Available Services (writing services | editing services)

Writing/Document Creation Services

Creating a document isn't just about generating readable prose. Much of the work happens before a full paragraph is written. Depending on the type of project, a variety of activities may be needed, including but not limited to:

• Generating topic ideas
  
• Interviewing subject matter experts (those folks who know a lot about a particular topic)
  
• Understanding the end users of the document
  
• Organizing information flow
  
• Developing outlines
  
• Designing the "look" of the document (graphic elements, color, photos, formatting, etc.)

Types of documents I can help you build:

• Software Documentation
  
• Newsletters
  
• Publicity Materials
  
• Web Sites
  
• Technical Reports
  
• Other - what do You need?

Editing Services

The word "editing" can apply to a wide variety of tasks, but they typically fall into three main categories: proofreading, formatting, and indexing.

Proofreading

Proofreading a document can happen on several levels. These levels are listed below, from macro (document-level) to micro (sentence- and word-level).

• Logical flow - Does your document make sense? Will readers understand what you are trying to impart to them? Does your document do what it claims to do?
  
• Style - Does your document conform to external style guidelines, if required (e.g. AP, your organization's style guidelines)? Does the document have a single voice? (Some documents that have multiple contributors can "feel" very different from one section to the next.) Is there consistent use of passive/active voice throughout the document?
  
• Grammar - Does your document conform to standard English grammar rules? Is your document free of misplaced modifiers, dangling participles, and unclear referents? Software grammar checkers are helpful, but they can miss many errors and substandard sentence constructions.
  
• Word choice - Do you have a Web site or a website? While there is no universal agreement on which is "correct," a well-written document will contain only one version! Did you mean "continuous" or "continual"? Differences, even subtle ones, in the meanings of words can elevate a good document to a great one.
  
• Spelling - Yes, many software programs have spelling check functions, and anyone composing prose should use them. But they don't catch everything. Every document should be proofread for spelling by a human being before it is published.

Formatting

Formatting tasks are concerned more with how a document looks and organizes its information than what it says. A good formatting job can mean the difference between pages of impenetrable text and an easily skimmed, easily digested document. The goal for almost every document is to communicate some type of information. Effective formatting will help achieve that goal. Some elements of formatting include:

• Headings and Subheadings
  
• Page and Column Breaks
  
• Figure and Table Labels and Lists
  
• Font/Type Size Consistency
  
• Table of Contents
  

Indexing

Indexing is pretty much what it sounds like - creating an index based on the content of a document. It can be considered a formatting task, but it may involve an extensive amount of work with the individual content, so I have listed it as it's own topic.