April 2002 Volume 10, Issue 8 How to Survive Technical Writing - Nancy Sequeira, STC Senior Member Technical writers do not have an easy job. We must understand a product in a specific industry, for certain audience(s), and sometimes without any prior knowledge. We translate and communicate information by interacting with subject matter experts who know their subjects in a specific way and expect us to do the same. More often than not, others are disinterested in our job and what we need to accomplish. We work in extreme deadline-driven conditions to complete work that most do not value. In this environment, I know you have bad days. I know you just want to just give up. No one reads the documentation anyway! Lesson 1: Understand the Scope of a Project within the Business Limitations. Most technical writers are completers and Our working environment does not make it easy to adhere to this lesson especially when we are faced with a two-hour deadline, the subject matter expert just made last minute changes to the product, and the goal is to get the documentation, online help, and so on, out the door, and accurate. We are only as good the information we produce, right? I assure you technical writing will become easy as soon as you understand this lesson. Understand that if high-level reviewers approve your documentation and they do not indicate changes or adjustments are warranted, making last minute changes as a result of testing or other conditions will void your sign-off review. Understand that documentation, like code or a product, has a life of its own. Documents are outdated as soon as they are released. Documentation exists within the time frame it is created. It should be treated as a work in progress even though a milestone such as a release is achieved. Lesson 2: Rely on a Mentor or Technical Writing Guru who Inspires You. I am very lucky to have the same person who gave me my first break in technical writing, also become my manager, personal mentor, and friend at various stages of my career. She is brilliant, period. She makes my job easier because Continued on page 7. Surviving Tech Writing..........1 Presidents Message.............2 Surveys and In-Laws.............3 Leadership Bursary..............3 Call for Nominations................3 Region 7 Conference..............4 Edmonton Events..............5 Membership News................5 Thursday Programs............6 Bitter Ink..........................6 Mark Your Calendars...............9 The mission of the Society for Technical Communication is to improve the quality and effectiveness of technical communication for audiences worldwide. INSIDE SUPERSCRIPT I do not have solutions to the countless problems that may exist for new technical writers, lone-writers, or writers struggling to work in teams, although I have discovered some lessons working as a fulltime and contract technical writer. These lessons were derived from common work experiences and I hope they will help you when you are having a bad day. I hope these lessons help you to carry on when you want to change careers. I hope you can survive technical writing. perfectionists at heart. We usually fall in the last stage of any development cycle and this drives the need to finish a project. We are picky editors who abide by strict standards. These characteristics do not make it easy to complete a project knowing we may send out documentation that is inaccurate. A Word from Our President - Ian Hawkins Just out of curiosity, I looked through some issues of SuperScript from past years. As I suspected, previous Chapter presidents have shared many of the same concerns that I have. One of the most pressing is how to keep the Chapter running properly from year to year, in order to provide the high level of services that our members look forward to. Naturally, the answer to this is simple: attract and keep volunteers. Just as naturally, this is much easier said than done. This is where you come in. Below I have listed just some of the important positions we need to fill. The first four (President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer) are elected positions. If more than one person is interested in the position, we have an election at the AGM. This has not happened in recent memory. In fact, there have been occasions where the Chapter did not have any candidates for President until during the AGM dinner itself. I dont want that to happen again. It isnt fair to the incoming members of the executive, especially the person who decides at the last possible minute to volunteer as President. President The President really acts as a general manager. Much of the workload involves coordinating other people, and making sure that jobs are done when they need to be. The end of the Chapter year is approaching soon. Our Annual General Meeting is scheduled for June 15, and the members of the new executive will take office at the end of June. Vice-President The Vice President has few specific responsibilities. Ideally, this position should be used as a way to learn the workings of the Chapter, as preparation for future involvement. I would like all members, new and old, to consider what they have to offer the Chapter. I can guarantee Most people find that the that the professional and personal more they contribute the rewards more than compensate for more benefits they reap. Secretary your volunteer commitment. In The Secretarys main job is to record and distribute fact, most people find that the more minutes from Chapter meetings. This job is made they contribute the