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Subject:Re: Never Had to Index From:Nancy Walsh <Nancy_Walsh -at- MSN -dot- COM> Date:Fri, 13 Sep 1996 12:49:03 UT
One of the most taxing editing jobs I ever did was for a 110-page benefits
manual. We were all set to go to the printers (and yes, I was under a strict
deadline) when the authors added material to three pages in one section. Of
course, this knocked all the page numbers out of whack. And it totally messed
up the index. At the beginning of the project I explained to the authors that
all changes had to be done at a certain stage and I continued to remind them
of that "stage." They apologized profusely, but said that they still had to
have these changes made. Have other technical writers had this type of
experience, and how have you handled it? (BTW, the book was "late" by only
two weeks.)
Nancy Walsh
----------
From: Technical Writers List; for all Technical Communication issues on
behalf of Win Day
Sent: Friday, September 13, 1996 6:42 AM
To: Multiple recipients of list TECHWR-L
Subject: Re: Never Had to Index
One of the most taxing editing jobs I ever did was for a 110-page benefits
manual. We were all set to go to the printers (and yes, I was under a strict
deadline) when the authors added material to three pages in one section. Of
course, this knocked all the page numbers out of whack. And it totally messed
up the index. At the beginning of the project I explained to the authors that
all changes had to be done at a certain stage and I continued to remind them
of that "stage." They apologized profusely, but said that they still had to
have these changes made. Have other technical writers had this type of
experience, and how have you handled it? (BTW, the book was "late" by only
two weeks.)
Nancy Walsh
At 04:29 PM 9/11/96 GMT, Steve Fouts <stefou -at- ESKIMO -dot- COM> wrote:
>Johnson, Mike C. @ SLG <MCJOHNSO -at- tcs -dot- lmco -dot- com> wrote in article
><32359300 -at- msgate -dot- tcs -dot- lmco -dot- com>...
>| I've been writing hardware and software documentation since 1978, but
>never
>| once have I had to create an index. I have a feeling, however, that my
>luck
>| is about to change.
>Your luck, and the luck of your readers. I hope there is no pride in that
>statement.
>Steve Fouts
>stefou -at- eskimo -dot- com
Now, now, Steve, he never said his books didn't have indexes, only that he
didn't have to create them!
I've written several manuals that were indexed by others; only recently have
I had to index my own manuals. And I agree with Mike: I HATE indexing more
than any other task required of tech writers.
Win
---------------
Win Day
Technical Writer/Editor
Email: winday -at- idirect -dot- com
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Searchable archives located at http://www.documentation.com/
ALL questions or problems concerning the list
should go to the listowner, Eric Ray at ejray -at- ionet -dot- net -dot-
