a job as editor -Reply

[Lisa Baker <LISAB -at- WORDPERFECT -dot- COM>]

We have a position called Technical Editor here that is equivelant to the pay
 and prestige of
writer--although it wasn't equivalent when the position was introduced into the
 company.
The documentation managers do the hiring, but typically the editor and lead
 writer work
together on the project to keep it moving with the editor's job emphasizing more
 of the
project management, editing, and coordinating with non-technical groups such as
production and marketing, and in getting the material tested. The lead writer's
 job
emphasizes coordinating the work with development and product changes.  In the
 online
world, the editors are moving toward a more technical job as some of them have
 taken on
the role of not only editing the online materials, but maintaining the database
 that keeps
track of the links and bringing all the pieces together from individual writers
 for compiling
into the finished help file.
  The role has continued to move from "editing text" to a much more proactive
 and technical
position.  With the recent changes in our organization so that we now report to
 the same
management line as development individual business units and with a reduced work
force, I am sure the role will continue in its evolution.  I'm just not sure
 what it will finally
look like.
   I have noticed that our editors are hired into other parts of the company
 more frequently
than our writers are.  I think it's primarily because of their project
 management expertise
and their ability to make several small pieces fit into a cohesive whole.  Most
 have gone to
marketing, but some have gone into corporate communications and development.
   I don't think the corporate model quite fits with the journalism or
 publishing model where
the editor typically has superior expertise to the writers.  But it seems to
 vary with the
company.
   Hope this helps.
   Lisa Baker   lisab -at- wordperfect -dot- com
Master Technical Writer - WordPerfect, Novell Applications Group
  ;         A child's face can say it all.       ;
;   Especially the mouth part of the face.   ;

>>> Sherri Hall <shall -at- HILCO -dot- COM> 12/13/94 02:19pm >>>
Hello.  In several recent salary surveys and other threads (from this list and
 others), I've
picked up that some "writing/editing" jobs are treated as two distinct positions
 where the
former is a lower level, lower paying job.
I've been a technical communicator for 10 years (minus a few months) where
I've worked for both a HUGE corp. and a tiny engineering house.
I, along with my peers, have always done it ALL--no distinctions.
Pay increases are tied to tenure since there's no distinction in levels.  And
 special work
gets compensated with bonuses.

All of this leads me to a few questions:
(1) What kinds of situations (or companies) hire/promote editors to edit
 writers? Does it
differ by region? size of company? industry/business?

(2) Are there any jobs an editor handles that someone like myself who does it
 all
(research, write, edit, product management, production, etc.) doesn't handle?

Someday I'd like to advance to an editor position (if that's really the way to
 get more
prestige (read $$) if there are companies really hiring such a person.  (NOTE:
 I'm NOT
talking about being promoted to a person that manages other writers.
I AM talking about someone being promoted to edit as a specialty.)

Thanks, in advance, for replies.
>>><<<>>><<<>>><<<>>><<<>>><<<>>><<<>>><<<>>><<<>>><<<>>><<<>>><<<>>><<<>>><<<
Sherri Hall, Product Manager-Documentation      Email:  shall -at- hilco -dot- com
        "And unto us a child is born . . . Merry Christmas!"
>>><<<>>><<<>>><<<>>><<<>>><<<>>><<<>>><<<>>><<<>>><<<>>><<<>>><<<>>><<<>>><<<