more benefits they reap. much simpler when others contribute advance copies of their reports, so the Secretary can concentrate on changes or discussions that take place at the meetings. Continued on page 5. Alberta Chapter STC Executive Council 2001-2002 President Vice President Secretary Treasurer Past President Archivist Coffee Nights Chapter Events Jobline Conference Workshops Competitions Volunteers Programs Edmonton Liaison Newsletter Editors Public Relations Mentorship MRC Liaison Registration & Hospitality E-mail List Co-ordinator Special Events Webmaster Membership Directory/ Survey Ian Hawkins president@stc-alberta.org (position currently vacant) archives@stc-alberta.org Ken Schatzke workshops@stc-alberta.org Jessie Channey Helen Schleedoorn Jean Bauer Lorraine Gorman newsletter@stc-alberta.org Page 2 Kathy Gerritsen v.president@stc-alberta.org Darren Tenor coffeenights@stc-alberta.org Brian OMalley competitions@stc-alberta.org Fena Maucieri/Nancy Sequeira publicrelations@stc-alberta.org Leila Meyer membership@stc-alberta.org Debbie Barry secretary@stc-alberta.org (position currently vacant) events@stc-alberta.org Micki Nielsen volunteers@stc-alberta.org Blair McNaughton mentorship@stc-alberta.org Suzanne Scott Lois Hamilton specialevents@stc-alberta.org Mai-Ann Sprung treasurer@stc-alberta.org Leila Meyer jobline@stc-alberta.org Ken Schatzke program@stc-alberta.org Glenn Ruhl mrcliaison@stc-alberta.org Mai-Ann Sprung Allison Strilchuk webmaster@stc-alberta.org Mai-Ann Sprung pastpresident@stc-alberta.org Fena Maucieri conference@stc-alberta.org Marcia Wright edmontonliaison@stc-alberta.org Andrea Hogg registration@stc-alberta.org Brian OMalley directory@stc-alberta.org April 2002 Surveys and In-laws - Ken Schatzke, Programs Co-ordinator As technical communicators, one of our most important mantras is always understand your audience. But how do we do this? In last months program, Terry Williams and Blair McNaughton introduced us to one method: the survey. Terry is a research and communications consultant who has taught research methods at the University of Calgary and conducted corporate-wide communication audits for both profit and not-for profit industries. Blair, Terrys son-in-law, is a teacher and technical writer who has specialized in educational and instructional design, and has worked extensively with Terry in developing survey instruments and data gathering. Between bouts of good-natured mother-in-law/son-in-law bashing, Terry and Blair explained the importance of carefully planning and administering a survey. The first step is to define what information you want to know and determine the key variables and what items and processes affect them. The second step is to consider what you want to ask survey participants. As Terry recommended, during this step you should think about how you will code responses for entry in a database. Next, organize your questions and write your survey. Terry and Blair suggested organizing surveys in a manner similar to a conversation, with a beginning, middle, and end. Finally, test your survey on a pilot audience to see if they understand all questions and are able to complete the survey successfully and accurately. Terry and Blair also explained the differences between quantitative and qualitative information and open-ended and closed-ended questions. information is that which you can define in words (for example, the weather outside is unusually cold and windy for this time of year). Quantitative and qualitative information both have their benefits. The former is easier to codify and analyze, while the latter offers survey participants the opportunity to add detail and elaboration to their responses. Open-ended questions allow survey participants to respond to a query in their own words. While this form of question provides increased validity, it also decreases reliability. It is more difficult to measure the strength of responses and to compare responses from different respondents. Closed-ended questions, on the other hand, require respondents to choose from a finite number of options. These questions offer increased reliability but decreased validity. They are easier to code and measure the strength of responses. Finally, Terry and Blair explained some of the common pitfalls of survey designincluding double-barreled questions, nonmutually exclusive categories, and non-exhaustive categoriesas well as some of the cultural and linguistic issues we should consider. At the end of the evening, participants felt they had learned a great deal about building effective surveysas well as dealing with their in-laws. Quantitative information is that which you can define in numbers (for example, the temperature outside is 15), while qualitative Leadership Bursary The Alberta Chapter STCs Executive Council voted to establish a Leadership Bursary at the March Executive Council meeting. This bursary will provide limited funding to allow the incoming Chapter president or one of the elected council to attend leadership training at an STC event. Some of the Chapters past presidents have had the opportunity to attend the STC Leadership conference in previous years and found it a great way to enhance their leadership skills. These leaders were able to pass on some of the information they gained at the conference with the rest of the executive. Council felt this leadership training would benefit the entire Chapter. This bursary would provide an opportunity and the incentive for one of our new leaders to receive this training. SuperScript CALL FOR