This is a grammar error that I see committed by some writers these days: mixing singular subjects with plural verbs and pronouns.
As a technical writer you would normally never say "He enter their password." But increasingly, in order not to commit a gender bias, I see documents that contain sentences like "the user should enter their password before gaining access to their account."
I'm fully aware why the English grammar is bent in that manner and I, a man who considers himself a sincere feminist, totally agree with the motivation behind such trespassing. I have no argument whatsoever with the rationale behind such a rather modern innovation.
But I still can't help wincing every time I see such egregious violation of one of the most basic principles of the English language. Since rationality and consistency are at the core of technical communications as a discipline, I don't think I'll ever be able to make my peace with such a clearly-wrong practice.
Moreover, it's not like there are no alternatives to the terrible practice. There are actually not one but TWO solutions to the dilemma.
1) SOLUTION 1: Replace the singular subject with a plural subject, and make the necessary adjustments in the predicate too.
Example: "The users should enter their passwords before gaining access to their accounts."
2) SOLUTION 2: Eliminate all pronouns from the sentence.
Example: "The user should enter the password before gaining access to the account," or "The users should enter passwords before gaining access to the accounts."
I don't understand why we technical writers should continue to violate such a basic grammar rule when two alternatives are available to say what we want to say without sounding stilted and awkward.
If you are interested to read more about what technical writing is all about and how it can help you earn a steady living, visit http://www.learntechnicalwriting.com You might be pleasantly surprised with what you'll find out. Join the thousands who are already helped and inspired by this information provided by a Fortune 500 Senior Technical Writer. Visit today and claim your free report "How Much Do Technical Writers Make?"
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ugur_Akinci
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
How to Become a Medical and Technical Writer
The field of medical writing procures tremendous job opportunities to the individuals hailing from varied fields such as literature, journalism or pharmaceuticals. There are however various institutions that offer technical training and certificates to the aspirants in various countries, some of which are listed below,
Institutions 1) Enroll in AMWA or American Medical Writer's Association
2) Delaware Valley: Thomas Jefferson University, Drexel University, University of the Sciences, and others offer programs and courses in scientific medical writing.
Apart from these institutions there are other novel ways to initiate a career in medical writing and these tools are listed below,
Journals There are plenty of science journals that are published on the internet or cyberspace; you can search on Google.com a particular field that interests you. However mere degree in scientific arena is not good enough but a deep passion for writing and comprehending the big picture after analyzing the smaller version on the paper is required, scientific journals will only aid in broadening your horizons and the way you can impress upon your thoughts on the actual consumers and the medical enterprises and organizations either to heir you or employ you as a medical writer.
Books In the contemporary age where electronic media has over shadowed manuscripts medical writing requires a lot of investigation via the internet or though regular manuscripts. The regular books available in the market have a greater impact on learning when compared to information on the web but that's just a skeptical analysis and may vary from individual to individual taste some of the books which might aid you in to initiating as a medical writer are jotted below,
1) AMA Manual of Style; 10th edition. JAMA and Archives Journal, Oxford University Press, 2007 2) Medical English Usage and Abusage. Edith Schwager 3) Mathematics into Type. Ellen Swanson
Alan is a freelance medical writer. As he acquired the skills over a period of years working in industry, he decided to take the plunge and enter the field of medical writing on a full time basis.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alan_Warre
Institutions 1) Enroll in AMWA or American Medical Writer's Association
2) Delaware Valley: Thomas Jefferson University, Drexel University, University of the Sciences, and others offer programs and courses in scientific medical writing.
Apart from these institutions there are other novel ways to initiate a career in medical writing and these tools are listed below,
Journals There are plenty of science journals that are published on the internet or cyberspace; you can search on Google.com a particular field that interests you. However mere degree in scientific arena is not good enough but a deep passion for writing and comprehending the big picture after analyzing the smaller version on the paper is required, scientific journals will only aid in broadening your horizons and the way you can impress upon your thoughts on the actual consumers and the medical enterprises and organizations either to heir you or employ you as a medical writer.
Books In the contemporary age where electronic media has over shadowed manuscripts medical writing requires a lot of investigation via the internet or though regular manuscripts. The regular books available in the market have a greater impact on learning when compared to information on the web but that's just a skeptical analysis and may vary from individual to individual taste some of the books which might aid you in to initiating as a medical writer are jotted below,
1) AMA Manual of Style; 10th edition. JAMA and Archives Journal, Oxford University Press, 2007 2) Medical English Usage and Abusage. Edith Schwager 3) Mathematics into Type. Ellen Swanson
Alan is a freelance medical writer. As he acquired the skills over a period of years working in industry, he decided to take the plunge and enter the field of medical writing on a full time basis.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alan_Warre
Technical Writing - How Not to Violate the English Grammar While Trying to Be Gender-Sensitive
This is a grammar error that I see committed by some writers these days: mixing singular subjects with plural verbs and pronouns.
