Re: software question
Question: For a technical writer interested in starting freelance work,It all depends on what you intend to do and where you intend to do it. If you intend to work only out of your home, you need to tools to do the job. Having the full suite of Adobe products is good insurance because it's the industry standard (although I really hate Illustrator, but that's a personal thing).
would it make sense to purchase Adobe Creative Suite?
I have the opportunity to purchase the full suite at a student discount (my partner isCheck the license agreement to make sure you can use it for commercial purposes. The license police aren't going to knock on your door at 3 a.m., but you need to know what you are buying and how it can be used.
currently a graduate student), but I don’t want to purchase it if it doesn’t
make sense to have it.
Is InDesign (or Acrobat/Photoshop/Illustrator, etc.)Again, it all depends on what the organization you contract to uses. InDesign, in its latest iteration, is a giant leap over what PageMaker could do, but a lot of companies still use PageMaker. Word is Word....it's not great for large documents and has a lot of problems, but a lot of companies use it. Programs like Doc-to-Help also use Word for their source documents. So, if you get a great contract that requires InDesign, then buy it; otherwise, use Word. If you can get Adobe Creative Suite 2 at a student discount, then go for it because it includes InDesign.
important enough for freelance technical writing to justify the expense, or
would Word work just as well?
Are there other important software programs for general technical writers to have access to?I also do Help and webpages, I have Dreamweaver, CorelDraw, a good CD/DVD burner program, Pinnacle Studio (Video) editor, FrameMaker with SGML, and don't forget Freecell and Solitare.....for those times when the two brain cells that are left won't talk to each other.
Hope this helps......
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Al Geist, Geist Associates
Technical Writing, Online Help, Marketing Collateral, Web Design, Award Winning Videos, Professional Photography
Office: 802-658-3140
Cell: 505-400-4128
E-mail: al -dot- geist -at- geistassociates -dot- com <mailto:al -dot- geist -at- geistassociates -dot- com>
URL: www.geistassociates.com <http://www.geistassociates.com> (online portfolio/resume)
See also:
URL: www.geistimages.com <http://www.geistimages.com> (fine art prints for home or office and note cards for all occasions)
"When the situation is absolutely hopeless, you have nothing to worry about."
Compliments of The Monkey Wrench Gang
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