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This Week's Featured Scheme

How to Get Paid Well as a Writer

(For previously featured schemes, see the Archive.)

Want to be a writer, but also earn a decent wage? Consider tech writing. Before you say "Yechh! I'd sooner take up dog washing!" hear me out.

A technical background is often not necessary. Since 1987 I've worked with tech writers hailing from a wide array of backgrounds: ex-engineers of course, but also ex-lawyers, ex-salesmen, ex-theologians, ex-musicians, even ex-dog-washers. Fear ye not!

Getting Noticed

Skim tech writer job postings for commonly sought skills. If a particular area of expertise is at least mildly interesting to you, go find a class. After taking one or two classes, you will be an "expert". An expert is just someone who knows SLIGHTLY more about a topic than the average yahoo. (It’s not difficult to get there quickly...) You will then be able to help "transfer knowledge" to others looking to gain expertise.

As with any career, before investing a lot of mental energy learning a specific skill or process (or system or application or knowledge base), take some time to think about industry trends. Look at the big picture. Aim for skills that enable a wide range of job possibilities.

In 1988 I took a single C programming language class, which enabled me to say "I can read C code." In the early 90’s, the ability to read C code was highly valued among Silicon Valley firms. (Note: I said I can read, NOT write it.) This one class helped me land several jobs.

Selling Thyself

I differentiate myself by giving examples of the following skill sets:

• Ability to edit, illustrate, or write (concise, lucid, consistent, and correct) content
• Guru-level skill with publishing tools (MS Office & Visio, Adobe Framemaker & Illustrator)
• Some technical knowledge in many areas (at ease around geeks, exposure to similar technology)
• Ability to manage projects in parallel (flexibly, assertively, and in an organized fashion)

Over time I have gained tangential skills (like helping companies pass ISO audits and organize their workflow more efficiently), but a tech writer should have skills in the above areas as a base.

Going With the Flow

After a few writing projects, you will realize that there are only about four different kinds of tech manuals in the world, and they follow similar patterns that can and should be cloned. Tech writers are EXPECTED to follow widely accepted conventions; otherwise, users (at least the ones who bother to read manuals) get irked.

A word of caution: a tech writing career works both for AND against those with obsessive-compulsive tendencies. It helps to be detail oriented and logical, but it is equally important to be able to embrace chaos when larger forces are at work. Strive to maintain a flexible yet reasonably committed stance in the face of ever-shifting trends.

I have witnessed many a tech writer crumble and melt when a beloved interface or environment got phased out for no apparent reason, or when a project got axed after weeks of arduous effort. I have survived for decades in this career by caring, but without caring too much.

Remain an agnostic -- don't become emotionally involved (or too spiritually aligned) with any product, company, or guru. Since even your best laid plans will contain disappointments, a sense of humor is KEY. (Sometimes I envision myself chatting with the host of a late night talk show, apologizing to every boss I've ever had for waiting so long to write my Oscar-nominated screenplay. But I digress...)

Standing Your Ground

Documenting how a thing works is, frankly, often a lower priority than shipping the thing on time, so writers ride a whip, so to speak. That is, small changes at the front end of a project often cause wild swings in project scope at the other end. Since deadlines are often predetermined, and quality (accuracy, completeness, and usability) of content is usually not negotiable, the writer must help management grasp the scope of a project (set expectations about quantity, given constraints on time and quality). This is always the trickiest part of the job.

If an employer claims to need an engineer who can also write, point out that what they might REALLY need is a competent writer who is simply able to interface well with geeks. My job, I tell them, is to take tedious work off of engineers' backs, so that they can spend more time out in the weeds, doing whatever the hell it is that they do.

I also point out that having less technical depth enables me to approach the effort with fresh eyes, similar to those of the target audience. In my experience, tech writing OFTEN does NOT require technical knowledge, but it does require a stomach for boring crap that makes you want to stab your eyes out with rusty ice picks.

Managing Egos

Be aware that interviewers can be intimidated by a degree in English or Journalism. If your background in writing is strong, then, as when on a first date, try to appear confident, but not too cocky. Engineers went to college, so they tend to think they can write as well as you can. Many, in fact, can.

Since fully half of the job is interfacing effectively with (and extracting inputs from) team members who contribute to documents that you "own", keeping your ego in check is key. This is true not only with subject matter experts, but also, and sometimes especially, with fellow writers. There is a reason why Scott Adams' Dilbert character, Tina the Brittle Tech Writer, is so funny. The emotional maturity issues she exhibits are common enough among writers of both sexes for the stereotype to stick.

In Tina's defense, her testy-ness is probably due to the fact that tech writers are often given the responsibility for a document, but without the authority to enforce agreed upon deadlines. (Buddhists call this an insurmountable opportunity...) Did I mention a sense of humor?

Adapting to Trends

At some point, you will form opinions about which desktop publishing tools or platforms are "best". If you choose to become adept with superior-yet-more-expensive tools (a.k.a Adobe CS), rather than being "absorbed" by the borg (Microsoft's inferior-yet-ubiquitous-and-cheap tools), then prepare for pain later, if, for seemingly insane reasons, your employer elects to follow the herd.

In the 90's employers seemed more committed to producing quality docs. Lately, quick and dirty is the rule. I try to keep current with both tool sets, adapting on the fly to whatever The Powers That Be prefer.

I have found writing about hardware to be easier than writing about software. I was weaned on UNIX, but have learned to love Windows, too. (Mac OS is cool but not mainstream enough.) Mid-size companies that have a strong balance sheet (lots of cash in the bank), who make something I think is cool (or at least mildly interesting), are usually more fun than startups, which entice you with stock options (that in my case ended up worthless most of the time) and work you to the bone.

Getting Paid

One backdoor approach is to apply as an intern, rather than as an employee, while taking classes that the target employer finds relevant. Working as a contractor initially is also a good way to let them check you out (while you scope them out), before committing to anything perm.

Hourly rates vary, depending on your background, the industry, the overall economy, etc. Ask for a rate that makes you happy. Don't aim any lower. Most tech writing jobs exist because no one else wants to do such tedious mind-numbingly boring work, and if a looming deadline exists, then finding a competent, flexible, assertive expert who fits well in the group is not easy, and companies will often pay top dollar.

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