexample, executive summary, preface, acknowledg-ments, table of contents, lists of tables and figures,glossary, and index; and
• Assist in incorporating review changes and get thematerial to the production stage.
Depending on the depth and breadth of their efforts,developmental editors may also receive acknowledg-ment recognition.
Copyeditors typically do the following:
• Correct errors in grammar and syntax;• Ensure consistency of spelling, capitalization, andabbreviations;
• Ensure adherence to conventions of the company’sstyle guide or a commonly used style guide suchas the Chicago Manual of Style or AP Style Bookorthe American Psychological Association or ModernLanguage Association guide;
• Ensure uniformity of formats for tables, figure cap-tions, footnotes, and bibliographic references;
• Identify and query unclear or missing information;• Verify cross-references to sections, subsections,chapters, tables, figures, and so forth;
• Check consistency, parallelism, and hierarchy oftitles and subtitles; and
• Check formatting, spacing, and type size of titles,subtitles, lists, and other features of the documentagainst specifications.
CONSIDERATIONS IN ASSESSING TECHNICALWRITERS AND EDITORS
Writing and editing contractors may be groupedin five general categories: (1) independent technicalwriters and editors; (2) independent consultingengineers; (3) engineering organizations with in-house writing, editing, and production management
resources; (4) technical communications companieswith in-house writing, editing, and production man-agement resources; and (5) public relations or adver-tising firms. There is no single, key consideration inassessing these options. At the head of the list arestandards of quality, experience handling comparableprojects, and track record of reliability, often reflectedin a stable business history and ability to forge andmaintain long-term client relationships. Beyondthese, the contractor must be able to
• Understand the subject matter at hand and movequickly up the learning curve, thereby cuttingoverall project time and the manager’s timecommitment;
• Write clearly and concisely for the intended audi-ence; and
• Research and develop documents from scratch, in-dependently or in concert with the project manager.
The contractor’s organizational structure also canbe important. Organizational structure influencesoverhead costs and the breadth of available supportstaffing; the latter influences the contractor’s abilityto handle multiple projects and provide backup inthe event the principal writer or editor becomesunavailable or project needs expand.
When communications needs are large and contin-uing, involving ongoing management and coordi-nation of multiple products over an extended period,capabilities in areas other than writing and editing canbe important. Primary among these are productionmanagement capabilities (graphics, design and layout,printing, distribution, website administration) andcommunications planning and management capabil-ities (program design, budgeting, scheduling, andday-to-day program oversight and monitoring).
Cost, of course, is also a consideration. The largestportion of cost is labor—time on the project multipliedby the contractor’s hourly rate, which includesoverhead. The efficiency of the individual doing thework—time to complete tasks—has an important in-fluence on cost. Also reflected in cost are support serv-ices, materials, supplies and equipment, graphics, andprinting and distribution required for the project, aswell as any travel, a function of proximity to the client’splace of business and the geographic dispersion of re-viewers and information resources. It is the contractor’sresponsibility to define and identify these costs prior toproject initiation. Discrete cost elements and in someinstances overhead rates may be negotiable. Overallbudget approval is logically the exclusive purview ofthe contracting manager and his or her company.
OCTOBER 2011 Leadersh ip and Management in Eng ineer ing294
Leadership Manage. Eng. 2011.11:292-296.
Dow
nloa
ded
from
asc
elib
rary
.org
by
UN
IVE
RSI
TE
LA
VA
L o
n 07
/08/
14. C
opyr
ight
ASC
E. F
or p
erso
nal u
se o
nly;
all
righ
ts r
eser
ved.
PREPARING FOR AND WORKING WITHTECHNICAL WRITERS AND EDITORS
Thoughtful preparation can streamline the process ofworking with contract writers and editors. Advancegroundwork will help orient the writer or editor,speed his or her progress up the learning curve, andtrim both project timelines and costs. The criticalelement is to be as clear as possible about the project’sgoal, audiences, key messages, and ultimate vehicle(e.g., technical report, guidebook, journal article).Beyond this, it will be helpful to
• Assemble the required reference materials necessaryto produce the document and give the writer or edi-tor your thoughts about the relative pertinence ofthese materials;
• Have a clear idea about your budget and projectschedule;
• Explain your personal standard of editorial quality;• Explain any sensitivity in handling certain topics orreference materials; and
• Discuss production issues and resources such as gra-phics, production, and distribution needs and plans.