As a technical writer you would normally never say "He enter their password." But increasingly, in order not to commit a gender bias, I see documents that contain sentences like "the user should enter their password before gaining access to their account."
I'm fully aware why the English grammar is bent in that manner and I, a man who considers himself a sincere feminist, totally agree with the motivation behind such trespassing. I have no argument whatsoever with the rationale behind such a rather modern innovation.
But I still can't help wincing every time I see such egregious violation of one of the most basic principles of the English language. Since rationality and consistency are at the core of technical communications as a discipline, I don't think I'll ever be able to make my peace with such a clearly-wrong practice.
Moreover, it's not like there are no alternatives to the terrible practice. There are actually not one but TWO solutions to the dilemma.
1) SOLUTION 1: Replace the singular subject with a plural subject, and make the necessary adjustments in the predicate too.
Example: "The users should enter their passwords before gaining access to their accounts."
2) SOLUTION 2: Eliminate all pronouns from the sentence.
Example: "The user should enter the password before gaining access to the account," or "The users should enter passwords before gaining access to the accounts."
I don't understand why we technical writers should continue to violate such a basic grammar rule when two alternatives are available to say what we want to say without sounding stilted and awkward.
If you are interested to read more about what technical writing is all about and how it can help you earn a steady living, visit http://www.learntechnicalwriting.com You might be pleasantly surprised with what you'll find out. Join the thousands who are already helped and inspired by this information provided by a Fortune 500 Senior Technical Writer. Visit today and claim your free report "How Much Do Technical Writers Make?"
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ugur_Akinci
As a technical writer you would normally never say "He enter their password." But increasingly, in order not to commit a gender bias, I see documents that contain sentences like "the user should enter their password before gaining access to their account."
I'm fully aware why the English grammar is bent in that manner and I, a man who considers himself a sincere feminist, totally agree with the motivation behind such trespassing. I have no argument whatsoever with the rationale behind such a rather modern innovation.
But I still can't help wincing every time I see such egregious violation of one of the most basic principles of the English language. Since rationality and consistency are at the core of technical communications as a discipline, I don't think I'll ever be able to make my peace with such a clearly-wrong practice.
Moreover, it's not like there are no alternatives to the terrible practice. There are actually not one but TWO solutions to the dilemma.
1) SOLUTION 1: Replace the singular subject with a plural subject, and make the necessary adjustments in the predicate too.
Example: "The users should enter their passwords before gaining access to their accounts."
2) SOLUTION 2: Eliminate all pronouns from the sentence.
Example: "The user should enter the password before gaining access to the account," or "The users should enter passwords before gaining access to the accounts."
I don't understand why we technical writers should continue to violate such a basic grammar rule when two alternatives are available to say what we want to say without sounding stilted and awkward.
If you are interested to read more about what technical writing is all about and how it can help you earn a steady living, visit http://www.learntechnicalwriting.com You might be pleasantly surprised with what you'll find out. Join the thousands who are already helped and inspired by this information provided by a Fortune 500 Senior Technical Writer. Visit today and claim your free report "How Much Do Technical Writers Make?"
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ugur_Akinci
3 Levels and 3 Profiles of Technical Writing
If you are wondering what levels one can expect to reach in a technical writing career, here are 3 profiles just to give you a rough idea.
Please don't forget that this is just an approximate picture and does not mean that you have to go through each level in exactly the same manner.
You may perhaps start off from the Intermediate level if you are bringing with you a strong background in software skills and job experience.
Or who knows, you might reach a senior level within just 5 years? That's certainly possible too.
Individual cases always vary. But I believe what follows is still a useful general picture in terms of presenting you an overall survey of the technical writing landscape and providing some general benchmarks. They are not based on any scientific study but on my personal experience of over 10 years as a technical writer.
Please let me know if you'd have any questions about these career profiles.
Profile 1: Junior-Level Technical Writer
Time on job: 0-5 years
Job skills:
Writing interface documentation including user guides, installation guides, quick reference guides, release notes, help files.
No supervisory or management skills.
Optional: graphic and illustration skills.
