Want to improve your web writing skills? This short tutorial will 1) help you break old writing habits that don’t work on the web and 2) show you how to develop a writing style that’s more ‘natural’ for blogging.

Breaking bad writing habits

Ok, this is a bit harsh but what I want to do is get you away from how you were taught in school.

Academic writing doesn’t work on the web. Neither does formal business writing.

To write for the web, examine how others use it to search, digest, and share information.

Here’s how to get started:

• Go to the newsagent
• Buy a local newspaper, national paper and business magazine
• Get a yellow marker
• Start reading

Underline every piece of text you read. Ignore the rest. Do this for five minutes, then stop.

How we scan text offline

What do you notice?

The page will be streaked with yellow lines here and there. There will no logical order.
But lots of underlines where your eye fell on text, read a little, and then moved on.

Why is this important?

Because this is how most of us read. We don’t actually read.

• We search for text
• Find what we like
• Dig deeper for a few minutes (at most) and then
• Search for the next piece

Of course, you do slow down when you’re reading certain pieces. But, when reading, say the sports section, you skip and bounce over the words looking for scores, quotes and other snippets.

You don’t ‘read’ read if that makes sense.

How we scan text online

Let’s move over to the web.

When you’re reading text on the web, your eye roves over the screen. It doesn’t start at the top and read each and every word.

Why?

You’re in a hurry. Pushed for time, seeking information, scanning blocks of text looking for clues.

So, how can we use this when writing blogs and developing web content.

When I work with clients, I usually start by showing them Before and After writing samples.

This shows them a few things:

• How difficult it was to read their materials
• How ineffective it was in getting engagement
• How it demotivated readers from continuing
• How it made the sales process almost impossible and
• How it persuaded customers to leave the site

No sane person wants this.

We all want customers to stay on site, engage, and buy our stuff. Otherwise, what are we doing online?

How to write for the web

While I can’t teach you to be professional web writer in one tutorial, you can use these tips to get started.

1. Get to the point. Immediately.
2. Identify the main topic. “What you’re going to learn here is…”
3. Use short headlines. Include one feature and one benefit.
4. Keep paragraphs under three sentences.
5. Break up text fast. See how daily newspapers do it. There’s no waffle.
6. Use short, not long words. Buy instead of procure. Get instead of acquire. Fast instead of rapid.
7. Use bullet lists to callout takeaways.
8. If you’re going to use images, add a caption.
9. Use ragged text. Don’t force the text to align with the right margin.
10. Use white space to help the page breath.
11. Use short hyperlinks. Don’t under-link entire sentences.
12. Use the word ‘you’ everywhere. I’m writing this post for YOU.

Summary

It takes practice to ‘re-learn’ how to write for the web; after all, you’ve spent years writing in a different style, so it’s going to take time to change.

Look at how others do it. See how John structures this post, how Eamonn uses a natural writing style, Gene uses lists to break up text,  and Ryan provides lots of white space to improve readability.

The end result is a confident writing style that draws you in and makes you want to continue. And it’s not difficult to acquire. But you have to decide you want to make it happen.

Over to you.

What blogger has the best writing style? What have you learned from the way they write?

Image Credit

What’s the difference between writing for the web and writing for a magazine? There’s at least five main differences. Two of the most critical relate to scanning and heatmaps.

Why readers scan (not read) webpages?

On the web, we scan pages, posts, and tweets.

We don’t read every line word by word, unless the writer is clever and breaks up the text fast – like I’m going to do:)

We scan text for three reasons:

• Find what’s we’re after
• See if it’s interesting
• Decide where to go next

Let’s take a second look at this, because it’s worth examining.

When people come to your webpage, what do they want to do?

I’d say they want to:

• Scan the main sections, (e.g. hierarchy, menus, images etc) and determine what it’s about
• Research shows they stay for as little as three seconds before deciding where to go next. In other words, you have less than a heartbeat to persuade them to stay and continue browing.
• If they decide to stay, it’s the content on the top (usually left) part of the screen they read first.

Why?

Because westerners (people, not the movies) are trained to read from…

• …left to right and
• top to bottom

Designing content to be scanned and read

So, how can you encourage readers to stay on your site that little bit longer?

Here’s a tactic that works:

• Write headlines that combines a benefit with an emotional response. Don’t focus on either heart or heart. Try to appeal to both.
• Keep the headline under six words.
• Add a summary under the headline. This helps the reader understand the context of the article, i.e. where am i?, and hopefully to read onwards.
• Use transitions to carry the reader from the summary into the body of the article. How? Ask questions, make a statement, suggest what’s next or create a little controversy.

Developing Content based on Heatmaps

This brings us to ‘heatmaps’. In simple english, this refers to a ‘map’ which shows where readers look most on pages.

The areas they read most appear in Red.

For you, when developing web content, this means placing the most critical pieces of content…

• Call to Actions
• Primary Links
• Adverts

…in the red zones of the heat map.

Why?

If 90% of your readers are focussed here, why place these links elsewhere? You’ll get no clicks anyway.

Content placed…

• In sidebars, e.g. banner ads
• In large blocks of text and
• Below the fold, i.e. you have to scroll down to see it

…are rarely examined.

The Two Second Eye Tracking Test

The good news is that you don’t need expensive software to test your site’s content. Here’s a low tech way to see your content the way new visitors to your site do:

• Open your website on a laptop, not a large monitor.
• Sit back (don’t lean in, they don’t).
• Squint your eyes and look at the page.

What do you see?

If you’re honest, you’ll see a banner, your logo, and maybe the title of today’s article.

Now, keep squinting… and find the most important call to acton on the page.

• Can you see it?
• Does it stand out?
• Do you feel like clicking on it?

How to write content reader want to click

That’s the bottom line, right?

Ok, here’s how to do it.

• Write short headlines.
• Use plain english. Avoid puns.
• Lead with a benefit, such as How To Reduce…
• Include a short summary.
• Use bullet lists to break up the text.
• Use sub heads, e.g. H2, to format the page.
• Use images sparingly. If so, add a caption.
• White space helps text breath.
• Avoid cool fonts – use industry standard fonts
• Use slightly larger than normal font sizes.
• Use a limited color palate.

Conclusion

Don’t be too hard on yourself. Developing web content looks easy until you test its performance. Try and optimize it by 1%. Tricky, isn’t it.

The key to developing clickable web content is to 1) first understand how people read on the web and 2) develop scannable content based on these behaviors.

What have you found?

Have you noticed that readers scan pages faster than they used to? What type of content gets the most clicks? Where do you position images?

‘The business schools reward difficult complex behavior more than simple behavior, but simple behavior is more effective.’ Warren Buffett

How to Write an Executive Summary that generates interest

Your Executive Summary should excite the reader and help them understand the key results and conclusions in your business document, whether it’s your business proposal, business plan, annual report, case study or white paper.

Looking for inspiration?

Read the Annual Reports written by Warren Buffett and you’ll see how he does it. You know he has confidence in his company. He highlights the goods news in a nice understated way and delivers the less pleasant results with the same even tone.

Executive Summary Definition

Here’s one definition from The Handbook of Technical Writing, “An executive summary is to consolidate the principal points of a report in one place. It must cover the information in the report in enough detail to reflect accurately its content but concisely enough to permit an executive to digest the significance of the report without having to read it in full…."

Characteristics of a Well-Written Executive Summary

While this is a business document in the tradition sense, you must still find ways to stimulate the reader’s interest, make them want to turn the page and take some action.

• Executive summaries must be original.
• Executive summaries must not be cut-and-pastes extracts from the main document.
• Executive Summary should provide unique information not contained anywhere else.
• Executive summaries are standalone documents. The reader, for example, an investor, should be able to grasp your over-arching aims without having to read the entire document.

