Too Many Styles!

So you're looking at a WriteRAP project and all those ETM styles. And you're wondering how you can get your author to see this new tools as a benefit.

Here are some strategies to consider for protecting your author from the abundance of styles that are a necessary part of ETM.

Request a trimmed-down style list. Styles can exist in a WriteRAP document without being seen by the author. What styles does the author really need? Probably body copy, and a few lists. Maybe feature material and captions. They probably don't need every iteration of text that can appear in a feature box - the copyeditor or markup person will go in and apply the full style set.

Use boilerplates. An author almost doesn't have to think about styles at all if they can place pre-formatted copy and just type over what's there.

How about those hot keys? You can request hot keys in WriteRAP - alt-P for body (paragraph) text, for example, or shift-alt-N for numbered lists. If there is a lot of repeat styling you want your author to do, consider asking for hot keys.

And don't forget about the stylemarked document! The sampler should be a good guide to anyone working in the project. You don't have to know what EXM_NL means to apply the style, if you have the sampler in front of you.