Software skills:
Microsoft Office Suite
Optional: FrameMaker (Unstructured)
Optional: Photoshop
Optional: Illustrator
Optional: Help file editor (RoboHelp, Flare, Quadralay, DoctoHelp, etc.)
Optional: Version control software (MS Source Safe, etc.)
Profile 2: Intermediate-Level Technical Writer
Time on job: 5-10 years
Job skills:
Writing and editing interface and procedural documentation including user guides, installation guides, quick reference guides, release notes, system configuration guides, help files.
Single-sourcing and structured authoring.
Graphic, illustration, print-page and web design skills.
Assisting projects as lead-writer and supervising one or more junior writers.
Optional: simple document and web site localization and translation skills.
Optional: publishing articles in popular professional periodicals like STC's Intercom.
Optional: serving as a Juror in professional technical communication competitions.
Software skills:
Microsoft Office Suite
FrameMaker (Unstructured and Structured)
Photoshop
Illustrator
Help file editor (RoboHelp, Flare, Quadralay, DoctoHelp, etc.)
Version control software (MS Source Safe, etc.)
Optional: Advanced version and content management software (Agile, etc.)
Optional: Dreamweaver and/or HTML coding
Profile 3: Senior-Level Technical Writer
Time on job: Over 10 years
Job skills:
Writing and editing interface and procedural documentation including user guides, installation guides, quick reference guides, release notes, system configuration guides, help files, API guides.
Single-sourcing and structured authoring including DITA structuring and database publishing.
Graphic, illustration, print-page and web design skills.
Leading projects as lead-writer and supervising one or more junior and senior writers.
Advanced print and online documentation project localization skills.
Publishing articles in peer-reviewed professional periodicals like STC's Technical Communication.
Optional: serving as a Lead Juror in professional technical communication competitions.
Software skills:
Microsoft Office Suite
FrameMaker (Unstructured and Structured)
Photoshop
Illustrator
Help file editor (RoboHelp, Flare, Quadralay, DoctoHelp, etc.)
Version control software (MS Source Safe, etc.)
Optional: Advanced version and content management software (Agile, etc.)
Optional: Dreamweaver and/or HTML coding
Optional: XML Editor (FrameMaker, Arbortext, Oxygen, etc.)
Optional: Database Publishing editor (TEX, PatternStream, etc.)
If you are interested to read more about technical writing as a career and how it can help you earn a steady living, visit http://www.learntechnicalwriting.com You might be pleasantly surprised with what you'll find out. Join the thousands who are already helped and inspired by this information provided by a Fortune 500 Senior Technical Writer. Visit today and claim your free report "How Much Do Technical Writers Make?"
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ugur_Akinci
Please don't forget that this is just an approximate picture and does not mean that you have to go through each level in exactly the same manner.
You may perhaps start off from the Intermediate level if you are bringing with you a strong background in software skills and job experience.
Or who knows, you might reach a senior level within just 5 years? That's certainly possible too.
Individual cases always vary. But I believe what follows is still a useful general picture in terms of presenting you an overall survey of the technical writing landscape and providing some general benchmarks. They are not based on any scientific study but on my personal experience of over 10 years as a technical writer.
Please let me know if you'd have any questions about these career profiles.
Profile 1: Junior-Level Technical Writer
Time on job: 0-5 years
Job skills:
Writing interface documentation including user guides, installation guides, quick reference guides, release notes, help files.
No supervisory or management skills.
Optional: graphic and illustration skills.
Software skills:
Microsoft Office Suite
Optional: FrameMaker (Unstructured)
Optional: Photoshop
Optional: Illustrator
Optional: Help file editor (RoboHelp, Flare, Quadralay, DoctoHelp, etc.)
Optional: Version control software (MS Source Safe, etc.)
Profile 2: Intermediate-Level Technical Writer
Time on job: 5-10 years
Job skills:
Writing and editing interface and procedural documentation including user guides, installation guides, quick reference guides, release notes, system configuration guides, help files.
Single-sourcing and structured authoring.
Graphic, illustration, print-page and web design skills.
Assisting projects as lead-writer and supervising one or more junior writers.
Optional: simple document and web site localization and translation skills.
Optional: publishing articles in popular professional periodicals like STC's Intercom.
Optional: serving as a Juror in professional technical communication competitions.
Software skills:
Microsoft Office Suite
FrameMaker (Unstructured and Structured)
Photoshop
Illustrator
Help file editor (RoboHelp, Flare, Quadralay, DoctoHelp, etc.)
