Technical Writing For Dummies (2^nd Ed.)

Learn to document the technology that makes the world go

Technical Writing For Dummies is a master class on how to build a career writing user manuals, e-learning, streaming, simulations, and more. It even zooms into the metaverse. Whether you?re new to the field, a seasoned professional, or a technical person who needs to write, this guide arms you with the skills you need to cash in on this flourishing world of technical writing. This isn?t your average how-to. It?s a compendium of innovative industry knowledge that will help you set yourself apart with the latest trends and best practices in technical writing. As a tech writer, you?ll need a robust skillset that allows you to offer clear and concise documentation for just about anything. This new edition of Technical Writing For Dummies?updated for all of today?s tech writing advances?can get you there.

• Uncover the basics of technical writing and master common documentation types
• Get insight into the career paths available to tech writers today
• Discover new remote collaboration options and cloud-based tools for technical writers
• Learn how to elevate your documents for high search engine optimization (SEO) rankings
• Improve your craft to connect with diverse, global audiences

Whether you?re a technical writer or technical professional who needs to write?you can learn the best practices of effective technical writing, as well as how to navigate its various formats and platforms, thanks to this handy Dummies guide.

Introduction 1

Part 1: What It Takes to Write Technical Docs 5

Chapter 1: Working as a Technical Writer 7

Chapter 2: Putting Together a Team and a Plan 25

Part 2: The Write Stuff 37

Chapter 3: Completing a Technical Writing Brief 39

Chapter 4: Crafting a Draft 51

Chapter 5: Designing Documents to Enhance the User Experience 57

Chapter 6: Honing the Tone 85

Chapter 7: Fine-Tuning toward the Ideal 97

Part 3: Frequently Written Docs 107

Chapter 8: Writing User Manuals and More 109

Chapter 9: Preparing Abstracts 127

Chapter 10: Creating Spec Sheets 133

Chapter 11: Generating Questionnaires 141

Chapter 12: Preparing for Technical Presentations 149

Chapter 13: Abridging for Executive Summaries 159

Part 4: Tech Tools 167

Chapter 14: Collaborating with Others 169

Chapter 15: Videoconferencing 183

Chapter 16: Offering eLearning 195

Chapter 17: Surfing the Net 211

Chapter 18: Protecting Intellectual Property 221

Part 5: The Part of Tens 233

Chapter 19: Ten Tips for Writing a Whitepaper 235

Chapter 20: Ten Tips for Publishing in a Technical Journal 241

Chapter 21: Ten Frustrations of Technical Writers 247

Appendix A: Punctuation Made Easy 253

Appendix B: Grammar’s Not Grueling 265

Appendix C: Abbreviations and Metric Equivalents 275

Appendix D: Tech Talk: Glossary of Terms 285

Appendix E: Technical Writing Brief 289

Index 293

Sheryl Lindsell-Roberts leads business-writing seminars throughout the country and is the author of over 25 books, including 135 Tips for Writing Successful Business Documents. She has appeared on television and radio networks throughout the United States and has been featured and quoted in The New York Times.