RE: Request for help re: Margin size and bindings? 2) " Anyone can do it"

["Jonathan West" <jwest -at- mvps -dot- org>]

Hi Sara


> This is a fairly large documentation project (at least to me.) I am the
> lone writer there and this organization has never "had" a
> technical writer
> before. I nearly hit the roof and had a coronary when my immediate
> supervisor contacted me by telephone to tell me he & another wannabe tech
> writer had just finished 'tweaking' my style guide. They had decided,
> without consulting me or even asking for my input, that the page margins
> for the policies and procedures should now be: Top 1.75", Bottom: 1.75",
> Left: 3.0", Right: 2.75" on an 8 1/2 by 11 inch page!
>
> Correct me if I wrong (math isn't my strong suit) but doesn't
> that leave a
> single (approximately) 2" inch column in the middle? They did this "to
> accommodate the binder and so it would be nicely centered on the page"

Not quite. It is 2.75".

For something specifically designed for a binder like this, I'd recommend
something like 1.5" inside and 1" outside for that page size, giving you 6"
of text.

>
> Can anyone help? Any suggestions on what I might do? Is this situation
> unsalvageable? Any time I've tried to educate my immediate
> supervisor-about
> technical writing, what's required in this documentation set and
> what needs
> to be done (e.g. editing and that's just one example) I've been
> met with a
> rebuff or dismissed as if I were bothering him with ridiculous
> trivialities.
>
> I see this latest incident with the margins issue as a direct
> sabotage and
> a direct reflection of my lack of credibility within this org and with
> him.

The situation does sound unsalveageable. The only advice I can suggest is to
look for another job, so you can bail out of there as soon as possible.

Regards
Jonathan West


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