Documents That Require Executive Summaries

Some business documents require summaries, others don’t. Write an executive summary for the following types of documents:

• Grant Applications
• Standards
• System Design Documents
• Technical Reports
• Training Plans
• White Papers

Documents That Do Not Require Executive Summaries

You do NOT need to write an Executive Summary for shorter documents or certain technical publications, such as:

• Functional Specifications
• Meeting minutes
• Release Notes
• Status Reports
• User Manuals
• Workshop reports

Executive Summary Format & Guidelines

These are guidelines for your Executive Summary. They’re not set in stone, so adjust where necessary. The summary should cover the:

• Purpose
• Scope
• Methodology
• Results
• Conclusions

In general, you can write it as follows:

• First paragraph answers: "What is this document about?"
• Summary answers "How did you get the information?"
• Expand on the Software Development process (if applicable)
• Facts
• Results
• Conclusions
• Findings Note: present facts in tabular format.
• Recommendations

What doesn’t go in the Executive Summary?

Other information that doesn’t go in the Executive Summary includes:

• Acknowledgments
• Background data
• Cross-references
• Footnotes
• Industry updates
• Justifications
• Objectives
• Project history
• References

Remember to close your executive summary will a strong summary statement. This must persuade the reader that your business is a winner and the only way to do this is to turn the page and learn more about your company.

Final Tips for Writing the Business Plan’s Executive Summary

Provide a summary. The business plan itself gives the financial details.

• Use strong and positive language.
• No more two pages long. Don’t pad your business plan’s executive summary with fluff.
• Generate interest by enticing your reader to read the rest of the business plan, not tell him everything.
• Read it aloud. Does it read well or sound artificial? Is it clear and succinct?
• Adjust the executive summary for your respective audience. For example, if you want to attract investors, focus on the opportunity your business provides investors and why this opportunity is so special.
• Put yourself in your readers’ shoes. Does the executive summary really make you feel excited? If not, why?

First impressions count, right?

The Executive Summary of any business document is the first impression you make on the reader. If your business plan’s executive summary is poorly written, dull, or cut/pasted together it will hardly get noticed and the effort you put into the rest of the document won’t be seen.

Instead, set aside two or three hours and write the best Executive Summary you can. Challenge yourself to write three hundred words that excite you, generate interest, and paint a picture of your company. People want to read about other people. Don’t forget the power of human interest.

In the end, they’re going to do business with you – not your product.

The final word goes on Warren. Here’s his take on gold, “It gets dug out of the ground in Africa, or someplace. Then we melt it down, dig another hole, bury it again and pay people to stand around guarding it. It has no utility. Anyone watching from Mars would be scratching their head.”

Make sense?

About the Author: Ivan Walsh provides Business Tips for Smart People on Klariti.com. His also runs the Business Planning Blog at http://www.ivanwalsh.com

PS: The Business Plan Template is here

One of tricks that Hemingway plays on the reader is that while the prose is ‘ordinary’, you can’t help but keep reading on and on and on… It looks simple until you try it. Look at how he does it. His writing style is crisp, direct and engaging. All the signs of a great writer. Look at how he makes long sentences short, mundane subjects interesting, and clips along at a nice pace. And without ever losing the thread. Us business writers can use these techniques to improve business plans, proposals, white papers and case studies. Let’s get started.

10 Step Guide to persuasive Writing

Here are some ways to improve your business documents:

1. Highlight the Benefits to the Reader – Write from the reader’s perspective. Instead of writing about you and your products, turn it around and show the reader what’s in it for them. How does this proposal solve the company’s financial problems? How does this email keep the project on track? How does this procedure simplify complicated business processes?
2. Give the reader a compelling reason to open your email, read it through, and then take action. We’re all the same. When you get a business proposal, you’re first reaction is, "What’s in it for me?" It is your job as a writer to tailor the material so that it answers these questions.
3. Write at Appropriate Level – Match your writing style and choice of words to your audience. Do not use complex terms or jargon that the reader will not understand. Likewise, do not use simple terms or use poor examples if the reader is capable of understanding your material. They’ll assume you’re being condescending or patronizing them. Get the tone right and go from there.
4. How to Structure Paragraphs #1 – Business letters are not read the same way as articles, reports, or books. Usually, they are read by people in a hurry. Business people looking for answers. Quickly. Structure your material so that it’s easy for the reader to find the answers to these questions. Don’t make them dig it out. Use short paragraphs, lots of information rich headings, bullet points and useful summaries.
5. How to Structure Paragraphs #2- Fine-tune each paragraph for purpose, content, and function. If you have a paragraph that cover more than one idea, consider dividing it into two or more paragraphs. Likewise, if two paragraphs cover the same ground, merge them into one.
6. Be Specific – don’t mix two ideas in the same paragraph. Make it easy for the reader by giving each topic its own paragraph. Use language that describe your ideas correctly and highlights the relative importance of each concept.
7. Understand Relative Importance – Use phrases such as "most important," "major," or "primary" when discussing business concepts you want to emphasize. Use phrases such as "a minor point to consider" or "least important" to introduce ideas of less importance.
8. List Key Points – Use verb-leading lists whenever possible. These are lists that start with a strong action verb. Lists also help the reader identify the important points and get a feel for the material with a quick scan.
9. Prioritize Information – Consider how you introduce and position important information. Remember, content at the start and end of the paragraph tend to be read first. People scan documents. Critical business information buried in the middle of long paragraphs is easily overlooked. Knowing this, put important information in high-visibility points.
10. Get the Tone Right – Consider the tone and word choice when writing negative or critical communications. For example, in a ‘negative’ project assessment email, you can thank the team member for reader for their input or involvement but state that you cannot comply with their wishes. Then follow this response with your explanation.

Business writing is not difficult but…

Business writing is not difficult. What makes it hard is that the way we approach it defeats our purpose. Your goal as a business writer, oddly enough, is to write less.

Why?

Because every time you write something, you goal should be to push it towards completion. Write your emails so that your team knows what to do next and don’t come back looking for clarification. Write your status report so that your Project Manager know the risks and issues and doesn’t reply looking for more information.

PS – do you have a favorite book by Hemingway?

About the Author: Ivan Walsh provides Business Tips for Smart People on Klariti.com. His also writes on the Business Plan Blog at http://www.ivanwalsh.com

Ever read an annual report from Warren Buffet. Try it. Easy, isn’t it? Few successful business-people write so clearly. There is no pretension, no haughty references to obscure allusions and no strange acronyms. It’s all there in black and white. Here’s what Buffet had to say about other business writers, though,

“For more than forty years, I’ve studied the documents that public companies file. Too often, I’ve been unable to decipher just what is being said or, worse yet, had to conclude that nothing was being said. If corporate lawyers and their clients follow the advice in this handbook, my life is going to become much easier.

In the late 90s, I found the Plain Language writing technique almost by accident. It’s also called Plain English, by the way. I was reading a lot about Warren Buffet a few years back and came across a nice, short document he wrote for the SEC. These are the folks who submit legal and business document to Wall Street when going on the stock exchanges. Buffet writes like he speaks. Direct, immediate and without pretension.

Audience Analysis worksheets.

From the handbook:

There are several possible explanations as to why I and others sometimes stumble over an accounting note or indenture description. Maybe we simply don’t have the technical knowledge to grasp what the writer wishes to convey. Or perhaps the writer doesn’t understand what he or she is talking about. In some cases, moreover, I suspect that a less-than scrupulous issuer doesn’t want us to understand a subject it feels legally obligated to touch upon. “

He adds that “Perhaps the most common problem, however, is that a well-intentioned and informed writer simply fails to get the message across to an intelligent, interested reader. In that case, stilted jargon and complex constructions are usually the villains.”

It’s a great read and you can download it here www.sec.gov/pdf/handbook.pdf in PDF.

