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Re: Quoting a user manual

Subject: Re: Quoting a user manual
From: "Peter Neilson" <neilson -at- windstream -dot- net>
To: "techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>
Date: Thu, 05 Oct 2017 17:34:38 -0400

I'm hearing red flags going off, especially if you are bidding against
others. You should be estimating based on your worth to them, rather than
your own costs. "$5000 for turning just one valve?" "No, $5000 for knowing
which valve to turn."

You ought to cover contingencies, if the deadline is that short. What if
they review your work but deliver their review in a corrupt file that you
cannot read, and that makes you miss deadline? What if you find out, at
the last minute, that they omitted a crucial piece of information? Stuff
like that should cause you to get paid more, rather than be found in
default and perhaps not get paid at all.

Others will probably have better suggestions.

On Thu, 05 Oct 2017 17:20:25 -0400, Chris Morton <salt -dot- morton -at- gmail -dot- com>
wrote:

Hi all,

I charge an hourly rate. I've been wooing a client for many months and am
finally close to getting what I hope to be my first of many assignments.
Although I've created many user manuals, I have never had to provide a
project estimate before.

They project their motherboard user manual will be approximately 50 pages,
with me being handed an InDesign file as its basic structure. No problem.

I may have hands on access to a physical unit while I create the manual
innards. I may have to make one trip by car to the client's site, which is
but a few hours away through the country (read: likely a pleasant road
trip).

The deadline for completion is Oct. 27.

Beyond complete specs and ready access to a SME, what other info should I
ask for before providing an overall project estimate? What would you guess
that estimate to be?

Chris Morton
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References:
Quoting a user manual: From: Chris Morton

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