THIS IS A RECORDING OF THE ORIGINAL EVENT ON 14 NOVEMBER 2023!

Technical editing, regardless of how the discipline is defined, is first and foremost reader advocacy—be it for documentation clarity, accuracy, relevance, or accessibility.

The goal of the STC Technical Editing SIG (TESIG) is to provide its members with high quality information about editing processes and best practices, as well as resources that demonstrate the value of editing and editors in an organization.

To meet this goal, we are happy to invite you to the EdEx23 mini-conference, which is dedicated to the field of technical editing and to technical editing practitioners. Based on the success of last year's EdEx22 conference, we feel sure that you will find this mini-conference valuable and relevant.

Presentations

Welcome/Opening Session - 8:45-9:00 AM ET

SESSION 1: Write It Right: Implementing a Global Style Guide (9:00-9:45 AM ET)

Chelsea Fulton

Have you ever wanted to create a Style Guide? Or wondered how to convince your employer it's worth the time and energy to implement a Style Guide? A company-wide Style Guide helps content creators get it right and be consistent in public-facing communication. Learn how the ESET documentation team created a Style Guide, expanded it to a password-protected website with dynamic content, and implemented it into existing workflows using Grammarly (an in-line writing assistant incorporating grammar suggestions and ESET's Style Guide).

TAKEAWAYS :

• Learn why Style Guides are useful and how having a Style Guide can help content creators
• Make a case to your employer for creating and applying a Style Guide
• Learn how to create your own Style Guide
• Determine the best method to implement your Style Guide into existing workflows

Break/Chat - 9:45-10:00 AM EST

SESSION 2: Technical Editors - What Are We Good For Anyway? (10:00-10:45 AM ET)

Fatima Hyder

Using interviews with technical editing clients (project managers, geologists, and environmental scientists), Fatima Hyder will discuss the value technical editors bring to their organizations. She will incorporate the perspective from the other side of the fence. This will enhance the tools editors already have to explain why hiring a technical editor is a good investment and essential for the organization to provide quality service to its clients.

Break/Chat - 10:45-11:00 AM EST

SESSION 3: Don't Touch That Doc 'til You've Had the Talk! (11:00-11:45 AM ET)

Leah Guren

What's the biggest mistake new editors make?

Is it choosing the wrong tools? Is it making the wrong editorial choices? Is it using the wrong methodology in marking vs. making changes?

Surprise! It is none of those things! The biggest single mistake that new editors make is failing to gather the correct information from the client before reviewing the content.

In this session, learn the 4 key tips to help you ask the right questions and get the right information before you perform a single edit.

Closing Session - 11:45-12:00 PM ET

About Our Speakers

Chelsea Fulton

Chelsea Fulton is a Technical Writer III and Editor at ESET – an international cybersecurity company – the largest in the European Union. Her team is responsible for the global self-service content supporting 110 million worldwide users.

Chelsea has worked in the Technical Communication industry for the last 12 years. She currently lives in Charleston, South Carolina, with her husband, two small children and three dogs.

Fun Fact: EdEx23 will be Chelsea's very first conference presentation!

Fatima Hyder

Fatima has been a member of the TESIG volunteer council since 2019. She has served as secretary and treasurer and is now an at-large member of the council.

She is a Certified Professional Technical Communicator (Foundation level) and has worked in communications for more than 27 years, including 14 years as a technical editor for an environmental consulting and construction management company. Her previous communications roles have included handling member communications as a writer/editor for a nonprofit organization that supports libraries and working as a copy editor at two daily newspapers in Tennessee. She has also taught editing at the college level.

Leah Guren

Leah Guren is the owner/operator of Cow TC. She has been active in the field of technical communication since 1980 and now devotes her time to training and consulting. Leah works with TechComm teams all over the world, using humor and a lively interactive training approach to help them solve their biggest content development challenges. She also provides consulting services to companies, emphasizing documentation UX and helping them create global-ready content. Leah’s clients include some of the top high-tech and biotech companies, including Intel, IBM, Microsoft, Johnson & Johnson, RAD, Cisco, Medtronic, and Rambam Medical Center.

Leah is a popular speaker in the field of technical communication, a published author, a Fellow in STC (Society for Technical Communication), and a long-time tekom member.