Archive for 2009
When the Form Does not Fit the Content – A Classical Information Design Problem
FORM and CONTENT are two wings of the same bird. When one of them fail, the bird does not fly — or flies in circles.To make sure the two fit one another perfectly is a very old problem and challenge in information design and marketing. Sometimes the challenge is met through resorting to “genres.” Genres…
Read MoreShort Interviews with 2 New STC Members
The first new STC (Society for Technical Communication) member for 2010 is David Cochrane, who is starting a technical writing company in the Toronto, Ontario, Canada area. The first to renew was Dan Block, a longtime member from western New York State. Let’s see what they had to say! David Cochrane How did you first hear…
Read MoreTechnical Translation — Is It in Your Future?
© 2009-2010 Ugur Akinci Have you ever considered to become a “technical translator”? That is, a technical communicator who translates technical documents and manuals from one language to another? If you can read and write well in more languages than one you should really consider this niche since technical communication has become a worldwide phenomenon.…
Read MoreThe Power of Text and Sub-Text
© 2009 Ugur Akinci We are all swimming in an seamless and boundless ocean of stories, narratives, texts, and sub-texts. Like the oxygen we breath, 99% of the time we are not even aware that that is the case. We are not even aware of it and that’s why it is so powerful. Here is…
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10 Non-Hi-Tech Writing Jobs for Technical Communicators
Introduction: Technical Writing Jobs “Technical” is an interesting qualifier in the technical communication field since not all “technical writing jobs” are technology and hi-tech related. Here are 10 non-hi-tech writing jobs for technical communicators for those who are hunting for a job: Writing Office Manuals Write a manual describing how to use the various office…
Read MoreBad Technical Writing Can Lead to Disaster
Here is a memo (part of the public record) that some people think probably contributed to one of the worst nuclear plant accidents in history: ———————————– (START) BABCOCK & WILCOX COMPANY I R GENERATION GROUP August 3, 1978 TO: Manager, Plant Integration FROM: Manager, Plant Performance Services SUBJECT: Operator Interruption of High Pressure Injection…
Read MoreCNN: Technical Writing is the 28th Best Job in America
A CNN survey of 50 TOP JOBS concluded that Technical Writing is one of the best jobs in America today — 28th best job, to be exact. What’s more than that, the CNN survey also concluded that, in terms of “Quality of Life” and low-stress working conditions, Technical Writing ranks 5th in the USA. Technical…
Read MoreAmerican Medical Writers Association
If you are a technical writer specializing on medical and pharmaceutical copy you might consider becoming a member of the American Medical Writers Association (AMWA). They’re about to hold their annual conference down in Dallas, TX on October 22nd. Here are some of the AMWA membership benefits: * Career development at all expertise levels *…
Read MoreDon't Quote an Hourly Rate or Fixed Fee for Your Writing Services
© Ugur Akinci Here is something I’ve learned the hard way: if you publish or quote a fixed hourly rate or a fixed fee for different types of writing services, you’ll end up attracting the cheapest and hardest clients and you’ll never make money in this freelance writing business. We writers are generally very nice…
Read MoreAn Interview About Technical Writing
(Excerpts from an excellent interview by Tom Johnson) How did you make the career transition from academia and teaching to technical writing? I taught basic writing courses to university students at The American University in Cairo for a couple of years. I also taught composition as a graduate student at Columbia for two years. Teaching…
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