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I must preface my question by first stating that I am a technical writer for a major manufacturer of window products. I write installation instructions and manage parts manuals. I realize my species is a rare find on this list but still consider myself a "technical writer" even though I don't work in the software industry.
The set up of our technical publication department does not allow me to do my own layout. We currently use Quicksilver as our publishing software and have three "composition" people do our layout. My work is done strictly in Word or Excel which I hand off or email to the composition person for layout. The normal life cycle of the document before the formal approval process frequently consists of the following:
1. Hand off to composition.
2. Receive from composition (hard copy), mark up mistakes and hand off to composition.
3. Receive from composition; correct mistakes again, make additional changes as a result of SME input.
4. Receive from composition, correct changes made without my request, frequently a cut and paste error only without the "paste".
5. Receive from composition, again, upon approval request to convert to PDF (I don't have Adobe Acrobat) so that I can send to a committee for formal approval.
You can probably sense my frustration with this process. Which begs the question, why can't we just do the composition and layout ourselves, like most technical writers do?! I'm certainly able. I have a bachelor's degree and have as much formal training with the publishing software as our composition people (none).
Is there anyone else in a similar situation? Do the majority of you out there do your own composition? My senses tell me yes but I could use an actual reply to bring to the boss as proof that we do not do things here in a typical fashion.
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