Technical Editor Questions And Answers

21⟩ Explain me do you compliment your writers when editing? Or do you comment only on what needs to be improved?

_____Yes, I always compliment authors.

_____Yes, I usually compliment authors, but not always.

_____Sometimes I compliment authors and sometimes I comment only on what needs to be improved (50/50).

_____Yes, I occasionally compliment authors, but more often I only comment on what needs to be improved.

___X__No, I never compliment authors; I only comment on what needs to be improved.

As noted above, I rarely compliment authors. However, I will often insert suggestions on points of interest that I feel would be worthy of additional exploration, whether in the present manuscript or a future one. It's always a pleasure to see that future manuscript written, though it's not always because of my advice. As an author myself, I appreciate kind words from an editor (Avon Murphy is a master of the art), but given how heavily I edit, I find it hard to write an overt compliment that would not seem deceptive or pro forma. The risk of jeopardizing my relationship with an author by being seen as untrustworthy is too high for me to scatter random compliments just to ease the sting of being edited.

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22⟩ Please explain me how you go about delegating work?

1. Dividing to my time with dead lines.

I like to set a time limit on myself in which I must complete directly at or before that time limit. By putting a time limit on myself, i'm putting pressure on myself and I work well under pressure.

I generally identify and understand the team and the delegate work according to their capabilities.

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23⟩ Tell us what experience do you have working in a collaborative environment?

One of the most frequent issues our staffing clients have experienced before coming to us is invisible technical writers. Strong candidates work closely with teams to develop accurate and effective communication, rather than staying isolated in an office. Get a feel for how well your candidate will work with your team.

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24⟩ Tell us does your company have a set editing procedure, such as a set of defined levels of edit?

Yes. If yes, please describe your company’s procedure:

I work as a freelancer, so my procedure is my own. Even when I was a wage slave, I didn't use any levels of edit approach because I believe (and teach, when I teach editing) that as an editor, it's my responsibility to do whatever is required to produce a manuscript the author can be proud of and that the audience will understand. When time is constrained, I use triage as the basis for my levels of edit: I focus on the crucial problems (the ones that will kill understanding) before working on the merely important ones (the ones that will only impede understanding), and lastly I remove the blemishes (things worth fixing but that won't impede or kill understanding) if time permits. Most "levels of edit" systems I'm familiar with don't understand the importance of triage.

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25⟩ Explain me how would you capture our company’s voice?

Every great writer has his or her own unique voice, but in the case of content writers, you want to make sure their voice aligns with your brand. Good candidates should familiarize themselves with the existing copy on your site and be able to speak confidently about it.

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26⟩ Explain me how do you incorporate feedback and edits into your work?

This question should give you an idea of what this writer is like to work with. While good content writers should be able to defend their choices, they should also be receptive to constructive feedback from their clients.

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27⟩ Explain me how do you deal with difficult authors?

I'm more stubborn than any three mules you care to combine. As a result, I am relentlessly patient, polite and diplomatic, and respectful. Eventually, even the most difficult author admits defeat and accepts that I truly have their best interests at heart and that it's better to work with me than against me. On the other hand, I've also fired a few clients who simply weren't worth the hassle. Best thing about being a freelancer!

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28⟩ Tell us what style guides are you familiar with?

Great candidates should at least be familiar with a major style guide like the AP Stylebook or Chicago Manual of Style. Consider it a flag if this question elicits no response or an “I play it by ear” response.

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29⟩ Please explain what do you do to make your writing more SEO-friendly?

Good candidates won’t just be great writers; they’ll also know the best practices for SEO, like using the right keywords in the right quantity, and adding hyperlinks to other pieces of content on your site as well as outside sources.

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30⟩ Tell me a negative experience you have had editing?

I once warned an author that something he planned to do was unacceptable according to standard conventions in the scientific publishing business, and that he would inevitably be caught by his peers and lose considerable face as a result. He ignored my advice, and when my predictions proved to be correct, his anger (redirected at me) poisoned our relationship for many years afterwards.

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31⟩ Tell us what are your key skills?

Clarity and attention to detail.

