Production Editor

Pat Christenson

Position: Production Editor/Desktop Publisher

SUMMARY

Pat Christenson is a Senior Production Editor/Desktop Publishing with over 20 years’ experience. She is an expert template developer and document converter, as well as a technical trainer. In addition to serving as a consultant to many of Silicon Valley’s top companies, she has also been a production manager, editor, and compositor in commercial publishing.

She is the former owner of a document production service bureau and training center that served companies in the fields of software, hardware, finance, project management, and energy.

As a production editor/desktop publisher, she has consistently delivered press- and web-ready files, formatted according to company and industry standards, on time and within budget. She prides herself on learning new software quickly and thoroughly, then developing and documenting time- and money-saving processes.

She has a proven history of successfully working with cross-functional teams, analyzing client needs, estimating and scheduling projects, and providing outstanding customer service. She is the author of numerous user, conversion, and training guides. Materials she has written have been consistently praised for clarity and ease of use. Her book designs are clean and functional and her design of Getting Started with Mac OS (Apple’s first four-color book in 20 years) won an Apple Impact Award and was recognized by the International Society for Technical Communication.

SOFTWARE AND OTHER SKILLS

Expert: FrameMaker, Acrobat, Word, document production processes

Superior: HTML/XML/CSS, Excel, SnagIt

Experienced: Photoshop, Illustrator, SnagIt, InDesign, WebWorks, PowerPoint

Copy editing

Technical writing

Experience on Windows, Macintosh, and UNIX platforms

Outstanding presentation skills

EXPERIENCE

FREELANCE PRODUCTION EDITOR (dba Folio 2)

2004 to present

Clients: VMware, National Semiconductor (Oak Hill), Federal Express (Tech Prose), Advent, Peachpit Press, Apress, Ultratech

• Sole responsibility for rebranding and converting documentation from acquired companies. (VMware)

• Sole responsibility for checking accuracy and formatting during beta testing of FrameMaker to XMetal. Reported findings via detailed bug reports in SharePoint. (VMware)

• Developed scripts to automate repetitive processes. (VMware)

• Reworked Microsoft Word templates, eliminating problems with graphic placement. (Oak Hill)

• Developed language-specific FrameMaker templates that sped and simplified the localization process. (VMware)

• Reduced time required for template upgrades by developing custom document conversion tools and researching, testing, implementing, and documenting processes using software

plug-ins. (VMware, Advent)

• Provided expertise in FrameMaker, Acrobat, Word, and publishing processes. (VMware, Advent, Peachpit Press, Apress, Ultratech)

• Researched, tested, and documented internal processes for writers, editors, and production staff. (VMware, Advent)

• Planned and managed production for 1-, 2-, and 4-color books in the Apple Pro Training, Apple Training and Visual Quick Start series. Ensured quality of content and accuracy of deadlines by coordinating with editors, authors, illustrators, indexers, technical reviewers, compositors, and print vendors. (Peachpit Press, Apress)

Apple Computer, Worldwide Customer Training, 2001-2004

Print Production Manager

Managed production of training materials delivered to a diverse customer base of end users, system administrators, and application developers. Supervised two production editors while coordinating with artists, editors, curriculum managers, instructor mentors, course developers, product and project managers, and print vendors.

• Increased annual production from 6 manuals (1 per course) to 40+ for 14 courses. Contributed to this volume increase with improved workflow and more sophisticated use of existing tools.

• Increased output, quality, and efficiency by developing and documenting flexible, repeatable processes that were kept current on the department Wiki.

• Reduced lag time between product announcement and courseware readiness from 3–5 months to 4 weeks. Accomplished through templates and processes that accommodated multi-purposing of content, input from multiple authors, and increased process integration within the team.

• Reduced production editing time by 15% by moving some deliverables into preproduction and identifying tasks that can be done in parallel.

• Reduced writing and editing time by implementing conditional text, boilerplate text, and automatic updates to standard material.

• Authored writer and production guides. Updated them at each template upgrade, enabling formatting consistency among the writers and reducing the workload of the production team.

• Managed the transition to digital print-on-demand, significantly reduced printing cost. Time to first article inspection was reduced by 70%. Warehousing and onsite press checks were eliminated. WWCT was the first group at Apple to use digital technology for book publishing.

• Further reduced printing cost by performing preflight processes in-house.

• Eliminated the occurrence of PostScript/PDF errors at the press by researching and modifying PDF-generation processes and manipulating PDF files prior to vendor handoff.

• Increased student satisfaction and instructor effectiveness with the introduction of instructor materials and a book design that better supported the learning experience.

• Developed and delivered half-day training sessions, targeting the skills needed by course developers to use the templates efficiently.

• Developed production, preflight, and printer handoff processes that were also adopted by the AppleCare team.

• Set standards for quality and consistency by authoring production guides, and co-authoring WWCT Editorial Quick Reference Guide.

• Developed layout and printing standards for outside vendors and reviewed the products to ensure quality and consistency.

• Received an Apple Impact award for the design and production of the company’s first four-color book in over 20 years. The book was also recognized by the Society for Technical Communication in regional and international competition.

• Received an Apple Impact award for contributions to technical training course development.

PACHRISTENSON CONSULTING, INC., 1987-2001

Founder and Principal

Founded and managed a document production and consulting company serving the corporate and technical publishing communities. Clients included Apple, Applied Materials, Center for Project Management, CCI, Cisco, First Boston, and Chevron. Services included needs analysis, book design, template and process development, training development and delivery, conversion of legacy documentation from a variety of source files, and customization of HTML conversion utilities. Managed client and vendor relationships, wrote contracts, hired and supervised permanent and contract employees, and managed time-critical, high-volume projects.

• Managed the conversion of 20,000+ pages from Word to FrameMaker on an aggressive schedule. Project required recruiting and hiring contractors, developing FrameMaker templates, managing production, quality-checking final files, and coordinating activities on both coasts.

• Developed and documented integrated FrameMaker/Webworks templates for in-product help systems.

• Designed and developed all course materials (student and instructor manuals, job aids, reference materials, course/instructor evaluations, and student certificates) for leader-led classes in FrameMaker (Basic, Advanced, and Building Templates), Acrobat, HTML, and Interleaf (Basic and Advanced).

• Developed a self-paced tutorial for FrameMaker tables.

• Developed a custom training manual for Frame Technologies, targeting users transitioning from Interleaf. Led the presentation at a national sales meeting.

• Made innovative use of existing features to develop shortcuts and produce results that engineers at Interleaf and Adobe said “couldn’t be done.”

• Selected as a beta tester for Adobe’s expert and training certification program and was one of the first Adobe Certified Experts/Trainers.

• Self-taught to an expert level on new technologies for 25 years.

• One of the first expert users of Interleaf, an extremely powerful and complex program that had almost no documentation.

• Delivered project management training at Intel sites throughout the United States. Credited with a significant increase in the number of students electing to continue to advanced courses.

EDUCATION

B.A., Speech and Theatre Arts Education, Hillsdale College, Hillsdale, Michigan

Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, Michigan

• Graduate fellowship

• One year’s graduate work in acting

CERTIFICATIONS

Adobe Certified Expert

Adobe Certified Training Provider

Certified Technical Trainer, Chauncey International

AWARDS

Apple Impact award, March 2002, for contributions to technical training course development

Getting Started with Mac OS X, book design and production

• Apple Impact award, November 2002

• Distinguished Technical Communication Award 2002–2003, Society for Technical Communication, Silicon Valley chapter

• International finalist, Excellence in Communication through Printed Media 2002–2003, International Society for Technical Communication

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