Some Thoughts about Rules Lay-out - Boring

[jon_1066]

I think there’s a world of difference between a wargame ruleset written for players already familiar with complex RPGs and total neophytes whose most complex game is Monopoly.

By fluff I meant “what is a miniature wargame” as opposed to background fluff.  I’m very happy to see a rule book full of background and settings.

[Byrthnoth]

I still think a non-gamer perspective during the rules development and book organization/layout process is valuable, even if the primary audience is existing wargamers and the main intent isn't to get non-gamers into the hobby. If the rules are unclear or overly brief in explaining certain concepts and the reader has to draw on prior experience with DBx/Black Powder/Lion Rampant/40k/whatever to understand what the author is going for, then that's poor writing. An outsider or beginner can show the author where things need to be highlighted, clarified, or reorganized to get across the intent of the rules.

Again, this is not really a case of including a "what is miniature wargaming" section and a glossy model showcase/painting guide in the middle. But if something like initiative is a core element of the game, don't just write 'dice for initiative' somewhere in the turn sequence and then explain what that means at some later point without really flagging it. Sometimes that stuff gets sort of buried or glossed over because the author maybe implicitly expects the reader to be familiar with how it works in a similar game, or because he/she's spent so much time working on the rules that it's hard to get into the headspace of someone who is new to the game and so takes key concepts for granted. 

[Citizen Sade]

FWIW, the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP) has suggested minimum hourly freelance rates of £25.70 for proofreading and £29.90 for copyediting.

You might some professionals willing to do it cheaper for the love of it or for the experience. I imagine most people simply call on a literate mate.

[Easy E]

I still think a non-gamer perspective during the rules development and book organization/layout process is valuable, even if the primary audience is existing wargamers and the main intent isn't to get non-gamers into the hobby.

Third party editors are also a big help in this area as well.  They often can see if things do not make sense, because they are not familiar with wargaming per se.