XML Press

Interview with Kit Brown-Hoekstra, author of The Language of Localization

By Richard Hamilton, on November 16th, 2017

STC’s notebook has just published an interview with Kit Brown-Hoekstra, editor of the new book, The Language of Localization, The latest book in The Content Wrangler Content Strategy Book Series.

In the interview, Kit describes the making of the book and some of the challenges and rewards of creating a book that compiles contributions from 52 different people.

The Language of Localization is available from print and eBook retailers worldwide and, in eBook form, from the XML Press eBook store.

XML Press eBook Store

By Richard Hamilton, on October 31st, 2017

The XML Press eBook Store is now open for business. You can purchase XML Press eBooks directly from us as a three-format bundle (PDF, ePub, and Kindle (.mobi)).

Once you’ve purchased a book, you can immediately download it to your computer or device and start reading.

The Language of Localization

By Richard Hamilton, on October 27th, 2017

Cover of The Language of Localization

The Language of Localization, the latest book in The Content Wrangler Content Strategy Book Series, will be released on November 1, 2017, and available through print and ebook retailers worldwide.

The Language of Localization defines 52 terms that every business professional should know, even professionals who do not specialize in localization. In a global market, every business person needs to understand the importance of localization and be able to speak intelligently with localization professionals.

Each term was authored by an expert practitioner who provided a short definition, a statement of why that term is important, and an essay that explains why a business professional should understand the term.

The Language of Localization covers everything from basic terms, such as translation, to the latest concepts, such as augmented translation and machine translation. In addition there are short definitions of 70 business, linguistics, and standards terms. For those who want to dig deeper, there are more than 150 references for further exploration.

About the Editor

Katherine (Kit) Brown-Hoekstra is a Fellow of the Society for Technical Communication (STC), former STC Society President, and a member of the Colorado State University Media Hall of Fame. She is an experienced consultant with over 25 years of experience in technical communication and localization.

As Principal of Comgenesis, LLC, Kit provides consulting and training to her clients on a variety of topics, including localization, content strategy, and content management. She speaks at conferences worldwide and publishes regularly in industry magazines. Her blog is www.pangaeapapers.com.

XML Press on Safari

By Richard Hamilton, on July 21st, 2017

No, not a literal safari, O’Reilly Safari.

Up until this month, XML Press ebooks were available from O’Reilly Media in two forms: in a three-format DRM-free bundle (PDF, ePub, and Kindle) and on Safari, which is a subscription service.

O’Reilly has changed their business model, and they no longer offer the three-format bundle for any of the ebooks they distribute, including XML Press books. They will continue to support customers who have previously purchased ebooks from them, and they will still distribute updates.

The immediate impact for XML Press customers is that, for the moment, there is no way to purchase a three-format DRM-free bundle. I am looking for the best way to restore that option, which I know is still the preferred option for many customers.

Stay tuned for details.

Review of Webinar School

By Richard Hamilton, on June 26th, 2017

Cover of Webinar School, linked to Amazon.com

The Instructional Design and Learning Special Interest Group (IDL SIG) of the Society for Technical Communication (STC) has just published a review of Bette Frick’s latest book, Webinar School: Planning, producing, and presenting your training webinar.

From the review, written by Jamye Sagan:

“Whether one has been producing webinars for years or just got thrust into the role, Frick’s book will serve as a valuable resource with its generous heaps of advice and detailed preparation checklists that help the webinar take flight.”

“Frick provides two detailed planning and execution checklists—one for webinar trainers and one for webinar teams…. The checklists alone are worth the price of the book.”

You can read the complete review here.

TC World review of The Language of Technical Communication

By Richard Hamilton, on June 18th, 2017

TC World e-magazine has published a review of The Language of Technical Communication. According to reviewer Natalia Lincoln:

“The Language of Technical Communication will greatly benefit students and others interested in, or lateral entrants to, a career in technical communication; management staff who would like to understand the procedures, concepts, and potential inherent in […]

CMS/DITA North America Conference

By Richard Hamilton, on March 21st, 2017

Join the Center for Information-Development Management for the 19th annual Content Management Strategies/DITA North America Conference in San Diego, California on April 24-26 2017. Engage with a community of people who believe that international standards, structured content, reuse capabilities, and multiple media delivery are the directions of the future.

Meet publications professionals who have implemented […]

HTML to MadCap Flare

By Richard Hamilton, on March 20th, 2017

Are you trying to import content into MadCap Flare? Are you looking for help in preparing HTML, DocBook, and other content so that it can be easily imported into Flare? Peter Lavin’s new book, HTML to MadCap Flare: A guide to automating content migration and maintenance, shows you how to cleanly import content using automated […]

Confluence, Tech Comm, Chocolate Ebook now available for free

By Richard Hamilton, on February 28th, 2017

In response to popular demand, the ebook version of Confluence, Tech Comm, Chocolate is now available as a free download.

A few years ago, we took this book out of print because it was no longer up to date with the latest versions of Confluence. However, the book still contains valuable information about working with […]

Webinar School now available in print and ebook form

By Richard Hamilton, on February 22nd, 2017

Bette Frick’s new book, Webinar School: Planning, producing, and presenting your training webinar, is now available in print and ebook form from online retailers worldwide.

Webinar School presents Bette’s practical tips for offering flawless webinars, keeping participants engaged, and having as much fun as the learners do. Based on her wide-ranging experience teaching both in-person […]

“This book offers the most thorough overview of advanced Flare development available to date.”
– Anthony Olivier, CEO of MadCap Software, From the Foreword