Regarding LaTeX: My father (a professor of engineering) once got annoyed that the journal he submitted to wouldn’t accept his Microsoft Word file as a submission, asking for a LaTeX one instead. Having no clue what the heck LaTeX was and not wanting to learn any kind of crazy new system, he managed to get the journal to accept a PostScript document instead. (I showed him LaTeX and he said anyone who wants to learn a whole programming language so they can do what Microsoft Word will do just fine must either be crazy or a professional typesetter who has the job of formatting things for a dead tree edition.)
I had to submit two book chapters in Word format recently—just finished fiddling with the references this morning—and I’ve decided that in future I’ll just refrain from submitting when Word format is required. So much pain in every step of the process.
I had to submit two book chapters in Word format recently—just finished fiddling with the references this morning—and I’ve decided that in future I’ll just refrain from submitting when Word format is required. So much pain in every step of the process.
But, but, you know LaTeX! Knowing word and having to submit in LaTeX is a nightmare. Knowing LaTeX and having to export to word is a matter of replacing your LaTeX to pdf converter with a LaTeX to word converter!
Knowing LaTeX and having to export to word is a matter of replacing your LaTeX to pdf converter with a LaTeX to word converter!
Oh no it isn’t! In fact that was the workflow I tried for one of the two chapters. It was really painful for many reasons. One of the big things that people always seem to overlook in this discussion (in both directions) is the need to use templates specified by the publisher. That messes up the workflow.
Of course, I do admit that I know LaTeX better than Word.
Just in case, the point about the template is that you can’t export from LaTeX to Word and then impose a template on that. You have to start from the template.
Have you published in academia? Almost all conferences, journals, and edited books do indeed require a template.
Regarding LaTeX: My father (a professor of engineering) once got annoyed that the journal he submitted to wouldn’t accept his Microsoft Word file as a submission, asking for a LaTeX one instead. Having no clue what the heck LaTeX was and not wanting to learn any kind of crazy new system, he managed to get the journal to accept a PostScript document instead. (I showed him LaTeX and he said anyone who wants to learn a whole programming language so they can do what Microsoft Word will do just fine must either be crazy or a professional typesetter who has the job of formatting things for a dead tree edition.)
I had to submit two book chapters in Word format recently—just finished fiddling with the references this morning—and I’ve decided that in future I’ll just refrain from submitting when Word format is required. So much pain in every step of the process.
But, but, you know LaTeX! Knowing word and having to submit in LaTeX is a nightmare. Knowing LaTeX and having to export to word is a matter of replacing your LaTeX to pdf converter with a LaTeX to word converter!
It’s a googlesearch away.
Oh no it isn’t! In fact that was the workflow I tried for one of the two chapters. It was really painful for many reasons. One of the big things that people always seem to overlook in this discussion (in both directions) is the need to use templates specified by the publisher. That messes up the workflow.
Of course, I do admit that I know LaTeX better than Word.
Word AND their template? Barbarians! What are they thinking? A research embargo upon them!
Can’t tell if serious or joking :-/
Just in case, the point about the template is that you can’t export from LaTeX to Word and then impose a template on that. You have to start from the template.
Have you published in academia? Almost all conferences, journals, and edited books do indeed require a template.
More or less serious with a touch of hyperbole.
Yes, with LaTeX.
Having to submit things in Word format is always hilariously painful.
What program would you rather be using?
LaTeX. There’s a learning curve but I am long long past that. I don’t feel that it gets in my way.