take the guesswork out of preparing a finished manuscript for layout and improve ease of reading and review. In their essentials, though, manuscripts for print media such as the G e rd a to n sales aid look very much the same as they did 20 or 30 years ago. Manuscripts for Web sites, personalized direct mail, and computer tablet- based detailing require a totally different approach with a new vocabulary, such as wire frames, content maps, subject lines, and link-out buttons. 5. Editing the Manuscript The copywriter now has finished his task. The first draft of this manuscript has been researched and written, and it's now ready for editing, the one agency activity that's changed least as a result of the computer age. Of course, the computer has streamlined some editing functions, but since this is the final phase of preparation before our sales aid will be printed, it is our last chance to avoid costly errors. Fact checking has become more efficient, as derivative copy can easily be checked against the originals using electronic files and PDFs of older pieces. Editors also can sit with an art director and spell check a piece on-screen—one aspect of quality control that simply did not exist before computers. However, the basic work of the editor—going line by line and marking up a printout to inform the writer and supervisors of alterations—has not changed. Editors may feel the pinch of time pressure along with everyone else, but editing has not magically become quicker. 6. Laying Out the Manuscript Our G e rd a to n art director (AD) no longer receives a paper printout or typed pages to go through the arduous task of measuring rules or setting type. Now that the manuscript is complete, a copy that looks almost like a
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