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> OK, I've gotten feedback from boss about the User Manual.
> Complaint is
> first 5-7 pages just don't grab and pull the reader in.
> I've been told that it needs more purpose and focus.
Peggy, I think the way to go is to have a person who is an expert at
critiquing technical books evaluate your existing manual and offer concrete
suggestions about how to improve it. Your own review of myriad existing
"successful" manuals is an enormous task that in the end may not bring you
anywhere near where you really want to be.
You want to know why your boss feels the manual isn't as good as it could
be. Looking at zillions of manual examples isn't going to help you determine
what makes yours different or help you improve yours. There are just too
many variables.
So I strongly recommend that you get a developmental edit of your manual by
a qualified individual. If your organization doesn't have a staff editor,
there are people who do this for a living and you could probably get a
review for under $250.
Bonnie Granat | http://www.GranatEdit.com
bgranat -at- granatedit -dot- com
Cambridge, Massachusetts, US
617-319-7461 (cell) or 617-354-7084
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