Technical Editing

This course covers basic editorial concepts and technique necessary to function as a technical editor.

This course covers these essential technical editing topics:

• Role of the technical editor on the documentation team
• Grammar, usage, punctuation review
• Traditional hardcopy markup
• Electronic editing with track-change functions
• Copyediting: classic usage issues
• Copyediting: punctuation
• Type code markup
• Substantive editing: document-level problems, page design
• Stylesheets and style guides
• Editing for internationalization & localization
• Editing for online information accessibility
• Writer–editor interaction

You use links, videos and transcripts of those videos to learn these tasks, e-mail your instructor when you have questions, and send your work to the instructor for review.

Example units from this course:

• Technical Editing: Style Sheets
• Editing for Internationalization & Localization

Course cost:

• McMurrey Associates: $175 US, plus Carol Rude, Technical Editing ($40 US used), Chicago Manual of Style ($44 US used), Garner's Modern American Usage ($21 US Kindle), Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary ($12 US). Check your local library for these last three titles.
• Austin Community College as ETWR 2379 (POFT 1003 continuing education): https://admc.austincc.edu/acctechcomm/: $340 (in district) $1,144 (out of district) $1,412 (out of state, international) $225 (continuing education)

Here are the policies for this course:

• You have three months to complete the seven units of this course.
• You are welcome to work ahead of the schedule you see on your schedule page for this course. If you foresee needing extra time, contact admin@mcmassociates.io
• You can choose whether to take this course for a letter grade or pass–fail.
• No refunds will be granted after the third day that you have access to this course.
• Unless results are automatic, your instructor will review, comment on, and return your work within three days of receipt. Expect an e-mail confirmation that your instructor has received your work.
• Your instructor is available many hours per week to answer your questions and provide other help. Setting up an appointment works best.
• The topics in this course are the most important at beginning and intermediate levels. You can request units on other topics; your instructor will consider adding them.
• Your instructor will gladly provide you with a letter describing the quality of your work in this course.
• Your instructor will make reasonable efforts to ensure your success in this course but can make no guarantees concerning your writing or career success outside of this course.

Information and programs provided by admin@mcmassociates.io.