Can Editors Contact Us Before Editing Technical Articles?

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   eugbugposted 2 years ago

   I just spent half an hour reverting changes because the editor didn't understand the context of usage of technical terms. Maybe when recruiting editors, some should be chosen with a scientific/engineering background?

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      Miebakagh57posted 2 years agoin reply to this

      Yes, that apart from the proper usage of English.                              And due to the wide variant of writing topics avalable at HubPages, an editor should had a minimum expertise in the topical subject. Emphantically, these technical editors should also had a certificate in the use of English.

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      1. 88

         MizBejabbersposted 2 years agoin reply to this

         Now you're talkin'. At first I thought these editors had degrees in computer science and not English or some field of communications. What I don't understand is why they are using the APA stylebook instead of sticking with good ole Chicago. Chicago is NOT outdated. Every style manual I've ever used in my 33 years as a professional editor based their style on The Chicago Manual of Style because it updates the manual every so often. The APA Stylebook was developed as an academic style manual and does base its style on Chicago. So let's cut the middleman and get back to serious business.
         I'm not knocking the APA, I'm just saying that I don't think it is appropriate for newspaper, magazine, or book styling. I've used it for academic editing and I think that it does an excellent job of laying out style for academic writing. How many of you need to do a formal footnote in an article, anyway?
         Also, many of us get dinged for not using APA style in the heads, but when they convert to APA style for you, they don't strictly stick with it as far as capitalization goes.

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         1. 70

            Miebakagh57posted 2 years agoin reply to this

            Miz, forgive me. I'm not an editor, nor a journalism.                                 I'm just a plan freelancing enthusiast. When I start out at HubPages, I took on with the APA which I'm honestly at home with.                                               What style manual Hubpages use 5 or 6 years ago, that I can't remember. The Chiacago could be intererting if hubpages could likely implement it. Plain common sense.

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   2. 95

      OldRosesposted 2 years agoin reply to this

      That has happened to me more than once because the editors know nothing about gardening.  I emailed them and asked them to contact me first before changing anything in my articles.

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   3. STAFF

      HubPagesposted 2 years agoin reply to this

      Hi eugbug,
      
      When you have a moment, please reach out to us at team@hubpages.com with a link to the article. I'd be happy to follow up with you/your editor. In addition, we collaborate depending on the type of edit. I'll look into it!
      
      Tessa

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         Miebakagh57posted 2 years agoin reply to this

         Very enlightening. Thanks for the response.

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      2. 96

         eugbugposted 2 years agoin reply to this

         Hi Tessa, I already did that last week, but I replied to the "notification of edit" email we get and I notice that never specifies which article was edited, so the team may not have known which article I was referring to. I have just sent an email indicating which items were changed. It took me about half an hour to revert edits, but if this was a math article with lots of equations, it would be a lot more work to revert any changes.

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            Miebakagh57posted 2 years agoin reply to this

            It could be interesthing to hear the result.

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2. 96

   PaulGoodman67posted 2 years ago

   That sounds annoying. I've had similar stuff happen but not for a long time. HP did talk about bringing in "experts" a few years back, but it seems unlikely that they could bring in anywhere near enough experts to cover every topic in the necessary depth. An "expert" who only partially knows a topic is a potential liability, which is often when the problems occur, I suspect.

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