I am very good listener, writer and creative too.

I pride in that I listen and try hard to achieve the goals set by the enduser.

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32⟩ Explain me how to tell a credible source from a not-so-credible source?

This is a question about judgment. Does the professional understand the difference between drawing on legitimate, thoroughly vetted sources like The New York Times or peer-reviewed journals, compared with unverified sources such as personal blogs?

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33⟩ Tell us what do you like least about being a technical writer?

In some organizations, technical writers are not respected as much as developers or QA. The management sees technical writing as just a chore and not as an asset to the team. I have had to work with managers who do not know how technical writers function and expect us to provide good quality documentation in highly impossible timelines.

People don't understand what exactly is a technical writers job and wants to finish highly sensitive work in impossible deadlines.

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34⟩ Can you tell us how do you proofread a piece of work?

All writers make mistakes, but good writers should know how to catch them. Great candidates should have a proofreading strategy, whether it’s reading a printed copy, reading their piece aloud, or even reading the piece backwards.

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35⟩ Tell us why do you like most about being a technical writer?

I like to write and I have been a technical writer for 7 years. I enjoy working in an environment where I can learn new tools, work on many different types of products and interact with different teams.

Learning new technology and new software and businesses.

I love to learn new stuff every now and then for which I interact with people and document it. I simply love my job.

Relaying information that is understood by many in short passages.

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36⟩ Tell us what tools are you familiar with?

Take the time to get into specifics about the tools that are vital to your projects. Pointed questions about software programs, for example, will give your candidate the chance to show their expertise or demonstrate areas where they are less familiar. Refer back to your job description to make sure you’re drilling your candidate on the most important tools for the position.

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37⟩ Tell me how do you define editing?

Working with an author to ensure that the text clearly communicates their intended meaning, while respecting both the author's need to communicate in their own voice and the audience's need to understand.

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Technical Editor

Home Technical Technical Editor

37 Technical Editor Questions And Answers

21⟩ Explain me do you compliment your writers when editing? Or do you comment only on what needs to be improved?

22⟩ Please explain me how you go about delegating work?

23⟩ Tell us what experience do you have working in a collaborative environment?

24⟩ Tell us does your company have a set editing procedure, such as a set of defined levels of edit?

25⟩ Explain me how would you capture our company’s voice?

26⟩ Explain me how do you incorporate feedback and edits into your work?

27⟩ Explain me how do you deal with difficult authors?

28⟩ Tell us what style guides are you familiar with?

29⟩ Please explain what do you do to make your writing more SEO-friendly?

30⟩ Tell me a negative experience you have had editing?

31⟩ Tell us what are your key skills?

32⟩ Explain me how to tell a credible source from a not-so-credible source?

33⟩ Tell us what do you like least about being a technical writer?

34⟩ Can you tell us how do you proofread a piece of work?

35⟩ Tell us why do you like most about being a technical writer?

36⟩ Tell us what tools are you familiar with?

37⟩ Tell me how do you define editing?

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Technical Editor

Home Technical Technical Editor

37 Technical Editor Questions And Answers

21⟩ Explain me do you compliment your writers when editing? Or do you comment only on what needs to be improved?

22⟩ Please explain me how you go about delegating work?

23⟩ Tell us what experience do you have working in a collaborative environment?

24⟩ Tell us does your company have a set editing procedure, such as a set of defined levels of edit?

25⟩ Explain me how would you capture our company’s voice?

26⟩ Explain me how do you incorporate feedback and edits into your work?

27⟩ Explain me how do you deal with difficult authors?

28⟩ Tell us what style guides are you familiar with?

29⟩ Please explain what do you do to make your writing more SEO-friendly?

30⟩ Tell me a negative experience you have had editing?

31⟩ Tell us what are your key skills?

32⟩ Explain me how to tell a credible source from a not-so-credible source?

33⟩ Tell us what do you like least about being a technical writer?

34⟩ Can you tell us how do you proofread a piece of work?

35⟩ Tell us why do you like most about being a technical writer?

36⟩ Tell us what tools are you familiar with?

37⟩ Tell me how do you define editing?

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