Illuminations

Volume 1, Issue 1
August 1998

Welcome to our first issue. We want to keep you informed about what's happening here at Scriptorium Publishing and also about the latest developments in tools and technology. We welcome your comments and suggestions.

In each issue, we'll provide this summary page with news overviews. Each overview article has links to more detailed information.

Technology update

Judging from the phone calls we're getting, the latest, hottest technology is the new release of WebWorks Publisher (Quadralay Corporation). With version 4, you can now create Windows online help files directly from your FrameMaker files. There's a significant investment in FrameMaker formatting and WebWorks setup, but we're happy to report that the conversion does work! If you'd like to use your FrameMaker files as source for your online help, you need to consider this approach. We have an article on the new online help support.

New faces

We are pleased to welcome Linda Orlando and Karen Brown to Scriptorium Publishing. Linda's experience includes extensive technical editing and online help development. Karen has a background as a writer and production editor. Linda and Karen are both working part-time and have already proved their mettle on some recent projects.

FrameMaker template goodies

Check out our new web page with FrameMaker template goodies. This page includes some hints on effective template design and focuses on little things you can do to improve the usability of your templates.

Training takes off

The next FrameMaker class is scheduled for September 14 and 15 in Research Triangle Park. If you already have some exposure to FrameMaker or other desktop publishing tools, this is the class for you. We skip all the boring stuff (such as saving, printing, and spell-checking) and jump directly into FrameMaker's unique and powerful features. After two information-packed days, you leave class with a solid understanding of FrameMaker's conceptual structure and how to make it work for you. Curriculum details

Remember, each student has an individual workstation, and class enrollment is limited to 10 students.

Some thoughts on freelancing

If you're considering a life as a freelance technical writer, check out this article.

Comments? Questions?

If you have comments or questions about this newsletter, send email to okeefe@scriptorium.com.

Scriptorium Publishing receives nearly ninety percent of its work from referrals. If you know a colleague who could benefit from our services, please let them know about us. They can also contact sales@scriptorium.com.