RE: Drafts Debate
For some reviewers, the visual appearance of a document seems
to have a big impact on the way they read it. It seems to be
a law of nature that if the fonts are pretty, people think the
document must be nearly done. I've been known to apply an "ugly
courier" style sheet to help communicate that this is a
ROUGH draft.
I've been known to use a 'distressed' font for text (P22Typewriter, 1942 Report or Uglyface) for drafts. They look like broken, mis-aligned and just plain dirty typewriter keys---NOBODY could mistake those for final copy!
Other reviewers seem to be put at ease if there's a "to-do" list
attached to the draft. That removes any doubt that the writer
KNOWS about the flaws. Most reviewers, however, breeze right
past such lists.
Most of my drafts have an Issues list right the cover and the TOC. It stays until all issues are resolved.
Then there are the reviewers who pull apart the pages of a draft,
then accidentally shuffle in a few pages from older drafts or even
other manuals. (Is this a pretty routine issue for y'all?) So each
page of my drafts gets a big red "Title - DRAFT - <date>" watermark.
<nod, nod> I do that, too.
Mine usually reads "Title / DRAFT # / <current date>+ <current time>",
since I've had clients (and managers) who returned drafts a page or
two at a time and insisted on immediate updates with complete printouts
delivered to their office ASAP---I call it the Revolving Door Syndrome.
Things can get very confused.
Kat Nagel
--
Kat Nagel
Owner, MasterWork Consulting Services
Phone: (585) 820-4045 Fax: (585) 244-3565
Business: katnagel -at- masterworkconsulting -dot- com
Personal: katnagel -at- bluefrognet -dot- net
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References:
RE: Drafts Debate: From: Paul Goble
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