Re: Want to hear from people working in dtp

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: I have been working from home for the last six months. There is plenty of work to be found if you are willing to work hard at networking. Most of my contracts are with local and state government agencies who are operating on austerity budgets and don't have the capacity to do "in house" work, or can't afford to pay professional design consultants fees. : Most of my work involves newsletters, brochures and reports. Having good editing skills is a must. : Some things I have learned are: most contracts are non-specific, in other words, they set a maximum dollar amount and time period, and may include several projects or products. Follow up any discussion or meeting with a memo, reiterating what was asked for, what you agreed to provide, the timeframes and the estimated dollar amount (depending upon whether you are being paid by the hour or the product). Be very clear that if multiple team members must review a first draft, that you receive one markup reflecting all input. Otherwise, I have learned from painful experience, it is not unusual to receive multiple versions of revisions which often conflict. : Be sure to include in any initial discussions how the final product is to be printed: will it be done in-house? by photocopying (typical of many government jobs); or will it be sent out for bids? This becomes critical, since many government agencies have outdated equipment and may not have the software program you are using to run from disk. It will also save you time in the end if you are being paid by the product if you get the answers to these questions up-front. : Market yourself effectively. Most government jobs will not include your name or contact information in the final product. However, if people are pleased with your work, ask if they will distribute your business card or brochure. : Hope this helps. Good Luck! : Maggie : : : : I would like to hear from people who are working in the field of desk top publishing. : : : I will be taking courses soon and will have my advanced certificate by September. : : : For me, this is a new career field. I've had low paying clerical positions. My passion has been photography as an art form and I enjoy being creative. : : : Please share you experiences with me and tell me all you can about your careers. : : : Thanks : : : Stephanie

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