Price Range for User Manual

[Matthew J Long <mjl100z -at- MAIL -dot- ODU -dot- EDU>]

This post is primarily a question for those who have done a lot of
contract work for small software companies.

I have heard that most people bid their freelance contracts by the job
rather than by the hour. Assuming that this is true (and let me know if it
is not), what would you charge to develop a user manual?

I am aware that it is a lot more complicated than that, but I need a
bottom line ASAP. I have a potential client who is going to ask me what I
charge to develop a user manual for a piece of software. I am too new at
freelancing to give her a good idea of even a ballpark figure. I could
tell her that I charge $X dollars per hour, but, like sombody else on the
list said, she will then feel like the clock is ticking as long as they
don't have the manual in hand.

Also, does anbody charge by the page, and if so how do your clients like
that method of bidding a job? I heard of sombody charging $200 bucks
per page for government docs (whatever those are). Does that actually
happen?

I would appreciate as much detail as you can provide, but please respond
to me off the list. (unless others want this info!)

TIA

-Matt

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