Write Business Proposals in clear English

So, with this in mind, I wrote this short guide to help you write Business Proposals in clear English. It explains how to prepare an business documents that readers can digest in one reading. That’s the acid test. They shouldn’t have to read them twice and three times to get the meaning. It also covers how to use Plain Language writing techniques to win more business, accelerate your tender process, and encourage staff to contribute to the overall tender process.

1. Start Early

Developing a Plain English document takes time – the first time!. For your first Plain English proposal, allow extra time to write, edit, and revise. Add more time than you would expect to your usual schedule if possible. The next time it’s easier.

2. Study the principles of Plain English

Remember: you want your request for proposal to be understood in one reading. This means you need to:

• Identify your target audience i.e. Government departments.
• Consider what they need to know.
• Consider the technical terms they may, or may not, know.
• Develop plain English writing guidelines for your staff.
• Think about how to organize and format your Proposal.

3. Promote Plain English amongst your Staff

Once you’ve seen the benefits of plain English compared with other writing styles, you can promote its values to your own staff and senior management. You need to get your staff onside so that they will begin writing in this style. Likewise, you also need to convince your managers of its values and possibly funding for a training program. Explain to both camps how they will benefit. Outline a high-level roadmap with timelines for the overall program.

4. Contact an experienced proposal writer

The first time you write a plain English proposal, you may find it time-consuming and more difficult than you thought. If this is the case, you’re on the right track! Everything worthwhile is difficult the first time round – soon you will get the hang of it.

You can also approach a writing consultant, especially someone who has a proven track record of writing good, clear English.

5. Review previous Proposals and see where you can improve

Before you start writing, consider the following:

• Literacy level. What level of education is required to understand the Proposal? Use the Fog Index to test your proposal’s readability.
• Clarity. What parts of the Proposal are hard to understand? Are the sentences too long and complex? Does it use technical terms and acronyms that the target audience will not understand?
• Organization. How easy can you find relevant information? Would the Proposal be clearer if you reordered the main sections and possibly the sub-sections within it? Does the table of contents and index need sharpening? Are there too many/too few levels of information in the TOC.
• Repetition. Is the same information repeated in several sections? Does it have any real benefit?
• Headings. Should the headings be re-written in the form of questions that each section answers?
• Format. Do you need to add more bullet-point lists? Put keywords in bold? Use more white space?

6. Create an outline to help readers find information faster

One very effective writing style is to write headings as questions,which each section answers. If you include sub-sections, use a numbered outline format (e.g. 1.2, 1.3) for the section headings. This helps the reader find the main sections quickly and see the relationship among subsections.

7. Write the RFP, section by section, using plain language techniques

If some sections are hard to write, read them aloud and see where they are difficult to understand. Go through the document section by section.

Write the first draft of key sections first, and then work on the inside sections. Once you’ve written these, refine the text by editing each section tightly. However, make sure your text does not become too cold and dry. Write as if you were speaking to a colleague whom you respect; this often helps control the tone of the document.

8. Review and Revise

Once you’ve finished the first draft, get it reviewed internally by colleagues who can add value to the review process. Don’t choose colleagues who are too close to the Proposal, as they will not see errors. Instead, get a neutral reviewer if possible. After getting the feedback, make the required edits.

If possible, ask volunteers from the target population to review the draft Proposal. Ask them if they can locate information easily. When interviewing ask open questions and you will get a better response.

Avoid closed questions, such as, is this a great RFP? Most will say Yes, just to please you – and make you go away!

Ask how much they could read in one sitting. Again, revise as needed.

9. Create an easy-to-read format

Format the document to make it easy to read and attractive in presentation. If you have time, prepare a template that can be re-used for all future RFP’s. This will reduce the time spend on preparing the document.

• Leave a blank line between paragraphs
• Use bulleted lists
• Highlight main points with bold and italics
• Use boxes for examples
• Use white space generously
• Include margins of at least one inch all around the page
• Use two (2) columns to increase readability, if practical

Use several different type sizes for headings. In many documents, the headings are in San Serif font (i.e. Verdana) and the body is in a Serif font (e.g. Times New Roman). Use a contrast in style to add emphasis.

10. Get feedback – and share it

Lastly, see if the Proposal works! Ask the external reviewers how they felt using the ‘new’ plain English Proposal. Get feedback from personnel involved in the review process and collate it for distribution.

• Did they find that the plain English Proposal made a better application?
• Was it easier to write the application, and what made the most difference?
• What worked and what needs more refinement.

Summarize what you learned and share this information with colleagues. Encourage them to try writing plain English Proposals.

Track Your Proposal Wins

Keep a record of all the Proposals written in plain English and see if their success rate is higher than the previous styles of writing. There are more great writing resources are at: http://www.plainenglish.co.uk/

About the Author: Ivan Walsh provides Business Tips for Smart People on Klariti.com. His also runs the popular Business Planning Blog at http://www.ivanwalsh.com. Follow him on Twitter @ivanwalsh

PS: The Audience Analysis Template is here.

Do you make money from writing? I mean any type of writing? Business writing, proposal writing, technical writing? If you do, you probably get paid by output. The more you produce, the more you earn, right? If you do, here are some ways I write more words per day. My aim isn’t to win the Nobel prize for literature. I make money writing words. That’s it. I type all day long. The more I type, the more money I make. Real simple.

1. Keep it short

Train yourself to write short, punchy sentences. Put your text on a diet. You’re not at university now. In the real world, you’re rewarded for brevity. A 300 page thesis is fine for your professor. For busy customers, thirty words is fine if it does the job!

Instead of writing:

Refer to the following documents for Process Improvement instructions relating to the Credit Card process narration and process flow diagrams.

Use the active voice and write

This document outline the Credit Card process with supporting process flow diagrams.

Instead of using seventeen words

The screenshots outline the steps required to execute the request for printing the invoice copy from Oracle.

Reduce it to eleven. The meaning is the same and the content is easier to understand.

The screenshots show how to print the invoice copy in Oracle.

Instead of taking two lines…

The user can choose to email the invoice to the Customer. Alternatively the invoice can be faxed using Webex within Lotus notes to send the copy invoice to the Customer.

Get to the point faster and write

You can email the invoice to the Customer or fax it by using Webex option in Lotus Notes.

2. Be consistent

Don’t chop and change. Choose one term and stick with it throughout your document.

I’ve seen these three words used in the same document.

1. Key in the invoice numbers
2. Enter in the invoice numbers
3. Type in the invoice numbers

Choose the correct word and stick with it. Don’t change words to make your document more ‘interesting’. Readers will often dip into a document at different pages; very few read the entire document, report or proposal.

3. Do you really need to add a Screenshot?

Do your documents really need screenshots? If not, don’t add them. Don’t add screenshots to fatten up a thin document or just to increase the page count. If you do need to add screenshots, decide if you need to capture:

1. The entire desktop/screen/web browser
2. One part of the desktop/screen/web browser
3. One part of the application, for example, a specific field, table, or button.

Tip: use ALT+PrntScrn to take the ‘floating’ screen only. Highlight the active field with a red box and label each screenshot.

4. Taking Web Screenshots

Turn off the Favorites menu. No one needs to see your favorite websites. Likewise, you may want to turn off or delete icons near the lower status bar. Remove the URL if the web address is private.

5. Write in the Present Tense

Instead of writing

The screen that you get would show the links to these invoices

Use the present tense

The results screen displays links to these invoices.

Likewise, avoid using the conditional (if) and other tenses. Remember, the reader is using the application right NOW!

6. Email v Mail

Choose one term and stick with it. Email or mail. To me, Mail implies ‘snail mail’ as in regular mail.

