2024-09-12
Today's Mini-adventure in freelancing!
Client, seven days ago: Hi! We need another annual report. Same format as last time.
Client sends images with generic names, no indication of what text or pages images are to be paired with. Client sends Word Doc with text. Commments from staff peppered throughout document with various notes, some intended for "the designer", others for other staff people. It seems likely that this is not 100% ready-to-go copy.
Me: Great, I'll get started today. I'll need you to provide guidance on image placement.
Me: Next day, stating that I've got the basic layout set but need direction on image placement before proceeding.
No reply.
3 days, no contact.
Me: Sending another message to request direction on image placement. I've been working with this client since around 2019 and I'm used to multi-day gaps in communication. It's a bit frustrating at times but I accept it for what it is.
Day 4: Client: Oh, sorry, I'm back. Client provides additional photos and directions for placement. By end of day I send an initial draft for client to review.
Day 5: Client comes back with a few revision requests which I make. Changes confirm I was correct that the sent copy had not been properly reviewed and approved.
By midday I send the second pdf for review.
They ask: What are the dimensions for the document? I reply that, as requested, I used the same format as last year (which was also the same as the year before that). It's a smaller, non standard page size, 8.5" tall, 6" wide with .25" margin and .125 bleed. And, to be clear, those were dimensions set by the client in 2022 if not before then. I sent this information just two days ago.
And, to emphasize, these are fairly small pages compared to, say, a sort of standard 8.5" wide x 11" high that is more typical. Which means, you know, less content per page, less space to work with. So, that's the context leading up to today. Also, I should add, this is a small non-profit with just a 5 staff people. In the past I've usually dealt directly with the Executive Director (as far as I know). But this person commmunicating with me has not clearly indicated who they are so I'm not sure.
Today's message, simplified: Here's a Word document with a lot of suggested changes from my boss. Okay, so I guess I'm not dealing with the Director.
Here's where this morning's fun and weirdness begins. The style of this Word document and the very specific details are far different from anything I've gotten before from these folks before which leads me to think I'm dealing with someone entirely new. That's fine but right off, the first suggestion is that we should have 1" margins and that the content looks too cramped, too busy.
Breathe.
I scan through the suggestions and it seems increasingly likely that I have not worked with whoever authored these revisions. It also seems very likely that "the boss" is 100% unaware that the document we are working on, which is meant to be in the same style and format as the previous 2 years' reports, is not a full sized 8.5 x 11" page. They also suggest that the font is too large and should be smaller but no smaller than 12pt. Lol, it's only 11pt and this just affirms for me that this person has no clue what the page dimensions of this document are. They are assuming this is standard 8.5 x 11" document and given the many suggested changes I'm also fairly certain that this person has never laid eyes on the previous 2 years reports.
So I write a response that we cannot do 1" margins on a document with such small pages. I also express my concern and frustration that "the boss" has offered a very long list of detailed changes that in no way mesh with the style or format of the previous 2 years' reports. I suggest that they need to come to a decision on the dimensions of the document before we can proceed. That was six hours ago. No response. I suppose I have unrealistic expectations not be left hanging. Or that, staff, especially "the boss", would at least be aware of the basic parameters of what I would assume is an important document?