The Difference Between Creative And Technical Editors

By Amy King


Most people read books, magazine articles and short stories which have been written by creative writers. When it comes to these publications, most often the writer and editor are the same. Although, some of the most prolific authors have been known to hire editors to assure a book or manuscript relays an important message. Whereas, the job of Technical Editors is to do the same only in publications related to the medical, scientific and technical communities and employees.

Areas in which these individuals work often include anything and everything outside the creative field. For example, while an individual might work in the medical, scientific or technical field, others might work for firms and organizations related to drones and space travel. As such, the field is quite varied when it comes to the different types of projects on which an individual might work.

One thing that all of these individuals have in common is the need to have excellent English, grammar and language structure skills. For, regardless of the type of editing, one job requirement is to highlight anything a writer may have overlooked. As such, it is imperative that one also has the ability to communicate clearly when describing any errors or revisions which the editor feels are necessary to a book, journal entry or other project.

In most cases, each entity whether a hospital, scientific journal or technology company is going to have a set of guidelines which these individuals follow on a regular basis. While this is the case, these guidelines can vary based on location and whether or not an individual is working in or outside the United States.

Materials which these individuals edit include documents, specifications, drawings and user guides. In some cases, editors contribute to the design and development of technical materials when requested. One of the most important thing a tech editor checks is the reading level of the audience. For, grade levels can vary depending on the scope and purpose of a project.

Anyone working in this position needs to have the ability to explain complication concepts, software and hardware in a clear and concise manner. In some cases, individuals will be working from hard to understand technical data while attempting to translate the meaning to an eight grade reading level. Whereas, in others individuals may be given a piece of hardware and asked to define the object in writing, or to define the steps necessary to complete a software installation or upgrade.

While not often, there are some individuals whom have excelled rapidly in these positions. As a result, a few of these lucky individuals have been promoted to junior or senior tech writers on a project. In some cases, employers have felt the individual proved oneself to be as good a writer as editor over time. Whereas, in others, an individual may have shown great resolve in editing and communicating information over the course of a project.

Whether writing for a tech giant, in the scientific arena or medical field, individuals working in these fields need to have an in-depth knowledge of the terminology associated with same. Basically, those working in the medical field are going to need to know medical terminology. Whereas, those working in the areas of science are going to need to have familiarity with scientific terms. As tech can be quite varied, individuals working for tech companies often need the ability to learn and adapt to various terms over the course of a project.




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