The Complete Idiot's Guide to Technical Writing

by Catherine Julian, Krista Van Laan, JoAnn Hackos

Book Overview

Covers the field of technical writing, providing information on such topics as building a portfolio, writing an effective resume, finding well-paying jobs, passing a writing exam, and creating a document online.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0028641469
• ISBN13: 9780028641461
• Release Date: February 2001
• Publisher: Alpha Books
• Length: 333 Pages
• Weight: 1.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 7.3" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

A very thorough introduction to the field

I've always had a love for writing (fiction and nonfiction alike) but have always struggled a bit while creating technical documentation. I've been interested in technical writing and feel it would be a good addition to my repertoire of skills, which is why I wanted to find and read a good book on technical writing.Based on many positive reviews here and on recommendations from others, I decided to start with this book and one other reference manual. I quickly read this book cover-to-cover and was very satisfied by its content. It was very thorough on covering every aspect of technical writing, even giving a glimpse of what a technical writer's daily life.And the results? I've written two technical documents since which have both won high praise by co-workers. Even **I** am shocked at how well they look and how fluidly they read.If you are interested in technical writing at all, don't hesitate to pick this book up. It is a great read and a fantastic reference manual for those who are just starting to get their feet wet. This book is highly recommended towards any technical writing beginner.

Not for idiots, complete or otherwise!

When I read "... Technical Writing" by Van Laan and Julian, I was glad I got past the title. I had to hire a tech writer to get some manuals done for our product. This book gave me the knowlege and confidence I needed to successfully get the job done. Having read the book, I knew what to look for when interviewing candidates, and what to expect once I got someone on board. Highly recommended for anyone associated with Technical Writing, whether a seasoned writer, a tech writer wannabe, or a manager of writers (or manager wannabe, like I was).

Don't Judge a Book by Its Title

Don't let the name fool you: "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Technical Writing" is anything but idiotic. The book offers a sensible, concise summary of the realities of tech-writing, and is peppered throughout with useful quotes from practicing technical writers.I've given my copy to several people who have expressed an interest in technical writing, and all of them have found that the book answers their questions about what the profession is about. Probably no book can completely prepare anyone for a career, but, after reading The Complete Idiot's Guide to Technical Writing, wannabes will have a solid idea of what to expect. The book might be especially useful to anyone teaching an introductory technical writing course.I highly recommend The Complete Idiot's Guide to Technical Writing, will continue to do so.

A Tech Writer's Delight

When I saw the title "Idiot's Guide to Technical Writing," I wasn't sure what to think. Then I sat down and skimmed through some of the chapters and became more intrigued. The more I read of this book, the more impressed I was. The authors have written an excellent guide to the field of technical writing.They cover a wide variety of topics in this book, all of them quite important to know about. I've been a tech writer for years and I don't recall reading a book about technical writing that covered so many different areas so succinctly as this one does.Among the topics covered in the book are "what it takes to be a technical writer," how to get your first "big break," the process involved in organizing and writing a manual, how to "schedule" writing projects, gathering and organizing the information, the different types of manuals a tech writer is expected to write, indexing, even a few tips on writing.There's a "dark side" to tech writing as well (long hours at times) and the authors deal with this as well. I feel this book is invaluable to anyone considering a career change to tech writing, but even "vets" like myself will find many items of value here.

Excellent guide for every aspiring technical writer

This book is compulsory reading for everyone planning a career as a technical writer. Written by authors who have both been working in the field since the 80s, it covers the whole subject area: from how to get started and marketing yourself, to what tech writers actually do and the various documents they produce, to working as a consultant and how to deal with the difficult bits of being a tech writer. The book contains an enormous amount of information and is very clearly arranged into appropriate sections: I personally was very impressed by the way the authors explain the whole process of producing a technical document from the concept stage to the finished guide and all the things that need to be taken into consideration. They also offer advice about the sort of personality and skills you need to be a successful technical writer, what technical tools you need to master and how you can best deal with all the various people you depend on to provide information for your documentation. All in all, I would say this book is a brilliant guide to its subject and also an entertaining read. It would be very hard to improve on this!