Re: Whose Job Is It to Lay Out a Book?

[RAHEL A BAILIE <rbailie -at- NEWBRIDGE -dot- COM>]

> <<CONTEXT: I've just had my wings clipped at my new client to reformat their
> books in a layout that, in my professional opinion, would be better. One of
> the arguments I was given was "You are a writer, so focus on the writing.
> Layout, fonts, font styles, and the like are a questions of graphics and are
> to be handled by the Graphics department. You are not a Graphic Artist.">>

If I were to hire a contractor to write, then my reply would reflect these
variables:

(1) The contractor is being paid to write, not do the layout. We are paying
other people to do the layout, so why pay two people to do the same job.

(2) We have a template that exists for all sorts of reasons to do with
consistency, usability, and office politics.

(3) If the design gets in the way of the writing, then let's set aside a
specified amount of time where the writer liaises with the graphics people to
explain what the problems are and make some suggestions, so the graphics people
can improve upon the design.

Having said that, I've also been in positions where I've been expected to do the
design work myself, in which case there was no design group, no template, and
usability was, in someone's mind, a vague notion that had nothing to do with
documentation.

Rahel Bailie
Vancouver, BC, Canada


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