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On Mon, Jan 13, 2003 at 06:09:11AM -0700, kcronin -at- daleen -dot- com wrote:
> Wow - I have a hard time picturing an environment where such behavior is
> acceptable. Certainly you can't be part of a conventional doc team,
> cranking out doc in snych with product releases?
>
> If that model works for you, great. I'm curious as to your work situation
> - are you a lone author of tech books, as one poster has surmised? Or in
> some other scenario where essentially you are the boss?
I'm a lone book author, yes (see: www.kitebird.com). I'm not sure I'd
say I'm "the boss." I try to consider my editors my bosses, and despite
what it may have sounded like in what I said before, I don't tell them
to take a hike or blow them off when they press me on the deadlines.
I wouldn't say I consider deadlines to be friends (as someone else put
it); I have more of a love-hate relationship with them. They do provide a
target to shoot at, and thus motivate me. I simply at not good at hitting
the target. (Actually, now that I'm thinking about this more, I do seem
to recall that I did get a chapter in on time once or twice on the most
recent book. A pleasant experience, if only for being so unusual!)
I guess my editors put up with my tortoise-like pace because they understand
that I *am* trying, and that the result is better than if I just sent them
what I had ready on the initial deadline date.
> In the context of my job and my team, I'd fire anybody with that approach.
And you would be perfectly correct in doing so. Good thing I don't work
for you!
Of course, if I did, I'd certainly be adopting a different working model.
> Keith Cronin
> If thine enemy offend thee, give his child a drum.
> - unknown
Doesn't work; he'll simply send his kid over to your house to bang
the drum in your driveway. :-)
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