NOMINATIONS The Alberta Chapter is accepting nominations for next years Executive Council. Nominations for President, Vice President, Treasurer, and Secretary are now being sought. Do you know an STC member who has the stuff to lead our Chapter? Send your nominations to president@stc-alberta.org. Page 3 The Alberta Chapter has been awarded the Region 7 Conference for 2003! Fena Maucieri, Conference Co-ordinator W ith one of the strongest volunteer groups, Alberta Chapter easily convinced DirectorSponsor, Ellen Fenwick, we were ready for the challenge. Now its time to get the wheels in motion! Come to the first meeting where we will... · · · set the conference theme pick tentative dates fill volunteer positions & teams Date: Wednesday, May 8, 2002 Time: 5:30 - 7:00 p.m. Where: Merak Projects Ltd. (600, 322 - 11 Avenue SW - Calgary) For those outside Calgary, please let Fena Maucieri know if you are interested in volunteering by sending an e-mail to conference@stc-alberta.org ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ Background Information STC divides its membership among eight regions, each containing approximately 20 local chapters. Each region elects a directorsponsor to represent its chapters, branches, members-at-large, and other affiliations in that region. Under the leadership of its director-sponsor, an STC region may sponsor competitions, conferences, and seminars. This year, the Region 7 Conference (Shape Shifters), sponsored by Canada West Coast, will be in Vancouver from November 7-9. For more information, see http://www.region7conference.com/. Region 7 includes the following chapters: Alaska, Alberta, Canada West Coast, Inland Northwest (Spokane), Mid-Valley (Corvallis, Oregon), Montana, Oregon Institute of Technology (Student), Puget Sound (Seattle), Republic of China, Rocky Mountain (Denver), Singapore, Snake River (Boise, Idaho), Southern Colorado, Tokyo, University of Washington (ST), Vancouver Island, and Willamette Valley (Portland, Oregon). Join us on June 15, 2002 for this years Annual General Meeting. Alexa Campbell will be our keynote speaker. Full conference information and AGM registration forms will be mailed out later this week. Check your mailbox! Page 4 April 2002 E V E N T S D M O N T O N - Lorraine Gorman, Edmonton Correspondent April Presentation: Basic Indexing Workshop Join Fena Maucieri for a hands-on workshop that examines the fundamentals of indexing technical documentation. Topics include: indexing metrics, types of indexes, and indexing tools and practices. Date: Saturday, April 20, 2002 Time: 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Location: Ottewell Junior High School, Edmonton (9435 - 73 Street) Cost: $50 for members, $25 for student members, and $110 for non-members Includes: coffee/juice and muffins, presentation, hands-on lab, materials, disks, and lunch. Registration: via the STC Albertas Web site. Registration is limited so please book early. Presidents Message Continued from page 2. Treasurer The Treasurer is responsible for proper management of the Chapters finances. Luckily, we have a volunteer for this position already, last years Treasurer, Mai-Ann Sprung. Programs Coordinator Programs are our regular Thursday night events. We always try to have some potential programs ready for the incoming Programs Coordinator. This year is no exception. Its always a comfort to start the new job with some of the work already done for you. Workshops Coordinator Workshops are our occasional Saturday development events. We try to schedule two or three of these in a year, depending on what topics people most want and the availability of instructors. Newsletter Editors In the past few years we have had more than one newsletter editor, sometimes as many as five. This has worked well, ensuring that no one person has to do the entire newsletter each and every month. Once again, we are lucky to have some of last years newsletter team stick around. We are, however, looking to replace some of the editors who have moved on to other things. Other opportunities There are many other opportunities available to help out the Chapter. Refer to the Chapter Web site (www.stc-alberta.org) for SuperScript details. The opportunities are all listed on the Chapter Jobline page. If you have any questions, look at the Chapter Resources page on the Web site, or contact me or any of the current members of the executive council. I hope to see some new faces come forward, and the reappearance of some old faces. Membership News In February, we welcomed the following new members to our Chapter: Caroline Bujak (Calgary) Danielle Gillespie (Calgary) Brad Quiring (Calgary) Congratulations to the following members who recently achieved Senior Member status: Marie Frison Klassen Lucinda Yaworski Darren Tenor Jane Maduke Chris Labute As of February 28, 2002, the Alberta Chapter has 257 members. Page 5 Comic BooksNot Just For Kids! What Technical Communicators can Learn from Comic Books At the April 18 program, Glen Dresser will explain what technical communicators can learn from comic books. Glen will use examples from graphic novels to examine how comic books are essentially nodal in structure and how they have added several different ways of navigating information to our visual vocabulary. Glen presented this program at last years STC Region 7 Conference in Portland, Oregon. Glen Dresser has been working as a technical writer and information designer for 4 years and has studied technical writing at Mount Royal College. This program will be held on