Feature

Technology: A Blessing for Writers and Editors?

by Gene Bodzin

Computers have changed the way writers and editors work. But are we getting the most from the new tools?

Writers and editors use technology both to publish electronic documents and to prepare electronic data storage media—diskettes or tapes—for printing equipment so that paper copies can be produced. Many traditional ways of treating old concerns are no longer the best ways, and a number of new issues have arisen for those involved in preparing texts for publication today.

Editing on Screen or on Paper?

Editors who are print-oriented usually feel comfortable marking up hard copy; other editors may prefer to use electronic text. The reasons for each practice are convincing. On the one hand, paper is safer—with it, nobody can lose an entire day's editing by hitting the wrong button or because a machine has crashed. Paper pages are more accessible—more of the text can be seen at once and pages can be scanned more easily. In addition, a paper trail satisfies the need for a record of editorial changes.

On the other hand, editing on-line is faster, text can be moved more easily, and each new version is clean. A key argument for editing electronically is that since it typically takes as long to input editing changes as it does to make them on paper, taking both steps doubles the time required for copy-editing and increases costs.

Paper versions are not required if the editor's software program indicates where changes have been made, but some record of changes, whether paper or electronic, should be retained to verify the integrity of a document. It should be possible to trace the source of any manuscript change. If there is no hard-copy record, the degree of mutual trust between the writer and the editor will normally determine to what extent the editor is allowed to make changes on screen without making corresponding changes on paper.

All too often, the disk version does not correspond to the hard-copy version. This can happen when writers and editors make their changes on screen and produce a hard copy only for ease of reading at a later stage or to give to the printer for reference. It is essential for writers and editors to agree on which version is to be followed. When an editor changes the electronic version to suit the paper version, or vice versa, he or she risks alienating a writer; a writer who continues to make changes after an approved version is in production risks delaying the process. Resolving this issue is even more critical when a third party must input changes.

Inputting Changes

There is no universal agreement as to who should input editorial changes and text corrections. Now that few offices have typists to produce new copy, the writer and the editor must agree early in the process on who will be responsible for this task. In addition, with a proliferation of hard-copy and electronic versions, there must never be any doubt about which version is authoritative.

Editors usually input changes. This allows them to proofread the manuscript, a task for which writers are often unequipped. However, like hard-copy editing, inputting text becomes a direct production cost and detracts from the advantages of using technology. While it has become common for editors to perform the function of word-processor operators, the cost-effectiveness of this practice should be re-evaluated for every document.

The writer may input editing changes if he or she is (1) skilled in the use of a software program that is compatible with the equipment of the printer; (2) willing to follow publication schedules carefully; and (3) willing to proofread the manuscript and take responsibility for any errors that remain.

The last condition is especially important. Neither writers nor editors wish to have their work spoiled by the other and as every change represents an opportunity for new errors, whoever inputs the change should be responsible for verifying the continued accuracy of the manuscript.

Spell Checking

Spell-checking software can be of value to anybody who wants to assure consistency in documents. Especially useful are the search, and the search-and-replace features. The search feature instantly locates specific combinations of letters or symbols, and the search-and-replace feature, among other functions, finds all instances of a misspelled word and replaces them with the correct spelling.

The Search-and-Replace Feature

The universal search-and-replace feature makes it easy to change every instance of a misspelling, and is used even by the most meticulous writers and editors to make universal changes throughout a document.

Remember, a computer does not necessarily do what you want it to do, but it always does what you tell it to do.

In fields with specialized or new terminology, writer and editor must agree on an authority, or establish one, and add entries to those in the dictionary used by the spell- checking program. When spellings are customized for particular applications, spell-checking software may not be feasible.

All spell-checking programs share two significant faults: they do not flag correctly spelled words that are incorrect for the context, and they cannot pinpoint words that are omitted from the text. The words "Ewe bake two manly arrows" would be approved by a spell checker for a sentence that should read "You make too many errors."

Editing Responsibilities after Universal Changes

Hastily edited documents can often be identified by the grammatical errors and logical inconsistencies that remain after making universal changes.

After using the search-and-replace feature, always read the text carefully to remove all such inconsistencies.

Grammar Checking

Unlike spell checkers, grammar checkers are ignored by experienced writers and editors. These programs, based on structure and usage rules, produce technically correct English sentences, but call into question all the idiosyncratic qualities that give individuality to writing. They identify long sentences and the passive voice as errors, even though these are sometimes appropriate.

Proofreading

Proofreading is an essential part of the print-production process, and is rarely done by the writer of a text. The closer a writer is to a subject, the more necessary it is to use an outside reader. Proofreading requires a proof copy, that is, an original copy against which a current version can be verified.

Proofread a printed document only after it has been approved for content and all editorial changes have been incorporated into a final draft. Check spelling, typography, punctuation, grammar, pagination, word breaks, consistency of terms and format, as well as fidelity to the original copy.

File Management

When edited manuscripts had to be retyped, there was no danger that an old version would be mistaken for the most current version. Today, however, there may be several different, clean paper versions and many electronic files in circulation at the same time. Writers and editors must be able to distinguish between them and to determine which version is authoritative.

Conflicting electronic versions of the same document can lead to confusion unless files are managed carefully. File names DOC.1 and DOC.2 are usually not enough to distinguish lengthy electronic files that differ from each other only in minute details. The date and time shown for each file in the directory are not sufficiently reliable because an earlier version might have been edited more recently or worse, the writer may have created a new electronic file while the editor was working on the previous version.

The safest practice is to key in the date of every electronic file (or program the software to have it inserted automatically) and archive any version that is no longer current, preferably in another directory.

Making Back-Up Files

Discovering that your hard drive has crashed or that you have lost the data on your only diskette has the same effect as losing your files in an office fire except that you are less likely to get sympathy or the time to clean up the mess.

To avoid losing text, back up files. Never give away your only copy of a file. This is especially important if you do not wish to print a hard-copy version for yourself when you send a document for processing.

Typography and Formatting

When typewriters were the main tools used to generate manuscripts, they created only text; design elements were added long after writers had relinquished their manuscripts. Today, word-processing and page-layout software can produce text for downloading into a printer's equipment, and every electronically generated document can be made to look like the final version, even early in the writing process.

Typographic and formatting considerations include the choice of letters, numerals and punctuation, as well as the use of white space. In electronic documents, all of these elements are affected by codes, which are program defaults or are input as part of the document. Writers and editors who prepare manuscripts for publication, whether as printed copy of for inclusion in a data base, must understand how the codes in their software will affect the typographic style and formatting of the finished product.

Archiving for Future Editions

Just as there may be more than one copy of a document when the writer and editor are negotiating the final text, there may be more than one electronic version of the document after it is published, such as an unformatted, word-processed version and a formatted version created by the page-layout software or the printer.

An authoritative version should be archived so that the document can be updated and reprinted quickly. This version, including all editing and format changes, should be accessible with commonly used equipment, and adaptable enough to be used for all applications, including reprints in alternative formats. A generic file, such as an ASCII file for DOS applications, suits these requirements better than a word-processed file or one generated by a page-layout program.

The User's Challenge

The general consensus is that computer technology has increased the pace of work for writers and editors. A typical document undergoing three drafts, for example, can now be completed in a matter of days, rather than weeks. In a world where time is directly related to money, this acceleration of work processes is probably a good thing.

The challenge now is to learn how to use the new tools, and develop techniques and work habits that take full advantage of emerging technologies, while minimizing the risks.

Gene Bodzin is an editor at Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.