…files are sent by email. Log onto your Lotus Notes to access the mail

…files are sent by email. Log onto your Lotus Notes to access your email

7. In v Within

Within usually refers to a timeframe. The meeting will be held within the next three to five days.

In refers to a location. The folder is in Lotus Notes.

Don’t

Copy to a folder within Lotus Notes.

Do

Copy to a folder in Lotus Notes.

PS: notice the Lotus and Notes are both uppercase.

8. You v User

No-one wants to be called a user! So, where possible, write the text as though the reader is sitting next to you.

Instead of

The user can print the invoice…

Suggestion

You can print the invoice…

9. Click v Select

Again, these are often confused. Buttons get clicked whereas you select options from a list.

Click a button

Select from a list of options.

Don’t

Select the Display Document button

Do

Click the Display Document button

10. Active v Passive

We’ve all been guilty of this one. Active gives your writing more energy. It tells you, the reader, what’s going to happen next. Passive, in contrast, fudges the issue slightly.

Saying that, there are times when you should use the passive voice. Such as? When you want to avoid blaming the reader (for example, if the application creates an error when they enter data incorrectly) or if you want to tone down a sensitive issue.

Instead of

The invoice is printed by SAP

Be direct. Say who does what.

SAP prints the invoice.

Instead of

Select the transaction SAP Transaction code: XXX201

say

Select the XXX201 transaction code.

Instead of

Select the line items by double-clicking on the item which takes you into the screen shown below – Line Item 001

Write

Double-click on an item to open the Line Item 001 screen.

11. Lowercase is fine, sometimes!

Don’t user uppercase for emphasis. It’s a cliché that has crept into technical writing and needs to be monitored. Lowercase if fine and usually correct.

Instead of:

Line Item Drill down

Write

Line item drill-down

Note: drill-down is one word. Line item is not a noun.

Enter User ID and password

Enter the User and Password fields.

12. Hide the Header/Footer on the first page

I’ve added this, even though it’s not to do with writing per se. Most business and technical documents don’t require the page number on the first page. To hide the page number on the first page of your document:

• Open Microsoft Word,
• On the Insert menu, click Page Numbers.
• Select or clear the Show number on first page check box.

Those are some ways I control the style and format of my business documents.

How about you? What do you do to get documents out the door that bit faster?

About the Author: Ivan Walsh is a left-handed business consultant who writes short business proposals for big clients. He also gives Business Tips for Smart People at Klariti.com

If you use Adobe PDFs to create technical guides, confidential reports and other business documents, then these ten PDF tips are for you. The web has many free PDF converters out there. That’s fine. But Adobe Distiller has some advanced features if you want more control of your documents, for example, increase download speed, password protection, embedding thumbnails, and color control.

Top 10 PDF Tips & Tricks

Adobe Distiller lets you optimize PDFs, for example, by embedding specific fonts, fine-tuning PDFs for web-viewing, and for allowing Postscript files to over-ride PDF settings.

Here are some things you can do.

1. Embed Thumbnails – use this option to embed a set of thumbnails that are displayed in the left navigation bar. Nice way for readers to see your document at a glance, rather than having to scroll all the way through it.
2. Save in Distiller Format – save the PDFs, with all the settings, in Distiller’s own file format (.joboptions). Later, if you want to modify the file, you can open this. I use this option on large projects when I combine multiple PDFs together. You can also pause the operation and go back to it later – without losing the settings.
3. PostScript – advanced settings let you allow PostScript to over-ride the PDF settings and also allow PostScript XObjects to be in included.
4. Font settings – you can embed all fonts in the PDF (rather than the default fonts) and also embed a subset of embedded fonts it the document reaches a certain percentage. You can also tell Distiller to always embed specific fonts, e.g. fonts related to your brand, logo etc.

   

5. Document Structure Conventions – here you can process DSC comments, log warnings, and preserve both EPS and OPI information.
6. Create Profiles – you can also save you settings as a Profile. Or create different profiles for different document types, such as for Print, Web, or Mobile. This saves you the time/effort when you go to do your next batch of PDFs.
7. Color Management – the color management settings lets you control how colors are displayed, for example, you can convert all colors to sRGB. There are also options for CMYK and preserving half-tones.
8. Tagging – further options let you tag everything, or just images, for color management.
9. Web Settings – create a profile (i.e. group of settings) and optimize the PDFs for web publishing. For example, configure Adobe Distiller so that PDFs download faster. Note that while the image quality may degrade slightly, the documents will open faster.
10. Password Protection – enables you to protect the document. There are different levels here: you can set it so that people need a password to open the PDF, to select text, or to print the document. For example, you may want people to be able to read your document but not print it and/or copy and paste text.

What Adobe Distiller tips do you have?

I’ve barely scratched the surface. Do you find the web quick save really makes a difference? What other improvements do you see when you use this tool?

Goethe once wrote to a friend, “If I had more time, I’d have sent you a shorter letter.” Here’s why.

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We’re all guilty of using clichés and resorting to figures of speech, especially after a long day slaving over a PC. Nonetheless, we still need to streamline our material and make sure that readers get something worthy of their attention.

Here are seven ways to cut the fat from your documents and get them back to health.

The Non-Designer’s Design Book

Let’s start.

Get a recent sample of one of your documents writing, for example, a sales letter or proposal, and look for the following horrors.

1. There are…

Avoid using this as an opener; it sounds jaded. It gives the impression that you couldn’t think of anything more interesting.

The same goes for “It is.”

These empty subjects and weak verbs add no value to your work and dilute the power of your writing. Rearrange sentences to avoid these fillers.

Not: There are now thousands of websites on the Internet.

Use: Thousands of websites are now on the Internet.

2. Ditch clichés

Make a list of your most frequently used clichés.

Paste it next to your PC, or wherever you work.

Once you’re finished drafting a document, double-check that you have not let any of these creep in.

Watch out for clichés entering your copy when you are tired, in a hurry, or impatient.

I tend to resort to clichés when I’m low on energy or waste want to wrap things up. It’s a waste of time. In the morning, I have to re-write it anyway.

Some words and expressions are so overused that they’ve been reduced to meaningless phrases.

For example:

Pre-plan — plan is fine. Can you really pre-plan?
Solution — isn’t everything a solution these days? There must be an alternative.
Seamless — is it really?
Micro Manage — manage
Access — usage, allow,
Paradigm — business model
Radical — different
Broad Range — spectrum
Synergy — connection,
Enterprise — company
Virtually Unlimited — endless
Utilize — use
Proactive — active

3. Remove what’s redundant

Go through your writing and root out redundancies, such as:

Blue in color (what else could it be besides color)
Large in size (what other kind of large is there?)
New innovation (is there an old innovation?)
End result (and the beginning result was…)
Final outcome (… was just the outcome.)

4. Be selective with Passive verbs

Passive verb tend to offer a weak, roundabout way of saying something.

In general, you can replace a passive verb with an active verb and improve the clarity of the sentence.

Not: The computer was built by John.
But: John built the computer.

5. Evil adverbs.

“Rather,” “very,” “quite”: These adverbs dilute your writing.

Cut them out and the meaning of your sentence becomes sharper and will resonate with more conviction. Poor adverbs tend to convey vagueness and a lack of interest.

Not: I was rather worried that our computers were quite unsafe.
But: I was concerned that our computers were unsafe.

6. Get to the point

We use the verb “say” so much that we tend not even to read the phrase itself.

Hemingway could get away with it, but you’re not Hemingway. Well, I’m not anyway.

Even though it’s nice to use an alternative choice every now and then, avoid using different verbs simply to get around using “he said, she said”. Constantly using different verbs in place of “say” knocks the reader off balance; it sounds contrived.

7. Jargon

Just as rappers (and their fans) used their own private language to differentiate themselves from others, companies also fall into this trap.

One of my former managers always spoke about ‘low hanging fruit.’

