TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
Subject:Re: The cost of producing printed documentation From:Ward Rosenberry <wardr -at- world -dot- std -dot- com> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Mon, 4 Dec 2000 16:16:29 -0500 (EST)
Here's one data point - I recall the following doc costs in the 1982/3
timeframe:
The cost for a "major company" (IBM, DEC, etc) to produce finished,
printed technical documentation was between $300.00 and $400.00 per
page.
This price tag included:
- a writer's time for developing content
- engineering time for providing source material and reviewing
- an illustrator's time for rendering artwork
- an editor's time for copy editing and managing a document through
production
- production time - typesetting / galley proofing / salts (remember
those?) / stats of illustrations, etc.
- printing charges - printing, collating, binding, etc.
While some of these costs have gone away or been minimized/reduced by
newer cheaper technologies, some costs have gone up (direct labor
costs for writers, editors, engineers, etc).
With inflation, the per/page cost might be a wash if not for other
cost cutting (corner cutting) measures - like faster time to market =
less development time = get it out the door in mid-sentence with one
fast copy edit because there's another doc right on its heels.
- Ward
Ward Rosenberry
-------------------------------------------------------------
Rosenberry Associates Inc. "The Information Design Company"
30 Newfield Street EMAIL: wardr -at- world -dot- std -dot- com
No. Chelmsford, MA, 01863 TEL and FAX: 978 251-7908
-------------------------------------------------------------
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Develop HTML-based Help with Macromedia Dreamweaver! (STC Discount.)
**NEW DATE/LOCATION!** January 16-17, 2001, New York, NY. http://www.weisner.com/training/dreamweaver_help.htm or 800-646-9989.
Take XML and Tech Writing courses online! Our instructor-led courses
(4-6 hrs/wk) give you "hands on" experience at your convenience. STC members
get 20% off! http://www.online-learning.com/index.html.
---
You are currently subscribed to techwr-l as: archive -at- raycomm -dot- com
To unsubscribe send a blank email to leave-techwr-l-obscured -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com
Send administrative questions to ejray -at- raycomm -dot- com -dot- Visit http://www.raycomm.com/techwhirl/ for more resources and info.
