The value of technical writing services

Can you prove your worth? What is your impact on a business and how can you quantify the return on investment?

Using recent case studies as examples, Ruth Hamilton and the WritersInc team discuss the value of using technical writing services, and how the return on investment can be described and possibly quantified.

A Writer’s Prerogative

The previous post explained the skills that a writer should have to prepare effective documentation. But what about the concepts? 

Conceptually, what should a technical writer have in mind while preparing user documentation? I was thinking whether what should be a writer’s thought process before writing about technology. Thus, this post happened.

Following are the areas which may help a technical writer conceptualize effective technical documentation process:

• Visualize your audience: Understand and if possible visualize your readers and their needs, attitudes, and most importantly, their awareness of the subject matter. Adapt your writing to these factors and their technical skills. Understand in advance what the audience would (or should) think when they have completed reading your document.

• Understand the Context: Know the context in which the readers might perceive or judge your writing. Some audience may view the information you have developed from a critics’ viewpoint. For example, if you generally use American English and the audience is British, they are extremely particular about the subtle differences between the English used in America and England. So, shape your writing according to it and always understand the scenarios.

• Formulate a sound writing plan: Good writing is a result of a sound process that includes gathering correct information, brainstorming and categorizing thoughts. The typical process would include analyzing information, creating drafts, editing them, and revising information if it does not fit into the flow of the document. Even great writers might not get a perfect write-up in a single try. You will have to spend time and keep revising your content until it is in sync with the requirements. Even if you are piled up with multiple tasks, try to invest time in composing content step by step: analyzing, drafting, editing and revising each assignment. It will reduce your efforts eventually.

On the whole, the above points provide you with a pre-writing analysis. If you comprehend these aspects well, you can clarify many of your initial doubts and save yourself some quality time on rework.  For details about basic technical writing skills, see 7 – Habits of a Highly Effective Technical Writer.

Challenges of an Aspiring Tech Writer

Before diving into the field of technical communication, I would like to notify you about the challenges that you might have to face in your day-to-day work regime.

As majority of the technical authors in the industry are either from technical or communication background, I will limit the scope of this post to candidates from these prospective fields. But, in all likelihood, the challenges mentioned here are applicable to all the aspiring technical writers irrespective of their medium of study.

Technical Challenges

The primary problem with technology students is that they have never taken writing too seriously. Even if they are good with English language, they have never paid too much importance to grammar. If English is not their first language, it also adds to the chaos. So, here are the challenges and their possible solutions:

• Grammar Basics: If grammar is your pain area, you might want to reconsider your decision of getting into technical documentation. If not, I would suggest you should brush your English grammar skills. There are many websites that can help you in revisiting all the grammar you learnt in school. Links. Other alternatives can be renting a grammar book from your nearby library. Grammar Resources.
• Editorial Skills: If your grammar is good, you might not have much trouble in editing content. But, as an editor it is important to make the content readable. All the information put together should be directed to your audience.

 I am sure, the final year reports might have been a demanding job for many of you out there.

Communication Challenges

The primary problem the communication students have is their lack of exposure to technology. So, here are the challenges and their possible solutions:

• Technology: If you belong to the communication stream, it can be difficult to connect with technology at times. Here, the technology means greater things than Websites and Smartphone applications. We are talking out magnanimous ERP or Mainframe applications driving the telecom, security and manufacturing industries. So, it is really important for you to have a mind that anticipates technological assertiveness. 
• Understanding Product: The ability to understand the product can also be a major challenge due to the lack of academic exposure to various technology products. But, that can be solved over a period of time.
• Making Sense: Another connected aspect is making sense out of what you write. You might be an excellent English writer but if the information you provide is not as per the products requirements, the overall output will be hazy and incomplete. So, it really important to focus on getting exactly what is required for the product.

Common Challenges

• Audience Analysis: You must write for a specific reader. The audience is really important in technical writing and you should always have that at the back of your mind. More about it in the coming blog post on Audience Analysis.
• Understanding User’s Perspective: You must understand the user and usability of the application. It is again related to audience of the application. But, your insight on usability is fairly rated as you are the first user of the product.
• Documentation Tools: Though, technical writing is about writing, but it also employs various tools for creating content and generating output in required form. The regular output formats are: Web Based Help, PDF Help and Video Tutorials.

To sum it up, you must have zeal for writing, if you want to be a good technical writer. If have that fervor, there are enough online/classroom courses available that can help you learn the art and science of technical communication.