What is a Tech Writer?

A tech writer is a professional usually having advanced degrees and diverse business experience often at all levels of corporate staffing. One becomes a tech writer when some first hand experience and some technical expertise leads to writing more in depth about some subject or field. Writing is then done for the purpose of work instructions, staff training, white papers describing technology, hardware or software operations and maintenance procedures, or for corporate policies and procedures. Some tech writers specialize in policies and procedures, "P&Ps", others write financial procedures for Sarbanes-Oxley compliance. Some writers develop web authoring skills. Some learn advanced graphic arts tools and a diversity of authoring tools.

A tech writer is both an information collector, as well as a writer. He or she often acts as a translator or as a communications specialist for world class engineers or other types of professionals. Although presentation is a part of the tech writer role, it is, in actuality, just a very small part of that role. Junior, entry level tech writers may start off just formatting others’ work. Senior technical writers work from scratch from conception to authoring finished publishable materials in advanced technologies. Those with many years of diverse and technical experience command higher rates.

Today, Tech Writing is Utter Magic...

Today, tech writng is utter magic, and I'm the magician. Staff are incredibly overworked, there are endless meetings, lots of pressure with never-ending budget and personnel cuts, frayed nerves, with the constant fear of being the next to go. Fear and exhaustion underlie the resolve to just get it done despite all odds. I understand this situation, I too have lived this, am living it working on todays' projects. As a contractor-consultant, I come in and just do my job, which under these circumstances an outsider is best suited for.

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