Thursday, April 18, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. in the media room of MacDougall Centre. Please arrive by 6:30 p.m. for registration and hospitality purposes. The fee is $5 for STC members, free for STC student members, and $10 for non-members. registration.php, and the deadline to complete and submit it is Monday, April 15. APRIL - Ken Schatzke, Programs Co-ordinator Thursday Night Program Upcoming programs On May 30, attend four programs in one! Jean Bauer, Kathy Gerritsen, Allison Strilchuk, and Darren Tenor will offer their advice and insights into editing for technical communicators. The program will be organized in a progression format, where participants will be divided into four groups and these four groups will cycle through the four presenters in fifteen- to twenty-minute intervals. This format offers participants an opportunity to learn from four presenters in one evening and greater interactivity with each presenter. (Please note the change in date from May 16 to May 30.) Due to security changes at MacDougall Centre, advance registration through the STC Alberta Chapters online form is now mandatory. The form is available at www.stc-alberta.org/ © 2002 Jeremy Schroeder Rand, here are the edits your manager made to your brochure. Page 6 Micro-managed to read: "Beta facilitates the expansion of your revenue-base using its' feature-rich processes." Groan. My beautiful and elegant words, once again butchered into a grammarless mass. And as usual, the fictional "its'" makes an appearance. Ah yes. "Beta increases your company's productivity." Someday, Grammar Boy will triumph over Captain Verbosity, and the world will make sense once again!! April 2002 How to Survive Technical Writing Continued from page 1. she understands some of these lessons and has probably taught me most of them. When you want to give up and tear out your hair, you must have someone with whom you can discuss losing battles. A mentor can understand your decisions and help you make ethical ones. A mentor is the ticket to surviving technical writing. It is also beneficial when you can work on a team with other technical writers who think differently or have skills you do not have. You learn from their approach and can share each others discoveries. If you are open-minded and willing to learn, a great synergy is achieved from being around those with a different opinion. Lesson 3: Dont Offer Rewards for What People are Expected to Do. Has your project manager ever offered you a cookie when you attend a design meeting to ensure you document their developments? They would not think of doing that because they know that is your job. By offering bribes for information, I believe technical writers belittle their efforts and make it difficult for others to understand their purpose. Leave the training up to the Public Relations and Customer Service departments and save rewards for when they are truly justified. Lesson 4: Remember No One Needs To Value What You Do. How many times have you constantly tried to prove your worth? Technical writers are lucky if their documentation is included in the project schedule. We are the last to attend design meetings, and the first to get the brunt of a copy/paste joke. We work with a large assortment of rationally minded and some know-it-all subject matter experts, who protest we have no idea of what they know. Given these circumstances, we are constantly enforcing self-worth. But why should we think that what we do is anymore valuable than what others do? Do engineers force design specifications, requirements or CAD drawings in your face? When was the last time the engineer came running down the hall with the latest draft of new development changes? Do developers expect you to value their coding standards and why they may or may not adhere to them? I obtain value in my efforts through the creation and communication of a project. Having a printed and glossy book helps me to feel that I have completed a project, but my real satisfaction comes from understanding a concept and successfully communicating it to another group of people within a certain time frame, and under business constraints. I do not expect others need to understand this. This is a personal victory. So the next time someone makes another copy/paste joke, enjoy it. Laugh along with them. Why would or should they care about your personal accomplishments? SuperScript Lesson 5: Make Tough Decisions and Follow Through. Learn to Say NO! I have often blamed myself or felt guilty about saying no when a subject matter expert wanted to make last minute changes past the cut-off date. It took me forever to recover from leaving a contract when the client needed me to continue because they changed the deliverable of the project at the last minute. There is the notion that you may burn bridges if you come across as tough, but I think that those who are educated will respect you for your decisions, provided you share them professionally, honestly, and you act on your values. Adhering to this lesson will make you strong enough to weather any storm and come out a winner in any battle. Every morning you look in the mirror. If you like what you see, the decision you make is right for you no matter how hard or difficult it may have been, and certainly no matter how ununderstanding others may be. This is a life lesson I am still learning. Lesson 6: Develop Your Communication Skills. We tend to take this lesson for granted because most technical writers assume they are already very good at communicating. WRONG! The