Technical Writing
Writers: Searching Through the Job Ads is not Marketing
© Ugur Akinci Generally speaking, we writers are not good at marketing our services. We love what we do and yet expect to be “discovered” and paid well for it too. Think again. This blog entry was prompted by an email from an obviously-very-qualified reader who asked whether she needs to get a technical writing…
Read MoreDifferences Between Different Guides
Introduction Some of my readers asked the differences between three types of technical documents used frequently in the software-hardware sector: User Guide, Startup Guide, and Quick Reference Guide. Sometimes the demarcation line gets blurred, especially if you’re new in the business. User Guide A USER GUIDE is the easiest to define: it’s the “bible” of…
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 More
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 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…
Read MoreHow Reliable is Your “Reference Data”?
Before the Crisis of 2008 hit, main mortgage brokers on the Wall Street were confident of the way they were running their business. Their software programs were written by crackerjack developers from top Ivy League schools. When they fed their sub-prime lending numbers into these programs, the result was “positive.” After a year of monitoring,…
Read More