H&M4 projects - end user charges/fees, where does one st

This forum is for the discussion of the business and craft of writing help. For example writing style, choices of HTML Help or WinHelp or browser-based and so on...

Moderators: Alexander Halser, Tim Green

Post Reply
andycaps
Posts: 58
Joined: Wed Jan 28, 2004 10:20 am

H&M4 projects - end user charges/fees, where does one st

Unread post by andycaps »

Hi,

Not sure if this is the correct forum so apologies in advance if this proves to be the case!

I’ve been using help and manual 4 for some time and I have mastered all the elements required to produce tip top manuals, user guides, on line help, e-books and pdf manuals etc. I have been given an opportunity to write a complete set of Franchise Manuals for a company based on sample demo I submitted to then created with H&M4.2, unfortunately I am finding it difficult to ascertain what the international going rates are for producing such manuals. I am aware that the cost in producing work is usually a submitted tender for a scope of works resulting in a mutual agreement between the technical writer and the receiver of the material, however – I am a firm believer that any pitch for work should be submitted using what I would say ‘the going rate’. Does any have any experience in working out costs/fees for projects? Whether it be by the page, hour, week, month or project, with or without an update service contract etc – any help would be useful.
Thanks
Andy
User avatar
Tim Green
Site Admin
Posts: 23156
Joined: Mon Jun 24, 2002 9:11 am
Location: Bruehl, Germany
Contact:

Unread post by Tim Green »

Andy,

Pay scales for help authoring vary very widely. Basically it depends on a) your experience, quality and reputation and b) who you are doing the job for. You can charge much better rates if your client is a big international company and they see you as a quality supplier. On the other end of the scale, small shareware programmers will often offer you insultingly low prices and be upset when you try to up the ante even a little.

The best places to ask about these things are probably the Microsoft help authoring news group and the HATT forum on Yahoo. You can find links to both in the Links box on the home page of this forum -- just click on Home in the forum header to go there.
Regards,
Tim (EC Software Documentation & User Support)

Private support:
Please do not email or PM me with private support requests -- post to the forum directly.
Post Reply