Re: PageMaker? what to do.

Subject: Re: PageMaker? what to do.
From: "David S. Broudy" <broudy -at- BCF -dot- USC -dot- EDU>
Date: Wed, 1 Nov 1995 22:41:21 -0800

From: John Posada <jposada -at- NOTES -dot- CC -dot- BELLCORE -dot- COM>

[I wrote:]
> -----------------------------
>>Lately most of my writing work has just been banging the text into a WP
>>program; what the client does with that after I'm done is their business.
>-------------------------------

>No..it's your business. If the output ends up looking like crap because of
>using some lame converter, then it makes your input look like crap. And that
>you should care about.

Well, no. 95% of what I write ends up being converted to HTML or online
help, usually by someone else. All I do is set up the styles so it'll be a
little easier for them. Again, once it leaves me and I've been paid, I
don't care what they do with it because they now own it. Of course I make
sure it's intact before I hand it over.

>-------------------------------
>>If they do want it all laid out nice n pretty, that's a separate activity
>>distinct from writing and I charge accordingly. Creating a manual or any
>-------------------------------

>What else is separate and distinct from writing....spell checks?....periods at
>the end of each sentence?....

Please tell me how design and layout are just like writing.

Having done both for a number of years, I can safely say the two activities
are vastly different. Maybe some people include design in their bids; I
don't unless the client asks for it or replies "yes" when I ask if they'd
like it laid out and ready to print. Even if they don't, it's not like I
hand over a plain ASCII file...

>It's all writing...until the job is finished, looks exactly like you wanted it
>to look and the check has cleared.

*scream* no it isn't all writing! Do you have any idea how irritating it is
to me and many other designers when someone with no design skill whatsoever
all of a sudden gets his or her mitts on a copy of Quark and voila, is an
instant designer? Not only does it cheapen my skills, it also results in
some pretty crappy-looking documents.

If the client wants me to design the document after I've written it, fine.
Otherwise I don't spend much time making it pretty since they'll probably
either convert it to HTML or give it to their internal designer.

You think you're a little crispy around the edges? I haven't even had my
coffee yet.

* http://www-bcf.usc.edu/~broudy/ *
* freelance web geek n tech writer *
* "But cha are, Blanche, ya are!" --Baby Jane *


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