I bet that if you worked for the company I did, you’d have heard it.

Why?

Everyone used this on conf calls and in presentations. It was company lingo. They all used it to emphasize that there were ‘in’.

There was never a plan – we ‘transitioned’ instead.

Programmers were ‘technologists’.

It was our own private, internal language. When it crept into emails, memos, and circulars, then it could be understood. But when it appeared in customer facing reports and technical documents, then you have a problem.

3 Style Guides and Writing Books I Recommend

The Non-Designer’s Design Book

Style: The Basics of Clarity and Grace (3rd Edition)

Technical Editing (4th Edition)

What clichés do they use at your place?

Have you struggled with job position names and titles in your policies and procedures (P&P) content? Here are several style rules to follow. Read article.

Here are seven quick tips to improve the quality of your technical documents.
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When you write a technical document, consider the following points:

1. Analogy - provide a comparison or analogy to describe how something abstract works.

Not everyone is as familiar with the system as you are. Try to help the reader along by giving as much direction as possible so they see the bigger picture.

Once they understand how the system works at a high level, they will have more confidence in reading the more technical details.

2. Break long sentences into shorter sentences. Don’t overwhelm the reader with long, meandering sentences, with endless clause and other waffle.

Keep to the point.

Use short sentences that focus on one action at a time. Avoid double negatives.

3. Definitions – create a list of definitions and acronyms. Always explain what the acronym means when it’s first encountered.

4. Glossary – make a glossary, even for a half dozen words. Again, avoid taking a superior attitude with the reader and forcing them to find out what technical terms may mean.

Be supportive of your readers.

They may be reading your technical documents when under stress or very tired. Don’t make a bad day worse by complicating things.

5. Graphics - Provide graphics to illustrate how something works. Flowcharts, state diagrams and use case diagrams are all very helpful.

Download this Microsoft Visio Flowchart template

6. Replace general, abstract, and objective words with concrete, specific, and simpler words.

7. Use terminology consistently. Don’t switch terms throughout the document.

If the document is written by several writers, and you’re the editor in charge, make sure to revise the document so that the tone, pace, and language is consistent.

These points are not meant to be all-inclusive. However, if you are new to tech writing, this should put you on the right road.

So, what have I missed here?

Please help complete this list so writers, especially those who are new to the field, get a better understanding of what’s involved.

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I have three style guides in the office and have now added this from the BBC. The BBC Style Guide represents some of John Allen’s extraordinary wisdom surrounding the use of English in written and spoken communications.

BBC Style Guide

This is not a “do and don’t” list but a guide that invites you to explore some of the complexities of modern English usage and to make your own decisions about what does and does not work.

It should improve your scripts and general writing, not to mention making you feel better informed, challenged and amused.

BBC Style Guide (PDF): http://www.bbctraining.com/pdfs/newsStyleGuide.pdf

Ben Parr (Mashable) asks: “Say your project manager comes to you with his proposal that will be going out to investors, business partners, and potential clients.

Then you find that your manager has used “4” instead of “four”, “r” instead of “are”, and abbreviations such as lol, atm, and idk.

How would you react? “How To Mind Your Grammar On The Web.

When is it appropriate to use this type of language shorthand?

Ben has come up with this short guide on grammar on the web for business:

Do: Understand your audience and understand your company’s personality, especially when communicating with customers.

Do: Utilize some forms of Internet shorthand while tweeting.  Occasionally abbreviating to fit within the limit is an acceptable practice

Do: Be Authentic. If you’re known as someone that uses shorthand and you’re comfortable with that, then you shouldn’t do a complete 360 in your communications.

Don’t: Use Internet shorthand in emails.  It doesn’t matter whether it’s a customer, an employee, or a potential business client.

Don’t: Use Internet shorthand in business-to-business communication. This includes Facebook, Twitter direct messages, and email.

Ben: http://www.openforum.com/grammar-on-the-web-some-rules-of-thumb-for-business-ben-parr

To this I would add:

• Think Local: don’t write localize (US) when it’s localise for those in the UK
• Jargon – avoid using insider speak that only you and your company use.
• TLA – cut out three-letter-acronyms. Sometimes it’s fine, but if you are going to use it, then make sure you spell it out somewhere in your report, preferably near the start. Otherwise, no-one will have clue when you’re ranting on about.
• Small words are fine. Don’t try to impress people with multi-syllable words and strange noun structures. Keep it simple.

What’s the most common grammar mistake you see on the web?

This article explains how to convert large files between Microsoft Word and Adobe FrameMaker.In this tutorial, the source file is the file being converted (Word) and target file is the file that it will be converted into (in this case, a FrameMaker file).

Our goal during this process is to reduce the Word document into an (almost) plain-text document — but keeping its style names, as these will be used to match styles and tags later in the FrameMaker document.

The overall process involves three stages:

• Preparing the Word file for conversion.
• Refining the FrameMaker file in line with the Style Guide.
• Creating the PDF file.

Note: Before you start, print out the Style Guide and use it as a reference during the overall process. This saves you time moving between files and also helps you become more familiar with the Style Guide’s format and presentation as it sits on your desk and is more accessible.

Preparing the Word file

The first step is to prepare the Word file so that its contents will convert more easily into FrameMaker. This involves deleting all formatting that is unique to Word, such as Text Frames.

For example, FrameMaker has very powerful Table of Contents generation features, so you can rely on this rather than trying to import Word’s or hard-coding it to match the FrameMaker format.

To start the process, delete all the Word constructs that need to be removed before the conversion process can start. This involves the following steps:

• Deleting the Table of Contents (TOC)
• Deleting headers and footers
• Deleting local paragraph overrides
• Deleting local character overrides
• Deleting text frames
• Deleting ALL Word specific features
• Deleting linked graphics

The next section explains what needs to be deleted in Word, and provides some information on why we use this approach.

Table of Contents

As FrameMaker has very advanced Table of Contents (TOC) functions, it is much simpler to delete the TOC in Word and then rebuild it in FrameMaker.

In Word, select the TOC and delete it. Save the file.

Note: If you’ve used bookmarks in Word to generate a TOC, delete them as well. The effort it takes to import them into FrameMaker is not worth the effort. FrameMaker can do it quicker.

Headers and Footers

Both Word and FrameMaker have a different approach to Headers and Footers. In FrameMaker, these are setup in the Master page and controlled from there. Trying to import Word’s header and footers into FrameMaker will only confuse it.

In Word, open the header and footer option. Select each one and press Delete. Save the file.

Local paragraph overrides

This involves deleting any formatting in paragraphs (which should have been formatted with Body styles) which has been done manually — rather than formatted with a Word style.

If you import these local paragraph overrides into FrameMaker, they will confuse the tag settings. It’s much simpler to delete them in Word and then rebuild in FrameMaker.

In Word, select the entire document and press Ctrl+Q. Save the document.

Local character overrides

An example of local overrides is when, for example, in Word a paragraph is entirely Times Roman except for the 3rd word, which is in italic. If the italic was set using a character style, the FrameMaker file may assign that style to the 3rd word AND to the remaining words in the paragraph—not what you want!

My suggestion is to delete all local character overrides in Word.

In Word, select the entire document and press Ctrl+Spacebar. Save the file.

Later, in FrameMaker, you will use the Paragraph Designer to modify the style correctly.

Word specific features

All Word specific features have to be deleted as they cannot be interpreted in FrameMaker. Even worse, if you do not do this, they may corrupt the FrameMaker document.

In Word, delete all borders, WordArt, callout boxes, arrows, text frames, etc. Save the file.

Text Frames — Word uses text frames to create what FrameMaker calls a side-head, i.e. text that appears in the left margin column. To recreate the Word text frame in FrameMaker, create a tag in FrameMaker called ‘TextFrame’ and design this in accordance with the style guide.