best way to interview and obtain information from a subject matter expert is by getting to know them. You acquire a sense of how they communicate. You understand what makes them tick, their nuances and their habits. You begin to take the first step into breaking barriers down that might hinder you from completing your job and worse, enjoying it. Have fun. Get to know the people you work with, and they will quickly forget you are the technical writer. They might even resist sharing another copy/paste joke. They will call you by name. They will remember to inform you when you need to know something simply because they know you, and they know you need to know. It will become instinctual out of mutual respect and familiarity. Step away from the computer desk or your office to occasionally chat at the water cooler and tell a few jokes. You may be surprised at the information you learn! Lesson 7: Believe In Yourself and Know H.O.W. Some technical writing communities are very small but aggressive. Sometimes you will make tough decisions that are easily communicated in the industry. Those with clout in your marketplace may cause others to undermine their opinions of you, but if you know who you are and what you stand for, you can survive any rumor or character defamation. Know H.O.W. Be Honest. Be Open-Minded. Be Willing to Learn. Do not be afraid of the technical writer with a new certificate who has just picked up the latest technology. Do not compare yourself to the senior technical writer with a combined Masters and PhD in some Science, English, or professional writing stream. Do not compare your skills to the subject matter experts. Whatever others say or do will not affect who you are. Continued on page 8. Page 7 How to Survive Technical Writing Continued from page 7. The experience others may or may not have will not change what you stand for, and what you are capable of accomplishing. struggling to learn, and what others may think you obviously know, you may just be learning! Lesson 8: Arm Yourself with the Tools to Succeed. As a technical writer you are often going into battle every time a product starts, a company restructures, or management changes. You will be constantly learning as well as educating others about documentation and the related processes. The bridges and relationships you build with your project managers and subject matter experts can change as quickly as the sun sets. You must muster courage and realize your convictions to continually believe in what you do so others can help you do it. This means understanding your skills, knowing where you need to improve, and improving. Lesson 10: Celebrate Your Victories. Technical writing is not easy and most days you really just want to give up. This is when you need to take a break. And I mean a three-week vacation instead of one day off after the deliverable is done. Step back, attend a conference, rejuvenate your juices, and rediscover the reasons why you became a technical writer in the first place. Rejoice that a developer who never responds to your e-mail just did so for the very first time. Celebrate that you went out with your Project Manager and communicated on a level that was totally non-work related. Appreciate the fact that your peers value what you do. Take the time to throw a release party even if the documentation went out wrong because of last minute changes. Sometimes survival is simply a matter of perseverance and enjoyment. Good Luck! This means arming yourself with some basic tools. I do not mean the latest word processor, Web development tool, or online help compiler. I mean the methods to create, develop and maintain the tools you will always use. For example a solid standards guide, or editing checklist will ensure you can complete a quality project and that you understand the nature of writing in coordination with the nature of your business. A personal vision or team mission statement will remind you of your goals and motivate your efforts. These tools will change as you move through your career and transition through the scope of each business. But knowing the basics to develop and maintain these personal tools, which you can use in any undesirable circumstance, will give you solid ground from which to work and stand. Lesson 9: Understand There is so Much to Learn. When I first started working as a technical writer, I believed that like any other job, once I got over that learning curve, things would get better and I would be on my way to becoming an expert. WRONG! Experts are usually people who excel in one field. So many technical writers only understand a little piece of what they do. Technology is changing constantly. The tools of today are not and will not be the tools of tomorrow. Standards only last as long as the technical writers who created them. Once the mix changes, so do the standards, products, expectations, goals, and so on. All of these circumstances result in an ever-changing environment that drives the need to continually quest, learn, and discover. What makes great technical writers is their desire to learn and their soft skills, such as communication and organization abilities. If you are inquisitive and continue to explore, you will be guided through difficult times and kept in the forefront of the market. Remember, it is okay if you do not know everything. It is just fine that you are constantly learning. Enjoy it and do not expect others to understand what you know just because you have already learned it. Every technical writer learns things at different times. What