Technical
Writing 101: A Real-World Guide to Planning and Writing Technical Documentation
This book, which clearly describes the work and life of a technical writer, is the textbook of the Technical Writing class developed and taught by Scriptorium . If you are a new technical writer and your boss can't afford to send you to the training class, get this book! If you're an experienced technical writer, the book is useful for sharing with the new SMEs (subject matter experts) in your life so they can finally understand everything that you do to add value to the product. This book doesn't teach you how to write—it teaches you the basics of being a technical writer in the world today. Written with a clear sense of humor, Technical Writing 101 describes the skills used by technical writers to deliver quality products on time and within budget. Chapter 9 "Editors—Resistance is Futile" clearly describes who and what editors are, and the value they bring to the process of creating a clear piece of documentation. Chapter 12 "Avoiding International Irritation" offers tips for minimizing the hassles that occur when your prose is translated into other languages. If you're looking for help with SMEs, then Chapter 5 "Getting Information" may assist you. From creating an outline or a documentation plan, to indexing, to single-sourcing, the authors cover all the basics of a technical writer's life. This book is another handy reference for the technical writer's office, no matter your level of experience. * * * * Review taken from the November 5, 2000, ezine, Bits, Bytes and Balance, by Rose Hill: “I think it is a terrific book! Were I still managing a technical publications department, I'd get one for each person on the staff—writers, editors, designers, and supervisors. —that's how valuable and refreshing I find the content to be.” Rose Hill is a professional certified coach and developer of coaching-based training programs for busy, brain-powered professionals. Rose's teleclass offerings include:
This ezine is published about once a month—or whenever Rose has the time. See http://www.coachrose.com. To subscribe to this list, please send an e-mail message to bits-On@lists.webvalence.com. |