Linked graphics

Some Word documents ‘link’ graphics (Insert | Picture | From File) to the document rather than using the traditional cut/paste approach.

For a Word to FrameMaker conversion, this means that when you open the RTF file in FrameMaker the graphic file have to correctly link to the same folders as those in Word. In theory, this should work, but in my experience, this does not always work. Instead, follow these steps:

In Word, select each graphic file, save it with a unique name, e.g. Architecture.gif etc, and store it in the project folder. Once this is done, delete all graphics, and Save the file.

Note: In FrameMaker, you will import all these graphics back into the document.

Once all these steps are completed, you then need to modify different parts of the Word file, depending on how it was created.

Note: This does not involve deleting content as we have done above, but modifying how it is constructed, for example adjusting how the number and bullet lists are formatted in Word so that they can be imported into FrameMaker with less data corruption.

You don’t need to delete these constructs, but you do have to adjust their presentation otherwise they will create confusion in the FrameMaker file, for example you could end up with two bullets for every list entry rather than one.

For the conversion project, this involved managing the following areas:

• Master Pages and sections
• Headings
• Numbering
• Bullets
• Cross-references
• Artwork
• Spanned Columns
• Books and master documents
• Styles and tags

Master Pages and sections

FrameMaker uses Master Pages; Word uses sections.

In Word, sections are often used to insert different headers and footers throughout the document. FrameMaker’s approach is totally different.

Figure 1 – How to access FrameMaker Master Pages (View | Master Pages).

In Word, delete all section breaks. You can search for ^b to find all occurrences. Save the file.

Headings

FrameMaker doesn’t care how headings are named. Because of this, you don’t have to modify the style names in Word before the conversion — unless you want to change the style names to reflect the target template.

However, it’s recommended that you delete all redundant headings, and other redundant styles, as they hold no value.

In Word, delete all redundant headings (Format | Styles and Formatting) and save the file.

Figure 2 – In Word, delete all redundant styles and headings

Numbering

If your Word document uses automatic numbering and styles, you’re in luck! However, if the numbering has been done manually, delete the numbers (but not the styles) in Word.

Then, when you open the file in FrameMaker, you can attach a style with numbering applied. You will probably have to do some resetting to 1 and so on, but this is straightforward process in FrameMaker.

In Word, search for all numbers applied manually. Delete the numbers, but not the styles. Save the file.

Bullets

Like numbering, Bullets were done hopefully with styles and not manual overrides. If styles were used, then keep the style names but delete the bullet from the definition.

In Word, search for all bullets applied manually. Delete the bullet. Save the file.

Figure 3 – In Word, select pre-defined bullets and numbers

Note: If the bullets were done by hand in Word, you may find numbered paragraphs in FrameMaker with two bullets—one defined by the FrameMaker tag, and one kept from Word during the import. The quickest way to fix this is to delete the unnecessary bullet by hand. When you open the file in FrameMaker, the bullets should appear correctly as a result of FrameMaker‘s numbering system.

Cross-references

In Word, you can only cross-reference within the same file; by contrast, FrameMaker can cross-reference among other files within a Book. When FrameMaker reads a Word file with cross-references, it finds obscure marker such as “_Ref565989”. These are of no use to FrameMaker and need to be deleted.

In Word, delete all cross-references and re-create them in FrameMaker by hand. Save the file.

Artwork

Any artwork that was cut and pasted into a Word file can be imported directly into FrameMaker. However, there are two issues to consider:

1. The quality of ‘Cut and Paste’ files that you bring into FrameMaker often degrade, i.e. lose quality. Though it may be time-consuming, it’s recommended that you re-create these in PhotoShop and then import them into FrameMaker.

2. Linked graphics in Word files will not work in FrameMaker as the link settings affect what happens on the FrameMaker side. As discussed earlier, delete these files, save them individually, and then import into FrameMaker (File | Import | File).

Spanned Columns

In Word, delete spanned columns. These could open in FrameMaker as one pica wide and confuse FrameMaker’s setting. Delete the spans and re-build them in FrameMaker.

Books and master documents

Word has a Master Document feature that can be used for managing complex long documents. However, I strongly advice against using this feature; it is very unreliable and prone to corrupting documents. In turn, FrameMaker uses the concept of a Book to assemble project files and is very stable.

Figure 4 – FrameMaker’s Book feature

For the test conversion project, we use three files to create the overall ‘Book’; cover sheet; table of contents; main user guide pages. When working in FM, note that each of these files has a different master page and you need to update each master page where necessary.

Styles and tags

Wherever possible, use similar-named styles in both applications, for example, Copyright style; the only exception is when matching Word’s default Normal style with FrameMaker’s default Body tag.

Note: The fewer styles/ tags in FrameMaker, the easier it is to manage. Delete all redundant styles or tags and merge those that are similar.

Saving the RFT

After completing all these steps, save the Word file in Rich Text Format (RTF).

You can now open it in FrameMaker and refine it in accordance with the style guide.

Figure 5 – In Word, save the file as Rich Text Format

Preparing the FrameMaker file

You now have a modified Word file, saved as RFT, with all Word-specific features removed. The next phase involves:

• Returning the content deleted from the Word file, such as Artwork, headers, footers.
• Updating cross-references, indexes, TOC etc.
• Matching the file with the Style Guide.

To start the process:

In FrameMaker, in order to open the RTF file:

• Select File | Open | File Types | All Files (*.*).

Figure 6 – Select All Files (*.*) to view the RTF file.

• In the Unknown File Type pop-up window, select Microsoft RFT and click Convert.

Figure 7 – Select Microsoft RTF and click Convert

This opens the RTF file, though the format and presentation will be modified slightly from the Word version.

Save the file with a .fm extension. The next stage involves returning all Word content that was deleted (or modified).

Importing Graphics

You have two options when bringing graphics into FrameMaker. You can either:

• Option A – Cut and paste from Word or
• Option B – Cross-reference to a project directory.

Option A usually results in large file sizes as the file has to hold the graphics, whereas in Options B they are cross-referenced from their respective location.

The problem with using Option B is that you have to include the graphics folder when sending the FrameMaker files to other users.

However, the good news is that when you need to update any graphic file in the document (or documents) instead of manually going through each page, you simply update the relevant graphic – and all files are updated automatically!

Figure 8 – Option B – Import files by reference

Unwanted Tags

After you’ve opened the RTF in FrameMaker, you may find that you’ve gained a character tag called Default Paragraph Font.

The only way to delete it is to select the text, choose Default ¶ Font, and re-assign it.

Custom table ruling and shading

To delete custom table settings from the entire FrameMaker document, do the following:

• Select the document.
• Choose Table | Custom Ruling & Shading.
• Select both of the ‘From Table’ settings, and select all check boxes.
• Click Apply.

Updating the Header and Footers

As mentioned earlier, both Word and FrameMaker have a different approach to Headers and Footers. In FrameMaker, these are setup in the Master page.

FrameMaker provides default settings for each document’s headers/footers. Use the Paragraph Designer to modify them and, when finished, select ‘Update All’. You can then return to the Body Pages.

Note: when a Book is comprised of several files, you need to set the page numbers so that there is consistency between each file. To do this, open the FrameMaker file:

• Select Format | Document | Numbering | Page.
• Enter the start page number and Save.

Updating the Table of Contents

This process has 2 options depending on whether you want to integrate your TOC in the main document or you want to create a standalone TOC. For the Klariti project, I used Option B as outlined below.

• Option A – this places the TOC within the main FrameMaker file. This option makes sense when you have a small file that is easy to update.
• Option B – this involves creating a standalone TOC that will form one part of a large FrameMaker book. In this project, we used Option B as the main file was very large and other sections used different master pages, styles etc.

