I’ve had to fill out a bunch of forms recently for a number of different events. New events can be very exciting, covering hot topics and having no established old guard to leave the FNG’s feeling left out. On the other hand, with things being done for the first time, often on the fly, things can slip through the cracks.
Any time you request copy from someone be sure to give them a word count, even as only an outline. Nothing will make a brochure or look weirder, or make your graphic design job a real headache than having paragraphs of text from 20-1,000 words to string together. If you’re going to farm out work, be sure to set some guidelines, otherwise it may be more headache than it’s worth.