Re: Writer vs Author (was Techwriting after the boom)

["Bonnie Granat" <bgranat -at- editors-writers -dot- info>]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Klasovsky, Nick" <nklasovsky -at- nordson -dot- com>
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>
Sent: June 09, 2003 09:33 AM
Subject: Re: Writer vs Author (was Techwriting after the boom)


>
> >From the American Heritage College Dictionary:
>
> Author: 1.a. The original writer of a literary work. b. One who writes
> professionally. 2. An originator or creator. 3. Author. God. authored,
> authoring, authors: To assume responsibility for the content of (a published
> or an unpublished text.)
>
> Authorship: 1. The act, fact, or occupation of writing. 2. Source or origin,
> as of a book or idea.
>
> Editors are defined as those who edit, or who write editorials.
>
> By these definitions, technical writers are the authors of the documents
> they write. Most of the manuals I have written in the last 22 years I wrote
> from scratch, using nothing but a pile of blueprints and bills of material
> and a lot of hands-on research. If I am not the author of my documents, then
> who is?
>

Perhaps my distinction between technical author and technical writer is wrong.
My strong impression had been that technical authors were SMEs who write, but
perhaps I have only noticed the term being used when reference was being made
to such individuals. In fact, I don't see the term used very often, but my
recollection was that it was used to refer to people who had a public presence
as a technical expert.

___________________________________
Bonnie Granat
Granat Editorial Services
http://www.editors-writers.info




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