To create the TOC, follow these steps:

• Open the FrameMaker Book.
• Add files where necessary.
• Click Add | Table of Contents.

Figure 9– How to create a Table of Contents

This creates a standalone TOC file. Open this and check that it matches with Style Guide. To update the design/layout, open the Master pages and make the required amendments.

PDF Setup

Before you create the PDF document, you need to define the conversion settings in FrameMaker. To do this, go to:

• Format | Document | PDF Setup.
• In Settings, select Print and for Page Range, select All.
• In Bookmarks, check Generate PDF Bookmarks, and for Include Paragraphs add Chapter Title and Headings 1, 2, and 3.
• In Tags, check Generate Tagged PDF.
• Click Set to finish.

Figure 10 – In PDF Setup Settings tab, select Print from the drop-down menu.

Figure 11 – In the Bookmark tab, add the Chapter Title and Headings

Creating the PDF file

The final step involves converting the FrameMaker files into PDF.

In this test conversion project, we have used 3 FrameMaker files which together form a FrameMaker Book. A book, as the name implies, is a master file that controls the relationship between the files that it contains.

To do this, follow these steps:

• In FrameMaker, open the Cover Sheet FrameMaker file.
• Click the Print Option (File | Print). Select the PDF prnit driver from the Print drop-down menu, for example, Adobe PDF.
• In the options screen, select All and Convert PDF Data.
• Click OK.

Follow the same steps for the other two FrameMaker files. You now have three PDF files based on the FrameMaker files. After all files are converted, close FrameMaker and open Adobe Acrobat.

The next step is to create a master PDF file that will contain the 3 PDF files in the correct sequence. To do this, open the Cover Sheet, and add the other two files as follows:

• Open the Cover Sheet pdf.
• Click Edit | Insert Pages and Add the TOC pdf file.
• Click Edit | Insert Pages and add the Klariti.pdf file.
• Once all files have been added, choose File | Save As and save the file.

You now have the entire FM file in PDF format. The next step is to create hyperlinks for the main headings.

Creating Hyperlinks

In FrameMaker, when you add a table of contents, there is an option to create hyperlinks automatically. However, during this project, this option failed to work. An error message stated that it required additional fonts in order to compile. Therefore, the table of contents file did not create hyperlinks to the chapter titles and headings.

Nonetheless, in Adobe Acrobat, you can manually create these links. To do this, you select the heading and cross-reference it to the relevant page in the file.

Figure 12 – The Link tool in Adobe Acrobat

To do this, follow these steps:

1. In Adobe Acrobat, open the master PDF file, e.g. UserGuide.pdf.

2. Select Window | Bookmarks to display the bookmarks. This option shows the Chapter Title and H1/H2/H3 headings.

3. Navigate to the section of the document where you want to create a link.

4. Select the link tool.

5. Create the link rectangle in one of the following ways:

• Drag the mouse to create a marquee.

• Press Ctrl (Windows) and select the target text with the I-beam. This allows you to fit a link rectangle exactly around the selected text.

6. In the Create Link dialog box, choose a rectangle type.

7. Select a highlight option for when the link is selected.

8. Choose an action type.

9. Choose a magnification option.

10 Click Set Link.

Complete this step for all headings in the TOC.

Figure 13 – The Link Properties option in Adobe Acrobat

This process will create hyperlinks from all headings to their respective sections in the PDF document.

Security Settings

In Adobe Acrobat, there are various security options available. The most relevant for this project is to ensure that unauthorized personnel cannot modify the document.

In particular, you want to disallow unauthorised personnel from copying text from your PDF into their documents, for whatever reason.

Figure 14 – The Document Security option in Adobe Acrobat

To do this, follow these steps:

• In Adobe Acrobat, go to File | Document Security.
• Choose Adobe Standard Security from the drop-down menu.
• Under Permissions, check the four options, e.g. No Printing etc.
• Click OK. Click Close and then File | Close to save the settings.

Figure 15 –Security options in Adobe Acrobat

When you re-open the file, these settings will apply.

Matching the Style Guide

To get the styles to match, review the styles/tags in the FrameMaker file against those in the Style Guide.

For example, if the Style Guide’s Body style is Arial 10 etc, and the FrameMaker file has it set to Times Roman 11, you need to correct this as follows:

• Open FrameMaker and select all content marked as Body.
• Open Paragraph Designer and update the Body fields.
• Select ‘Apply to All’. This updates all occurrences of the Body style in the document.

To stop other technical authors from using the wrong styles, delete ALL redundant styles. For example, the RFT file may have several body styles, e.g. Body, Body + Left, Body + Indent. In FrameMaker, delete all of these otherwise future authors may use these inadvertently.

What do you think?

This approach has worked well for me when converting Microsoft Word documents into FrameMaker. I should add that the latest versions of Adobe FrameMaker offer a more streamlined approach to converting the docs.

With that said, you’re still going to have to clean up the Adobe FrameMaker docs to some extent regardless of how well the converter works.

Over the next few weeks, I’ll look at conversion software and work on the latest version of Adobe FrameMaker, which I’ve now got my hands on.

Let me know if you’ve come across better ways to convert these docs or maybe some of the issues you’ve had in converting these docs.

Thanks.

We reviewed PerfectIt last month and were impressed with its ability to edit and test our documents.

Daniel Heuman, the founder of Intelligent Editing Ltd has prepared this tutorial that goes into more detail and show some of the ways you can get more out of this editing product. Here’s Daniel.

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PerfectIt does not require any kind of configuration. Once you install it, you can use it straight away to find mistakes in any MS Word document.

This article is for users who want to get even more out of PerfectIt by fine-tuning it to search for particular errors or to enforce a style guide.

Fine-tuning PerfectIt

You can set your rules for how PerfectIt checks:

• Hyphenation
• Common typos
• Numbers in sentences
• Spelling variations
• Keywords left in the body of text
• Use of capital letters
• Punctuation of bullets and lists
• Capitals in bullets and lists

There are two ways to build your rules into PerfectIt, you can add them organically when PerfectIt runs or you can use the configuration screen.

Common Errors in English Usage

Organic fine-tuning

The easiest way to add rules for checking is to teach PerfectIt your preferences as you use it. When PerfectIt finds an error, just click the “Customise Test” menu to either exclude that from future searches or build a rule for checking it.

For example, if PerfectIt states that an abbreviation appears in two forms: “NASA” and “N.A.S.A.”, you can use the menus to specify that “NASA” is always preferred. After that, PerfectIt will prompt for any instance of “N.A.S.A.” with any document you test.

You can specify an even wider set of rules by using the configuration screen. To load the configuration screen, select “Advanced…” from the “Customise Test” menu. This will provide options for setting your own checking rules. For example, to specify that semi-colons are the preferred punctuation for short bullet points, choose “Settings for Lists, Numbers and Compounds”, then choose “Punctuate Short Items”, then select “A Semi-Colon” from the drop down menu. Save your changes and PerfectIt will notify you if it finds any bullet points with other types of punctuation.

The advantage of customised versions of PerfectIt

It is possible to share configurations between computers – just copy the files ‘CustomExclusionLists’ and ‘CustomFindLists’ from one computer to another. However, for organisations, the best way to ensure that rules are standardised across computers is to have Intelligent Editing prepare a customised version for you. Intelligent Editing will scan your library for inconsistencies and review those with you. Then we’ll build a version of PerfectIt that is custom-designed for your organisation. We’ll include all of your preferences and supply you with a version that is built for the specifics of your style guide.

Conclusion

Style guides are important documents that all too often go ignored. With PerfectIt, you can quickly and easily check that reports, articles, contracts and proposals are all aligned with your style guide. You can build in the checking that is most important to you and ensure that documents are reviewed completely for the mistakes that matter most. To try PerfectIt for free, download it now.

