How to hire a Microsoft Word expert

[hauckeye]

My husband is finishing a family genealogy project/book and he wants many of the pages formatted in columns or tabs or tables but he can’t get them looking right. My Word skills are rusty and he is not techy at all. We need to hire someone to help us get it looking good before sending it for publication. Suggestions?

[LakeVermilion]

1. Try using Excel...

Expand the width of the columns. Increase the depth of the rows. Each cell can contain an item. When data entry is finished, you can manipulate the sizes of the cells until you are satisfied with "look." Just like Word, you can format the font.

[waterwatcher123]

2. Maybe consider creating a test document or two to define column and table sizes, shapes, etc.

I have used Word in the past for some pretty complicated government reports and grant proposals (scientific work on water quality). You can get it to do pretty much anything with a bit of patience and trial and error. It might be best to do a separate small test document or two so you can refine the process to the point where it looks right. The size and shape of pictures or tables might be an issue if you have a design that incorporates both portrait and landscape items. However, a little experimentation usually makes it clear if the graphics can be resized or moved without too much trouble or loss of quality.

There are lots of good YouTube "how to" videos on specific subjects within Microsoft Word. Otherwise, maybe you can hire a freelancer who can do the whole job for you. There are sites like this one (https://www.upwork.com/hire/microsoft-word-experts/) where you can find a person to do the project. Another option would be to find a retired office manager or secretary locally who wants to pick a little extra work on the side.

[Silent Type]

3. This is why I miss WordPerfect and reveal codes. But everyone seems to use Word nowadays. There are sites like

Freelancer.com that will bid on such projects. Also, a local college ought to have some student Word gurus.

Good luck. Sounds like fun.

[Intractable]

4. Hire a technical writer ...

like me.

I'll guess that as you try to format your columns, the graphics move to unexpected positions. As you fix one, another move one moves.

A job like this could run several hundred dollars for a one-hundred-page book.

The price is based on the amount of time required to fix it. If it's a job that's fairly well-done, this could go quickly. If every graphic requires adjustment, this could drag on.

I have had a love-hate relationship with Word for many years.

You can get back to me if you are interested.

[marble falls]

5. PageMaker was good for me.