Version control software (MS Source Safe, etc.)
Optional: Advanced version and content management software (Agile, etc.)
Optional: Dreamweaver and/or HTML coding
Profile 3: Senior-Level Technical Writer
Time on job: Over 10 years
Job skills:
Writing and editing interface and procedural documentation including user guides, installation guides, quick reference guides, release notes, system configuration guides, help files, API guides.
Single-sourcing and structured authoring including DITA structuring and database publishing.
Graphic, illustration, print-page and web design skills.
Leading projects as lead-writer and supervising one or more junior and senior writers.
Advanced print and online documentation project localization skills.
Publishing articles in peer-reviewed professional periodicals like STC's Technical Communication.
Optional: serving as a Lead Juror in professional technical communication competitions.
Software skills:
Microsoft Office Suite
FrameMaker (Unstructured and Structured)
Photoshop
Illustrator
Help file editor (RoboHelp, Flare, Quadralay, DoctoHelp, etc.)
Version control software (MS Source Safe, etc.)
Optional: Advanced version and content management software (Agile, etc.)
Optional: Dreamweaver and/or HTML coding
Optional: XML Editor (FrameMaker, Arbortext, Oxygen, etc.)
Optional: Database Publishing editor (TEX, PatternStream, etc.)
If you are interested to read more about technical writing as a career and how it can help you earn a steady living, visit http://www.learntechnicalwriting.com You might be pleasantly surprised with what you'll find out. Join the thousands who are already helped and inspired by this information provided by a Fortune 500 Senior Technical Writer. Visit today and claim your free report "How Much Do Technical Writers Make?"
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ugur_Akinci
Why Technical Writing Jobs Are Among the Best Writing Options in an Economic Depression
I think technical writing is one of the best writing niches in an economic depression. The reason is simple. Think of all the things people quit doing in an economic depression. First of all, they stop buying and shopping. That takes a chunk out of the incomes of copy writers in general because when people start to save their money, there is less to do for most copy writers since main purpose of commercial copy is to sell something.
SIDEBAR: That actually may work well for the top echelon elite copy writers with well-established track records since, in an environment that does that forgive any mistakes, the employers would not like to take any chances with rookie writers. The business owners and direct marketers would play safe and hire only the "proven entities." Thus, veteran copy writers may actually see an increase in their incomes. But during a recession a great majority of average copy writers may see a drop either in their business volume or the rates they are charging.
Same goes with journalism. At this writing, print journalism is in a deep decline. There are almost no daily newspapers in the United States that are turning a profit simply because people, especially the generation under thirty, are not purchasing and reading newspapers. Especially not when the average weekday edition sells for 50 or 75 cents these days and jumps all the way up to $5 for weekend editions! People don't have that kind of money to spare in a recession for an item that you throw away within 24 hours.
And when it comes to online journalism, the alternatives are so many, it's again hard to make upfront money as an online journalist in this new environment where every blog is a potential source of free news and commentary.
But technical writing has less (what the economists would call) "demand elasticity" in economic depressions simply because people still need to learn how to operate systems, how to take medication, what to do with their lives, health, property, and money. And it is a technical writer's privilege to describe how a savings account works, the advantages of a new training program that one can take while the economy gets better, or how a new time-saving productivity software should be configured properly. Main purpose of technical writing is to instruct, explain, and tutor. And the need for that will never diminish in times good or bad.
If you are interested to read more about technical writing as a career and how it can help you earn a steady living, visit http://www.learntechnicalwriting.com. You might be pleasantly surprised with what you'll find out. Join the thousands who are already helped and inspired by this information provided by a Fortune 500 Senior Technical Writer. Visit today and claim your free report "How Much Do Technical Writers Make?"
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ugur_Akinci
SIDEBAR: That actually may work well for the top echelon elite copy writers with well-established track records since, in an environment that does that forgive any mistakes, the employers would not like to take any chances with rookie writers. The business owners and direct marketers would play safe and hire only the "proven entities." Thus, veteran copy writers may actually see an increase in their incomes. But during a recession a great majority of average copy writers may see a drop either in their business volume or the rates they are charging.
Same goes with journalism. At this writing, print journalism is in a deep decline. There are almost no daily newspapers in the United States that are turning a profit simply because people, especially the generation under thirty, are not purchasing and reading newspapers. Especially not when the average weekday edition sells for 50 or 75 cents these days and jumps all the way up to $5 for weekend editions! People don't have that kind of money to spare in a recession for an item that you throw away within 24 hours.
