Editing Services

[seasoned_geek]

Softmaker needs to set up a forum on here, or perhaps a full business, where editors can hawk their services.

I've written a lot of books over the years. Geek books, and novels. I have endured the pain and indignities of finding editors willing to use something other than MS Word on the various sites.

servicescape.com
editorworld.com

etc.

Every one of those sites was created by a geek that didn't go to college for an IT degree. They set up an intake that is basically focused on MBA's less than 5 page memos and blog posts only accepting MS Word documents.

I don't let anyone open/edit my TextMaker document file with an MS product. MS has a deliberate habit of trashing files that weren't created with their tools. I had to stop using LibreOffice because no two versions of LibreOffice could edit the same file without completely trashing it. The heroic editor who edited my Emacs book had to install the exact same version of Linux Mint I was using so she had the exact same version of LO and it ran like a 3-legged Chihuahua in deep snow on her machine. With all of the images it didn't run so good on my 20-core machine either.

So, if Softmaker wants to really boost the professional image of TextMaker, it needs to spin up some venue where editors willing to use TextMaker who are well versed in the bible (Chicago Manual of Style) can ply their trade to professional writers using TextMaker.

Once I solve my current lack of editor problem y'all can be looking for

Twenty of Two - The Infamous They
Five Nuclear Wars You Can Win


at Barnes & Noble web site.

Might have to wait until August for the editor I wanted to use to free up though.

Just my 0.0002 cents.

[SuperTech]

Thank you for your post. I have forwarded this improvement suggestion…

[Woody44]

As an author and sometimes professional editor, I would certainly like to see this.

For what it's worth, I wrote a book on formatting books for print using FreeOffice Textmaker. (I mention LibreOffice occasionally, too, but the book was written around TextMaker.) I'd love to be able to promote my book, but I don't want to break any rules for the use of this forum and get myself banned.

[SuperTech]

For what it's worth, I wrote a book on formatting books for print using FreeOffice Textmaker. (I mention LibreOffice occasionally, too, but the book was written around TextMaker.) I'd love to be able to promote my book, but I don't want to break any rules for the use of this forum and get myself banned.

As your book is about TextMaker, you can post its link.

[Woody44]

Thank you. I hope it will be of help to someone.

The book is available an Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Self-Publish-You ... 146&sr=1-7

[lgsl]

I don't let anyone open/edit my TextMaker document file with an MS product. MS has a deliberate habit of trashing files that weren't created with their tools. I had to stop using LibreOffice because no two versions of LibreOffice could edit the same file without completely trashing it. The heroic editor who edited my Emacs book had to install the exact same version of Linux Mint I was using so she had the exact same version of LO and it ran like a 3-legged Chihuahua in deep snow on her machine. With all of the images it didn't run so good on my 20-core machine either.

Several factos affect here:
1. The docx format MS keeps using is not a standard. They were supposed to have migrated to the strict docx format (the comboluted ISO standard they created to compete with ODT) about 10 years ago, they never did. They keep using the transitional version that is so convoluted that if you create a docx file that all it contains is a "Hello World" using the same font in their windows, mac, web, android and iOS versions, you will get 5 different file sizes with variations on its internal structure. It can get worse when you mix different versions of MS Office. In short: Not even MS own office suite is 100% compatible between OS versions.
2. Files that are edited by different people usually gets messy. The reason is, most people, do not understand the concept of paragraph and character styles and end up doing styling manually. An awful practice that tends to screw up files badly and you end up reformatting text often.
3. You should ALWAYS keep at least two versions of the file: One you share, another one you work on. It's the only way you will keep a version of the document clean and reduces the changes of corruption. Same goes for any other thing you work on.
4. LibreOffice compatibility with MS Office is okeyish, SoftMaker beats it on that regard. Where LO excels is when it comes to ODT, witch is a true ISO standard format. SMO's support of the ODT is mediocre at best, and it is puzzling since is the mandatory office document format in the EU. I know, because I have reported, over the years, lots of problems with their implementation of ODT on TextMaker

So, if Softmaker wants to really boost the professional image of TextMaker, it needs to spin up some venue where editors willing to use TextMaker who are well versed in the bible (Chicago Manual of Style) can ply their trade to professional writers using TextMaker.

If so, they would aso have to accommodate other paper formats as APA and so on and, in short, it would become nightmare. To be honest, most of those citing mechanisms like Chicago and APA should be an afterthought. They are silly and often contradictory and ever changing.

Your idea of "editors willing to use TextMaker", i's not a solution, the solution is to move to a document format that is an ISO standard, like ODT.