Technical Writing Services as a Business
Technical writing services are employed to explain the details
of a topic in a way that is easily understood by the readers. In
todays information age, technical writing jobs are increasingly
common. One would think that, eventually, everything useful will
have been written! This is not the case, however, and your
home-based technical writing company probably has a better
chance for success today than at any time in the past.
Business plans, technical report writing, grant writing,
instruction manuals, and business correspondence are just a few
of the more common types of technical writing jobs available. By
becoming skilled with any of these (and other) topics, you can
make extremely good money with your own technical writing
company.
Start Up Costs and Financing Sources:
Under $500
Basic operating costs are very modest, although research for
some projects may be expensive. You could spend weeks or
months on a project before being paid, so keep adequate savings
for living expenses during these times.
Pricing Guidelines for Service:
Set a reasonable
hourly rate for yourself, such as $15-20 per hour to start. As
you gain more experience and speed, this rate will increase.
Base the estimates for your clients on this rate. Be very
careful in estimating the time and resources a project will
require. Your clients will expect to pay your quoted price, no
matter how much time you actually spend on the project.
Prices are always a delicate issue. You want to ensure the
maximum profit for yourself, but pricing your services too high
could prevent a profitable, long-term relationship with a
customer.
Advertising and Marketing:
Respond to help wanted
advertisements seeking technical writers. Become affiliated
with industry associations which may list you in their technical
writing company directories. For a fee, online venues will
connect you with clients offering a variety of technical writing
jobs.
Essential Equipment:
You should have a decent
computer with quality word processing software installed. You
don't need your own private library, but access to a good source
of reference material will be very useful. Technical writing is
usually done from your home office, but it is sometimes
necessary to travel to a work site for certain resources, so
keep reliable transportation available.
Income Potential:
$10,000 to $100,000+ At
first, your income will be limited by the number of clients you
can find. As you build your exposure and reputation, you might
find yourself with more potential clients than you can handle.
At this point you can set your rates to focus on more profitable
projects, greatly increasing your income potential.
Target Market:
There are many markets that fall under
the technical writing umbrella. Some of the more common
situations you will encounter are:
Companies needing
accurate and understandable training manuals for their
employees. Manufacturers needing useful instruction manuals
for their products. Entrepreneurs needing clear and focused
business plans that appeal to investors. Office workers
needing letter templates for their day-to-day correspondence.
Researchers needing influential grant proposals to secure
funding for their research.
Tips for Success:
Read, read, read! Reading
publications similar to the type of technical writing you will
be doing will help you to think with the correct mindset and
provide the type of content your intended readers will be
expecting. It is also easier to be critical of other people's
texts, so you will be able to identify common mistakes and
protect yourself from the same pitfalls.
Training, Skills or Experience Needed:
Technical
writing requires very precise knowledge of linguistics and
grammatical rules. Professional technical writers usually have a
four-year degree in English or some sort of post-secondary
training related to technical writing.
Unless you are already an expert in a technical field and limit
the scope of your writing to that, you will probably be required
to quickly learn the details of certain processes - even entire
industries.
Research and evaluation skills are important. You must know
where to look for all kinds of information and how to interpret
the information once you have it.
Helpful Books or Trade Publications:
Technical Writing 101
: A Real-World Guide to
Planning and Writing Technical Documentation, by Alan S. Pringle
and Sarah S. O'Keefe Technical Writing: A Pocket Guide to
Technical Writing, Third Edition by William Sanborn Pfeiffer
The Handbook of Technical Writing, by Gerald J. Alred,
Charles T. Brusaw, and Walter E. Oliu