About the Author

Daniel Heuman, Founder, Intelligent Editing Ltd.

Intelligent Editing Ltd specializes in software solutions that deliver faster, more accurate editing for professionals. http://intelligentediting.com

In publishing and media companies, use of a style guide is the norm. However, style guides can also be useful for any organization that prepares documents for clients and the public. This article is for organizations outside of the publishing industry who can benefit from the introduction of a style guide.

A style guide is a reference point that sets standards for writing documents within your organization. The focus of the style guide is not usually a matter of “correct” or “incorrect” grammar or style, but rather it provides guidance for instances when many possibilities exist.

Style guides offer you the chance to present your brand in a consistent way. They help to ensure that multiple authors use one tone. And they help save time and resource by providing an instant answer when questions arise about preferred style.

How Your Guide Will Be Read (aka ‘The Facts Of Life’)

To write an effective style guide, it is important to keep in mind that most people in your company will barely read it. A keen, new recruit may read all the way through. But for most people, the style guide is there as a resource. It is there to answer questions and settle arguments. So it’s important that the structure is clear and a ‘table of contents’ is the first thing that readers find.

“Remember that style guides are references, consulted when a question or problem arises, rather than books to be read as a training tool.”— Jean Hollis Weber, Developing a Departmental Style Guide

Making Use Of Existing Style Guides

How do you decide what belongs in your style guide? Good industry-wide style guides are often hundreds of pages long. So the easiest way to write your style guide is to select one that covers your sector and then do not repeat anything that is in that guide. Instead, just note any additions or changes that apply to your organization.

How can you find out which style guide is right for your organization?

Check the list here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_style.

By using an external guide as the point of reference, you can focus your reader on the key things to remember in your organization.

The Most Important Things For Your Reader To Remember

In many cases, the purpose of the style guide is to ensure that documents conform to corporate style and branding. For example, does your organization abbreviate its name?

If so, when and how is the abbreviated term used? Getting corporate style right is not just important for your own organization, key industry terms that can be presented in more than one way should also be included in the style guide. If your clients have a preferred style for their name then these should be included too.

Tip: Choosing the right Style Guide

After corporate style and branding, often the next most important use of the style guide is to answer internal questions about presentation. Your style guide should make clear how authors present:

• Headings (and how they are capitalized)
• Lists (whether they are capitalized and how they are punctuated
• Numbers (when they should be spelled in full)
• Rules for chapter, figure and table headings (including numbering)

Tools like PerfectIt can help to ensure that presentation is consistent. Intelligent Editing also prepare customised versions of PerfectIt that can build the exact specifications of your style guide into an electronic checker.

The key to determining what goes in the style guide is to find out how usage differs in your company. The best way to do that is to bring more people into the process of building the style guide. That process is reviewed below, but first this article looks at common mistakes in the preparation of style guides.

Things Not To Do

Almost everyone who writes has a pet peeve that he/she hates to see in print. Maybe you don’t like unnecessary use of quotation marks? Perhaps you cannot understand why grown-ups still don’t know the difference between “it’s” and “its”? You are right. But this is not the place for that. Whatever your bugbear is, you need to put it to one side and focus on the key message.

A good style guide is no more than four pages. Of course, some organizations may need it to be longer. However, outside of publishing, bear in mind that the goal is just to focus on points of style where there is no right answer but where one usage is preferred by the organization. It is not the place to teach your colleagues things that they should already know.

A style guide is also not a design guide. You should have in place templates that automate indentation, typefaces and styles within Word (If you do not have these already, email us for a recommendation info@intelligentediting.com). Graphics formats, logo presentation and other issues that relate to appearance also belong elsewhere.

If there are rules in your company about signing-off documents or procedures for checking and releasing then leave these out. Equally, instructions on using Word do not belong here. Reminding authors to use a spell check before passing on their document is not consistent with how a style guide will be read and is a sure-fire way to deter people from using it.

The Evolution Of A Good Style Guide

The best way to make sure that nobody uses your style guide is to write it and then tell everyone else to obey it. The purpose of a style guide is to make sure that multiple authors write in a clear and unified way that reflects the corporate style. So it’s best to bring other authors into the process as soon as possible. Run the draft past a select group of people and ask for comments. When the final version goes out, ask for feedback. If you have a company portal, set up a forum for users to discuss the guide. Plan on making revisions in light of feedback and the style guide will become something that all interested parties can participate in.

Conclusion

The key to a good style guide is brevity. Authors use a style guide as a resource, so it should be written as one. A style guide also does not sit on its own. It should be accompanied by a guide that is specific to your industry, separate guides for design and process issues, and tools like PerfectIt to ensure that corporate style is adopted.

Bibliography

Developing a Departmental Style Guide, Jean Hollis Weber

About the Author

Daniel Heuman, Founder, Intelligent Editing Ltd.

Intelligent Editing Ltd specializes in software solutions that deliver faster, more accurate editing for professionals. http://intelligentediting.com

What’s the best style guide to use? I use Microsoft’s technical publications guide for my technical documents but have started to use The Chicago Manual of Style online.

It’s been a while since I visited the site and there has been some very nice features added. Like the site says: Welcome to The Chicago Manual of Style Online—the indispensable online reference for all who work with words. For professional writers, book-mark this!

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My Manual    
Using the features of My Manual, you can add Notes, Bookmark favorite paragraphs, and create Style Sheets to make The Chicago Manual of Style Online your personalized style guide.

Chicago Style Q&A
The Q&A content is fully searchable along with the content of The Chicago Manual of Style. Your queries will return results—clearly distinguishable—from both the Manual and the Chicago Style Q&A.

Contents

  1 The Parts of a Published Work
  2 Manuscript Preparation and Manuscript Editing
  3 Proofs
  4 Rights and PermissionsBY WILLIAM S. STRONG
  5 Grammar and UsageBY BRYAN A. GARNER
  6 Punctuation
  7 Spelling, Distinctive Treatment of Words, and Compounds
  8 Names and Terms
  9 Numbers
10 Foreign Languages
11 Quotations and Dialogue
12 Illustrations and Captions
13 Tables
14 Mathematics in Type
15 Abbreviations
16 Documentation I: Basic Patterns
17 Documentation II: Specific Content
18 Indexes

Tools 
It also provides convenient Tools, such as sample forms, letters, and style sheets.

Manuscript Preparation
The tools provided here are intended to help authors prepare manuscripts for submission. They will also be of use to writers, editors, and publishers at other organizations who are looking for models for procedure and content.

Books
The Books Division offers general guidelines for preparing electronic manuscripts as well as art submission requirements.

Journals
Many of Chicago’s journals provide statements of editorial policy and instructions for submission of manuscripts for Web-based peer review on their Web pages.

Electronic Manuscript Preparation
The Journals Division offers Instructions for Preparing Manuscript Files Using Microsoft Word or WordPerfect, as well as special instructions for the preparation of tables and math.

The Journals Division also offers online Guidelines for Submission of Artwork, including digital art.

Chicago-Style Citation Quick Guide
Students, researchers, writers: for help citing sources, visit the Quick Guide to see clear examples of how to use Chicago-style citation.

Visit: http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/home.html

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Mike Unwalla reviews John Kohl’s The Global English Style Guide over on TechScribe. Many people who do not speak English as a first language struggle to understand English texts. Human translation is expensive. Machine translation (MT) frequently does not work. Global English offers a solution to these three related problems.

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Many good style guides exist. Why do technical writers need another style guide? Unlike other style guides, this book covers grammatical structures, not only particular terms.

The book has more than 200 pages of text (plus 4 appendices) that give detailed explanations of both good practice and bad practice.

Read the full review at: http://www.techscribe.co.uk/ta/global-english-style-guide.htm