ESTON Training introduces a new course, Editing and Publishing Magazines!

ESTON Training has developed a new course, titled: Editing and Publishing Trade Association-type Magazines. This brand new and unique course, ESTON Ref: EDL4, teaches students how to edit and publish full colour, glossy magazines.

An example “trade association” magazine named, The Storage Trumpet, has been created especially for the EDL4 training course. However, any similarities between The Storage Trumpet magazine and any other trade association magazine is purely co-incidental.

The Storage Trumpet is two magazines in one; when you pick up the magazine one way the front cover states that it is the 40^th edition of the UK Storage Companies Association (UKSCA) magazine. However, when you turn the magazine over, the front cover states that it is the 5^th edition of the Federation of European Storage Company Associations (FESCA) magazine.

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How to become a Technical Writer

There is no short-cut that we know of to become a successful technical or commercial writer. The tried and tested method is to undertake an appropriate training course, specifically designed by industry professionals, such as ESTON’s EDL2D distance learning training course. The ESTON Training Technical/Commercial Authorship Diploma training course (Ref: EDL2D) comprises fourteen training packs that build into the most comprehensive study programme of its kind available today. Subjects covered include skills such as note making and note taking, report writing, copy writing, writing abstracts, synopses, specifications and technical descriptions, writing safety procedures and drills, technical and commercial manuals and guides, which are of considerable practical value to all in industry and commerce.

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Technical Writer Job Description Explained

As a technical writer or author, you may be expected to establish contractual commitments, prepare synopses, and estimate project times and costs. You may also need to determine a programme of cost and production control, design and plan the publication, instruct illustrators, graphic designers and printers, and write the information so that the reader can understand it and assimilate it easily.

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What is a Technical Author?

Technical and commercial writers (aka technical and commercial authors) use their technical skills and knowledge, or commercial experience, to prepare or amend documents that can be easily understood by users of products and services. Usually, writers or authors work for publications agencies, private companies, the armed services, Government departments (including local authorities) or manufacturers of complex equipment (such as computer systems, electric trains, commercial aircraft or nuclear submarines). The types of documents prepared or amended by the typical technical writer include:

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ESTON Launches its New Website

With invaluable, technical assistance from 11outof10 ESTON Training has successfully created and launched its new CMS-based website. At the start of 2014, ESTON decided to enhance its content strategy for the web, to focus on the creation of appropriate and relevant content on an easy-to-navigate, responsive and flexible web platform.

Hats off to the 11outof10 guys, they have pulled out all the stops and ESTON’s new website is a testimonial to their design flair and technical excellence. Onwards and upwards!

A Great Time to Change Careers

“There has never been a better time for training to become a well-paid Technical, Commercial or Software Author”, said Stan McKerron, ESTON Training’s Head Tutor. Since the training company started back in the early 1980s, there have been several recessions. However, during these previous down-turns in the economy, there has always been a call for well-trained technical, commercial and software authors.
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ESTON Course Material Accredited by ISTC

ESTON’s Technical/Commercial Authorship (Ref: EDL2D) and Software Authorship (Ref: EDL3/2) Training course material is accredited by the Institute of Scientific and Technical Communicators (ISTC). The EDL2D course fully covers the former C&G now ISTC syllabus for Technical Writing & Communicating and Technical Authorship and has also been designated a “follow-on” course for those who have already passed Part 1 of the ISTC qualification. A discount is offered to ISTC members.

ESTON Training’s Courses are ELC Approved

ESTON Training has achieved Approved Learning Provider status in the MOD’s Enhanced Learning Credit (ELC) Scheme for its Technical/Commercial Authorship (Ref: EDL2D) and Software Authorship (Ref: EDL3/2) training courses. ESTON’s ELC Approved Learning Provider Reference No. is 1605.

Free USB Drives with every EDL2D course

While stocks last, ESTON Training is giving away a free USB Drive with every EDL2D course purchased. The portable flash drives, which are screen printed with ESTON Training’s logo, are very useful for moving information between computers (for example, between a laptop and a main computer).

Those who enrol on an ESTON Training EDL2D course are already provided with a USB Drive (because ESTON’s training courses are delivered on USB Drives) so, while stocks last, two USB Drives will be provided with each course purchased.

It is hoped that the free, additional USB Drives will be available for the whole of 2014.

New course coming soon – Editing and Publishing Magazines!

ESTON training is in the process of developing a new course, titled: Editing and Publishing Trade-type Magazines. It is hoped that by the late summer of 2014, ESTON Training will have launched the new course that teaches students how to edit and publish trade-type, full colour, glossy magazines.

The new distance learning training course (Ref: EDL4) will cover: the preparation of the advertising pack, the process of renewing the advertising rolling contracts, managing the magazine’s text and image files, editing news items and articles, the preparation of the draft page layouts using MS Word templates, the typesetting process and the final edit, the printing and distribution processes and the preparation of the advertising invoicing schedule.

More information to follow…