Comments on: How Much Does It Cost To Write a User Guide? http://www.ihearttechnicalwriting.com/technical-writing/how-much-does-it-cost-to-write-a-user-guide/4628/ Tips, Tools and Templates for Technical Writers Mon, 23 May 2011 09:59:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3 By: Ivan Walsh http://www.ihearttechnicalwriting.com/technical-writing/how-much-does-it-cost-to-write-a-user-guide/4628/comment-page-1/#comment-832 Ivan Walsh Fri, 07 Jan 2011 12:37:00 +0000 http://www.ihearttechnicalwriting.com/technical-writing/how-much-does-it-cost-to-write-a-user-guide/4628/#comment-832 All good points! It's necessary to cover all writing and, of course, non-writing tasks as these determine the true cost of creating the content. All good points! It’s necessary to cover all writing and, of course, non-writing tasks as these determine the true cost of creating the content.

]]> By: Choyberg http://www.ihearttechnicalwriting.com/technical-writing/how-much-does-it-cost-to-write-a-user-guide/4628/comment-page-1/#comment-831 Choyberg Thu, 06 Jan 2011 18:34:00 +0000 http://www.ihearttechnicalwriting.com/technical-writing/how-much-does-it-cost-to-write-a-user-guide/4628/#comment-831 how often will the content need to be updated, and by whom? is it important to you that we incorporate user feedback regularly along with feature updates? how many people will be on the review team for this document and at what stages? (the more reviewers, the more changes, typically) will the review team include members from other teams (like mktg, sales, c-levels....)? how shall we plan for repurposing of content? (use some of the doc for knowledge base articles? channel partner newsletters? video?) how often will the content need to be updated, and by whom? is it important to you that we incorporate user feedback regularly along with feature updates? how many people will be on the review team for this document and at what stages? (the more reviewers, the more changes, typically) will the review team include members from other teams (like mktg, sales, c-levels….)? how shall we plan for repurposing of content? (use some of the doc for knowledge base articles? channel partner newsletters? video?)

]]> By: Bill Swallow http://www.ihearttechnicalwriting.com/technical-writing/how-much-does-it-cost-to-write-a-user-guide/4628/comment-page-1/#comment-830 Bill Swallow Tue, 28 Dec 2010 17:06:00 +0000 http://www.ihearttechnicalwriting.com/technical-writing/how-much-does-it-cost-to-write-a-user-guide/4628/#comment-830 It's always worth the effort. And I know and agree with your "to a point", thus the "well-authored" qualifier in my comment. Some companies either don't believe in or don't care about the GIGO factor. It’s always worth the effort. And I know and agree with your “to a point”, thus the “well-authored” qualifier in my comment. Some companies either don’t believe in or don’t care about the GIGO factor.

]]> By: Ivan Walsh http://www.ihearttechnicalwriting.com/technical-writing/how-much-does-it-cost-to-write-a-user-guide/4628/comment-page-1/#comment-829 Ivan Walsh Tue, 28 Dec 2010 17:00:00 +0000 http://www.ihearttechnicalwriting.com/technical-writing/how-much-does-it-cost-to-write-a-user-guide/4628/#comment-829 Hi Bill, Companies who are looking to outsource for well-authored documentation should be prepared to pay for it. While that makes sense (up to a point, anyway) we're finding that software firms in developing countries, eg Asia, Russia and Middle East, place less value on docs partly because they don't see the ROI from quality material eg less tech support costs and customer complaints. But, it's an uphill battle to win this debate esp if the Tech Docs team are not the decision makers and/or have fixed budgets. Showing where and how they can make those savings however does help but it takes a lot of effort. Is it worth the effort? Depends... Hi Bill,

Companies who are looking to outsource for well-authored documentation should be prepared to pay for it.

While that makes sense (up to a point, anyway) we’re finding that software firms in developing countries, eg Asia, Russia and Middle East, place less value on docs partly because they don’t see the ROI from quality material eg less tech support costs and customer complaints.

But, it’s an uphill battle to win this debate esp if the Tech Docs team are not the decision makers and/or have fixed budgets.

Showing where and how they can make those savings however does help but it takes a lot of effort.

Is it worth the effort? Depends…

]]> By: Bill Swallow http://www.ihearttechnicalwriting.com/technical-writing/how-much-does-it-cost-to-write-a-user-guide/4628/comment-page-1/#comment-828 Bill Swallow Tue, 28 Dec 2010 15:19:00 +0000 http://www.ihearttechnicalwriting.com/technical-writing/how-much-does-it-cost-to-write-a-user-guide/4628/#comment-828 Well, there are child questions to each of your main questions, but those I assume you handle during the Skype chat. Bottom line is that documentation isn't cheap, and companies who are looking to outsource for well-authored documentation should be prepared to pay for it. Well, there are child questions to each of your main questions, but those I assume you handle during the Skype chat. Bottom line is that documentation isn’t cheap, and companies who are looking to outsource for well-authored documentation should be prepared to pay for it.

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