RE: Issues with distribution of technical documents

["Mike Starr" <writstar -at- wi -dot- net>]

A couple things come to mind with respect to this issue. One thing I've
advocated for ages is a two-fold pricing model. Product with printed
documentation, product without printed documentation. Let the customer make
the decision. Having said that, I think we should also ask what percentage
of the price our customers pay for our products would full printed
documentation be if it were automatically shipped with the product. 

As an example one company I worked for sold a software package at about
$1000 per seat. I created a 650-page manual for the product and the unit
cost in lots of 10,000 manuals was about $6.50. So the printed manual was
about six-tenths of one percent of the selling price of the product. Now,
of course the corporate bean-counters can get testy about a $65,000
printing bill but they don't necessarily see the incoming revenue stream of
$10,000,000. 

At the time, my manager bought a clipart collection for $50 that included a
500-page book with every clipart image printed. Assuming costs and purchase
quantities to be proportionate (for the sake of argument), those books
probably cost about $5.00 each... a full 10% of the retail price of the
package. Is that too much?? Not to my way of thinking.

Another idea that I think will be a big thing in coming years is book
printing on demand. Cost per unit may be somewhat higher but that cost is
offset by the cost savings inherent in not having to print hundreds of
books and stack them up on shelves in the company stockroom. Being able to
have one manual printed on demand and drop-shipped to the customer will
solve a lot of problems.

Mike

---
Mike Starr                            WriteStarr Information Services
Technical Writer  -  Online Help Developer  -   Technical Illustrator
Graphic Designer    -    Desktop Publisher   -       MS Office Expert
Office:  (262) 697-6333 - Pager: (414) 318-9509 - Fax: (262) 697-6334
Home (262) 694-1028 - mike -at- writestarr -dot- com - http://www.writestarr.com





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