Technical Editor

Reporting to - Head of Publishing Operations

About Packt

Packt's mission is to help the world put software to work in new ways, through the delivery of effective learning and information services to IT professionals. We are a technical publisher and learning provider with over 400 staff based across the globe, primarily in India and the UK. Our products have global relevance, and our multimedia portfolio includes over 7,000 books, e-books, audio books, and video courses.

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Role Overview

As a technical editor, you will work in partnership with content creators and editors to create high-quality products on time, according to the publishing plan. You own the product's technical accuracy, working with the content creator and other internal stakeholders from the delivery of the first draft of the content to publication. The TE is an editorial quality-control role. The goal of editorial is to raise the revenue performance of every product by understanding content creator and user needs and the market we're publishing into.

The role is ideal for methodical thinkers who can carry out efficient and purposeful code testing, using excellent technical skills. You will adopt an advisory role with content creators, using firm and diplomatic communication to help them understand the technical concerns that you have. This will lead to accurate technical content that allows readers to easily learn about new technologies and develop new skills.

The TE will, in addition to the above, work on different product types to ensure they all meet the standards expected by our customers. These product types may be derived products, such as an audiobook or course based on a book. They may be new products created through market and user research.

This demands a strong focus on quality from TEs: you will understand the level of quality our customers expect and own this on your products. To do this you will have to seek customer feedback throughout the editorial process and apply this during your testing. It is vital you keep track of new tech releases and user trends.

What You Will Do

Technical:

Ensure technical accuracy of the content: test all code in the product, as well as all code in the code bundle, ensuring they match
Follow along with all examples and steps in the product
Address any other technical concerns you find in the book (technical facts, references, screenshots, architecture, approach, and so on)
Ensure code indentation is accurate and that the code remains consistent throughout the content
Verify content coverage thoroughly to ensure technical accuracy
Perform quality checks on code-related Amazon reviews, errata, and Git Hub issues
Manage book repositories on Git Hub and resolve any reader queries alongside the customer care team
Support the team to improve code repositories and code-testing systems
Research technology innovations to deepen your tech. knowledge in your vertical's topic area
Connect to users and research to deepen your knowledge of users in your vertical's topic area
Keep up with market changes that could impact the delivery or success of a product, for example, tech. version updates and competing titles

Editorial:

Function as a reader advocate for your book from a technical point of view
Query the author if any part of the code isn't clear
Provide a technical health check for the portfolio director to facilitate accurate planning and time allocation
Carry out user research and market analysis to elevate your work
Work with technical reviewers to ensure technical accuracy of the content and code. Use this to build up an understanding of the book and its audience
Own the technical quality of a product: sign off the technical aspects of a product for production; advise on whether a product is suitable for cancellation
Navigate the optimum balance of quality and timeliness in dialog with the rest of the product team
Apply the Packt styles to the content and ensure the formatting follows the Packt style sheet

Author/Expert management:

Provide detailed and constructive feedback to content creators using the appropriate tone to suggest the necessary actions that will ensure that the technical…