you may think is basic, others are Page 8 Nancy Sequeira is a Senior Technical Writer in Calgary, Alberta. With ten years in creative, business and technical writing, she is still learning to become a good writer. Should you have comments or concerns regarding this article, contact her at Nancy_Sequeira@hotmail.com. Of Interest to Technical Writers... Seminars offered by the Editors Association of CanadaPrairie Provinces Branch. Information Architecture and Content Strategy for the Web with Tammis Everts, site editor, ZeD, CBCs experimental convergent Web/TV programming strand. Edmonton April 23 and 24 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Alberta Teachers Association Calgary April 25 and 26 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Mount Royal College By delving beyond the printed page, this two-day workshop will teach editors and writers how to envision an information users world and apply the appropriate principles to make a Web sites content meet user needs. This workshop is ideal for editors, writers, corporate communicators and others who wish to translate their print skills to the new media environment. COURSE FEE: EAC members: $215 + GST Non-members: $325 + GST Student rates also available For more information and to download a registration form, visit www.editors.ca and go to the Prairie Provinces page. April 2002 Mark Your Calendars! Programs Attend programs to discover the ideas and technologies that affect todays technical communicators. Location: Time: Registration: Fee: MacDougall Centre 4556 Street SW, Calgary Third Thursday of the month, 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Please arrive by 6:30 pm for registration. Required. Register by the Monday prior to the program. Registered Members $5.00 Student Members Free Non-members 10.00 Workshops Attend workshops to gain in-depth knowledge and skill through instruction and hands-on activities. Location: Time: Registration: Fee: Mount Royal College (Room E141) 4825 Richard Road SW, Calgary $8.00 parking passes can be purchased from the parking office located by the West Gate. Scheduled Saturdays, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Required. Register at least 10 days prior to the workshop. Registration must be cancelled one week in advance of the workshop or the registrant will be billed for workshop fees. Members Student Members Non-members $50.00 25.00 110.00 April 2002 Tuesday, 9 Calgary Coffee Night What to do Before the Economy Tanks Monday, 15 Executive Meeting Thursday, 18 Program What Technical Communicators can Learn from Comic Books Saturday, 20 Edmonton Workshop Basic Indexing Workshop May 2002 Tuesday, 7 Calgary Coffee Night How Can We Improve the Chapter? Monday, 13 Executive Meeting Thursday, 30 Program Editing Advice for Technical Communicators: A Progression June 2002 Saturday, 15 Annual General Meeting Monday, 17 Executive Meeting Coffee Nights Attend coffee nights to meet with your fellow technical communicators and discuss a monthly topic in a casual setting. Location: Time: Registration: Fee: Annies Books (Literary Salon) 91216 Avenue NW, Calgary Parking is available behind Tim Hortons. Second Tuesday of the month, 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Not required. Free for both members and non-members. Executive Meetings Location: Merak Building 600, 32211 Avenue SW, Calgary Time: Third Monday of the month, 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Building doors are locked after 5:30 p.m. To register... ...for programs and workshops, use our online registration form at www.stc-alberta.org/registration.php. Note: Due to new security policies at MacDougall Centre, advance online registration is now mandatory for Thursday Programs. SuperScript is the official newsletter of the Society for Technical Communication Alberta Chapter and is published 10 times annually, including double issues in July-August, and December-January. Submissions: The Editors invite readers to submit articles, news, reviews, and other items of interest. Articles may be edited for size. Note: By submitting an article, you implicitly grant a license to SuperScript to run the article and for other STC publications to reprint it without permission. Copyright is held by the writer. In your cover letter, please let the editors know if this article has run elsewhere, and if it has been submitted for consideration to other publications. Editors: Helen Schleedoorn Jessie Channey Jean Bauer Lorraine Gorman newsletter@stc-alberta.org SuperScript Reprints: Original articles appearing in SuperScript may be freely reprinted, provided that the author and source are acknowledged, and a copy of the reprint is promptly sent to the Editors. Reprints may not be edited for content, or used for commercial or morally repugnant purposes. Distribution: SuperScript is distributed to members in Alberta and the Northwest Territories, to all Canadian chapters, and Region 7 chapters of STC, and to interested companies and individuals upon request. Circulation is 275. Advertising: SuperScript accepts advertising of interest to our readership, and which furthers professional development. We reserve the right to limit or refuse advertising. Rates: Full page $160.00 Quarter page $50.00 Half page $100.00 Business card $20.00 To place an advertisement: send your cheque, payable in advance, to Society for Technical Communication, Alberta Chapter, Attn: Treasurer, at: STC Alberta Chapter Box 2947, Station M Calgary AB T2P 3C3 Web site: www.stc-alberta.org Page 9
© Copyright 2024