RE: Neophyte - impostor looking for advice on contract tech-doc job

Subject: RE: Neophyte - impostor looking for advice on contract tech-doc job
From: "Bonnie Granat" <bgranat -at- granatedit -dot- com>
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>
Date: Fri, 1 Oct 2004 14:21:02 -0400


Four screens are going to require 150 pages?

The answer to your question is that Word can handle that just fine.



-----Original Message-----
From: bounce-techwr-l-137490 -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
[mailto:bounce-techwr-l-137490 -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On Behalf Of
zorgalina -at- springmail -dot- com

hello - I am an erstwhile programmer- I went back to school, obtained an MA,
am looking for work as a developer but also sought tech writing work.
I didn't misrepresent myself, insofar as I've written documentation for my
own software and others, in companies that didn't or couldn't afford
professional tech writers, but am aware that I am not a professional.
I was offered a contract job documenting a fairly simple app (probably no
more than 4 screens, in terms of the UI)- I'd do system and user
documentation. I estimate at this point the total document would be less
than 150 pages, and am hoping to use MS Word 2000, since Framemaker is very
expensive (and worth it, to those who use it every day). I haven't got all
the details from the client, only from someone hiring, but the don't want
Robohelp/online docs, rather, a typical paper-based document.
My questions are: 1)Given the limitations of MS Word, is it feasible to
use Word - the doc will be text-heavy rather than graphic-heavy, and I
expect to save indexing/cross refs until the end. 2) How does one become a
tech writer, if not by doing? I know that now one can get an academic degree
in Tech Comm; I haven't. I'm willing to do research and read manuals and
books as I have for programming -it was a skill more than a profession when
I started out.
thanks in advance for responses.
L.E.



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