Project Management for Editors & PublishersAdapted from The Longman Guide to Technical Editing, Chapter 21

(published originally in 2006)

ENC 4212, Professional & Technical EditingFall 2015 • Week 10 • USF Sarasota-Manateehttp://www.todroberts.com/USF/4212_welcome.htmLength of this lecture audio (12 slides): 00:xx:xx

Note the deadlines for these important submissions:Nov. 2, 6 p.m., Assignment 4 outline (include Week 9 and 10 lecture audio

codes)Nov. 30, 6 p.m., Assignment 4 itself (include Week 11 and 12 lecture audio

codes)

© 2015 by T. E. Roberts, Instructor

PROJECTCOMPLETION

PROJECTSTART-UP

ENC 4212, Professional & Technical Editing - Fall 2015 - Week 10 - Slide 2 of 12

Week 10 Agenda

• Managing the Document Development Process• Life-Cycle Model• Planning & Content Specifications• Estimating Time and Developing Budgets• Document Scheduling and Tracking• Evaluation• Setting Policy• The Alternative Perspective

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ENC 4212, Professional & Technical Editing - Fall 2015 - Week 10 - Slide 3 of 12

Managing the Process

• Balancing three categories of variables• Time• Staff & budget resources• Scope/quality

• Setting and meeting expectations• Under pressure, compromises are inevitable• To succeed, editors/managers must be ...

• Flexible / adaptable• Organized and effective in managing others• Conscientious• Able to balance productivity and quality

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ENC 4212, Professional & Technical Editing - Fall 2015 - Week 10 - Slide 4 of 12

Life-Cycle Model of Development

• Based on software development model• Information planning & content specification (What’s the message?)

• Implementation (Who does what when?)

• Production (Are the planes running on time)

• Evaluation (Did we succeed or fail?)

• Publishing is a multi-step process that benefits from the care and thought we apply to every results-driven activity

• These criteria apply to both printed and electronic media

• Murphy’s Law applies even if your name isn’t Murphy!

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ENC 4212, Professional & Technical Editing - Fall 2015 - Week 10 - Slide 5 of 12

Planning & Content Specifications

• Start with the big picture• Consider who is paying for what• Define the expectations carefully

• Lead the project team so well that it can manage without you• Take deadlines seriously• Make process open and transparent (no secret

agendas or sneaky alliances)• Set a professional example

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ENC 4212, Professional & Technical Editing - Fall 2015 - Week 10 - Slide 6 of 12

Specifications (continued)

Source: Van Buren, Robert and Buehler, Mary Fran. The Levels of Edit. Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), California Institute of Technology, Pasadena CA, January, 1980

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ENC 4212, Professional & Technical Editing - Fall 2015 - Week 10 - Slide 7 of 12

The Tireless Copy-Editor

Choices for on-screen tracking of editorialchanges in MS Word are shown here

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ENC 4212, Professional & Technical Editing - Fall 2015 - Week 10 - Slide 8 of 12

Estimating Time & Budgets:Who Does What?

• Basic copyediting• Comprehensive editing• Coordination, management• Production• Desktop publishing• Web design and composition

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ENC 4212, Professional & Technical Editing - Fall 2015 - Week 10 - Slide 9 of 12

Who Does What? (continued)

• Indexing• Product testing• Training of clients, co-workers• Record keeping• Sampling• Setting priorities

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ENC 4212, Professional & Technical Editing - Fall 2015 - Week 10 - Slide 10 of 12

Document Scheduling & Tracking

• Scheduling due dates• Scheduling reviews• Tracking the document through development and

production• Version control• Configuration management software• Using software to identify versions• File naming conventions

• Gantt chart can help manage the process

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ENC 4212, Professional & Technical Editing - Fall 2015 - Week 10 - Slide 11 of 12

Gantt Chart

Source: http://www.cps.co.uk/epm/Pages/EPMScreenshots.aspx

Named for engineer and consultant Henry Gantt (1861-1919), who designed this project management tool around 1910-1915 and first applied it to shipping operations during World War I.

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ENC 4212, Professional & Technical Editing - Fall 2015 - Week 10 - Slide 12 of 12

Evaluation

• Does the process meet expectations of users?

• Where did the process break down? Where did it work well?

• How can we improve in the future?• What results can we highlight in our

marketing and promotion efforts for new business?

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ENC 4212, Professional & Technical Editing - Fall 2015 - Week 10 - Slide 13 of 12

Setting Policy

• Basic principles to guide every business• Honest dealing with clients and co-workers (Golden Rule)• Emphasis on continuous improvement• True professionalism in knowing and applying high standards

• Response to changing technology and marketplace• Benefits• Drawbacks• Trends

• Sound fiscal management (don’t buy what you can’t afford!)• Respect for priorities

• People who buy the work• People who create the work• People who manage the work• People who sell the work