Writing Life
How to Manage a Technical Document Review Process
Review Process is an Unspoken Problem… One of the most problematic aspects of a technical writing project is the review process. Usually, the reviewers are less responsive than a technical writer hopes them to be. Why is that the case? Because reviewers in a typical IT project team are either managers, engineers, or SME technicians,…
Read MoreShould You Use Text or Video in Your Posts & Publications?
We need to make a lot of choices every day. The familiar refrain of “paper or plastic?” represents one such mundane choice that we are faced with when we stop by at a supermarket for shopping. Another choice I’m faced with on a regular basis is “text or video” in sharing useful technical writing tips…
Read MoreHow Technical Communication has ruined The Movies for me
© Ugur Akinci There used to be a time when I was simply nuts for the movies… I used to watch them, think about them, analyze and write about them. I actually ended up writing 6 unproduced feature-length screenplays as well. At one point I even started to coach other junior-level writers on how to…
Read MoreGraphic Design & Single-Sourcing — Revitalize Your Technical Communication Career in the Post-Writing Phase
© 2010 Ugur Akinci Technical communication is a great exciting field full of material and non-material rewards. But if you’ve been in the business for 5 or over 10 years, things can start getting a bit stale. You’ll know when that time comes to push your career up to a new orbit. You can spark…
Read MoreUse Cases — Revitalize Your Technical Communication Career in the Pre-Writing Phase
© Ugur Akinci The first few years of a typical technical communication career are great. You’re full of enthusiasm for your well-paying job and happy to generate one user manual after another. Yet after 5 or 10 years some of us hit a plateau. All of a sudden, the same job is not nearly as…
Read MoreShould You Get a Technical Communication (or Writing) Certificate, or Diploma?
© 2010 Ugur Akinci Here’s a question TCC readers ask me often: “Should I get a diploma or certificate in technical writing/communication?” I’m big on education and training. But my answer to this question is always: “It depends.” Let me explain. First off, if your current or prospective employer demands that you get a certificate…
Read MoreIs your Technical Communication career dying? How to revive it
A great article that I’m sure applies to the careers of some technical communicators offers some valuable advice for sagging careers. It starts with asking the following list of signs which might mean that you career is in trouble: You are unhappy with the nature of your work You aren’t growing You feel overshadowed You…
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How to Break into Technical Writing – 4 Questions & Answers
How to break into technical writing is always a hot question with multiple answers. A reader who has just received his Bachelor’s degree (congrats!) sent the following letter the other day: “I would like to break into the technical writing/communication field, though I have some questions:1) What should I have as an entry-level technical writer?…
Read MoreThe Lessons I Learned from SPAM Writers
© 2010 Ugur Akinci I receive a lot of SPAM. 99.9% is caught by my fantastic spam filter (Akismet). Before I delete SPAM messages, I read some of them and find the exercise very educational. I have no idea why these parties keep sending me tens of thousands of SPAM messages a year. But every…
Read MorePros and Cons of Working as a Remote Writer
Working as a remote writer might sound like a dream job, but it can also have its downside. One of the main challenges is that you’re not surrounded by coworkers on a day-to-day basis. The following are some of the pros and cons of working remotely: Pros of Working as a Remote Writer: Remote writers…
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