If the document is to be prepared from scratch—versus editing existing material—and it is a longer,more detailed document (technical report or speechvs. a newsletter article), most or all of the steps listedin Table 1 will be necessary to get from start to finish.Developmental editors follow a roughly similar path,with the exception that they typically are not asked
to research and assemble new materials via inter-views, literature searches, and so forth. Copyeditingis most practical just before a final draft is sent intoproduction.
Finally, there are two basic types of consulting edi-torial contracts or agreements: fixed rate and time andmaterial. With fixed-rate contracts, the total cost ofthe contractor’s work is estimated and fixed at the on-set of the project based on his or her hourly rate andestimate of materials, equipment, travel, and other ex-penses required to perform the work. If the contractorcompletes the work in less time than anticipated, he orshe is still entitled to the full amount of the contract;if the contractor needs more time than estimated tocomplete the work or incurs unexpected costs, the con-tractor absorbs these costs unless the contract has pro-visions that address overruns.
With time-and-material contracts, the contractortypically works at an agreed-on hourly rate untilthe work is completed. In addition, he or she is paidfor the cost of materials, equipment, travel, and soforth required to complete the project, plus an over-head or profit margin. This type of contract is typicallyused when it isn’t possible to precisely assess the ex-tent or duration of the work to be performed. Unlikefixed-rate contracts, time-and-materials contracts donot provide a positive profit incentive for the contrac-tor to perform more efficiently than anticipated atstartup.
Table 1. Typical Steps in Publication Planning, Writing, and Production
StepProjectmanager Writer Others
1. Hold an initial orientation meeting. ✓ ✓
2. Review available reference materials or research and assemble new materials via interviews,
literature searches, and so forth.
✓
3. Organize the material into discrete topical areas to identify holes and questions (research notes). ✓
4. Discuss research notes to plug any holes and identify resources to answer outstanding questions. ✓ ✓
5. Conduct any additional research and develop a working outline. ✓
6. Discuss the working outline and agree on an approach. ✓ ✓
7. Prepare writing notes. ✓
8. Resolve any last-minute issues (holes and questions). ✓ ✓
9. Prepare a first draft that includes a list of graphics. ✓
10. Revise the first and subsequent drafts and manage them through any in-house or external
review and approval process.
✓ ✓ ✓a
11. Finalize graphics and, with formal publications, design and lay out the document. ✓ ✓ ✓b
12. Manage production and distribution of the end product. ✓ ✓ ✓c
aIn-house or external reviewers.bArtists, photographers, and graphic designers.cPrinters and distributors.
Leader sh ip and Management in Eng inee r ing OCTOBER 2011295
Leadership Manage. Eng. 2011.11:292-296.
Dow
nloa
ded
from
asc
elib
rary
.org
by
UN
IVE
RSI
TE
LA
VA
L o
n 07
/08/
14. C
opyr
ight
ASC
E. F
or p
erso
nal u
se o
nly;
all
righ
ts r
eser
ved.
CONCLUSION
Professional writers and editors represent a valuableresource for technical staff and managers in accom-plishing their communications goals. To be most ef-fective, you must be prepared. You must know yoursubject matter thoroughly and know that it is credibleand pertinent. Moreover, you must be responsive inthe working relationship, available when needed, andsupportive as your writer or editor scales the learningcurve. When these conditions exist, the probability is
high that your communications will clearly, concisely,and effectively convey your messages to your intendedaudiences, within budget and on time.
William F. Nesbit is a writer, communicationsmanager, and trainer with four decades of ex-perience working with engineering organizationsand corporate clients. He can be contacted [email protected]. LME
OCTOBER 2011 Leadersh ip and Management in Eng ineer ing296
Leadership Manage. Eng. 2011.11:292-296.
Dow
nloa
ded
from
asc
elib
rary
.org
by
UN
IVE
RSI
TE
LA
VA
L o
n 07
/08/
14. C
opyr
ight
ASC
E. F
or p
erso
nal u
se o
nly;
all
righ
ts r
eser
ved.