And when it comes to online journalism, the alternatives are so many, it's again hard to make upfront money as an online journalist in this new environment where every blog is a potential source of free news and commentary.
But technical writing has less (what the economists would call) "demand elasticity" in economic depressions simply because people still need to learn how to operate systems, how to take medication, what to do with their lives, health, property, and money. And it is a technical writer's privilege to describe how a savings account works, the advantages of a new training program that one can take while the economy gets better, or how a new time-saving productivity software should be configured properly. Main purpose of technical writing is to instruct, explain, and tutor. And the need for that will never diminish in times good or bad.
If you are interested to read more about technical writing as a career and how it can help you earn a steady living, visit http://www.learntechnicalwriting.com. You might be pleasantly surprised with what you'll find out. Join the thousands who are already helped and inspired by this information provided by a Fortune 500 Senior Technical Writer. Visit today and claim your free report "How Much Do Technical Writers Make?"
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ugur_Akinci
7 Productivity Tips to Use Webinar Successfully As a Tool in Your Technical Writing Job
Technical writers should use every productivity tool available to them to gather and present information, and facilitate the review process. A webinar, the two-way live video and audio "Web Seminar" broadcast, is one such tool.
Here are 7 ways how you, as a technical writer, can maximize the productivity of your webinar:
1) Distribute the agenda of the webinar to all participants in advance. In addition to the time, URL, and password of the webinar, also send your participants any supporting materials that they need to familiarize themselves with before the event. Studies show that when participants know what is expected of them and are well informed about the reference materials, they contribute at a much higher level. For example, if this is a document review session, makes sure everybody gets the draft document in question at least a few days before the webinar.
2) Have an alternative ready for those members who for one reason or another cannot establish a regular audio connection. A toll-free 800 number, for example, that carries the audio of the presentation could save the day.
3) Make sure that the video connection is "firewall-friendly" and it can be reached from behind your corporate firewall.
4) If you are going to use the session to gather information from Subject Matter Experts, make sure you have all your questions written well ahead of the session. A webinar is not the time to come up with last-minute questions on your feet.
5) Provide a way for your participant to make comments and ask questions both publicly and also in private, through one-on-one messaging.
6) Prefer a webinar host that can record the proceedings and deliver the video of the presentation. That way you can use the video as a documentation training tool and distribute it to selected others who couldn't make it to the webinar.
7) Survey and polling functionality is also very useful to get an overall feedback from your participants and improve your presentation the next time you hold a webinar.
If you are interested to read more about technical writing as a career and how it can help you earn a steady living, visit http://www.learntechnicalwriting.com. You might be pleasantly surprised with what you'll find out. Join the thousands who are already helped and inspired by this information provided by a Fortune 500 Senior Technical Writer. Visit today and claim your free report "How Much Do Technical Writers Make?"
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ugur_Akinci
Here are 7 ways how you, as a technical writer, can maximize the productivity of your webinar:
1) Distribute the agenda of the webinar to all participants in advance. In addition to the time, URL, and password of the webinar, also send your participants any supporting materials that they need to familiarize themselves with before the event. Studies show that when participants know what is expected of them and are well informed about the reference materials, they contribute at a much higher level. For example, if this is a document review session, makes sure everybody gets the draft document in question at least a few days before the webinar.
2) Have an alternative ready for those members who for one reason or another cannot establish a regular audio connection. A toll-free 800 number, for example, that carries the audio of the presentation could save the day.
3) Make sure that the video connection is "firewall-friendly" and it can be reached from behind your corporate firewall.
4) If you are going to use the session to gather information from Subject Matter Experts, make sure you have all your questions written well ahead of the session. A webinar is not the time to come up with last-minute questions on your feet.
5) Provide a way for your participant to make comments and ask questions both publicly and also in private, through one-on-one messaging.
6) Prefer a webinar host that can record the proceedings and deliver the video of the presentation. That way you can use the video as a documentation training tool and distribute it to selected others who couldn't make it to the webinar.
7) Survey and polling functionality is also very useful to get an overall feedback from your participants and improve your presentation the next time you hold a webinar.
If you are interested to read more about technical writing as a career and how it can help you earn a steady living, visit http://www.learntechnicalwriting.com. You might be pleasantly surprised with what you'll find out. Join the thousands who are already helped and inspired by this information provided by a Fortune 500 Senior Technical Writer. Visit today and claim your free report "How Much Do Technical Writers Make?"
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ugur_Akinci
Technical Communication - 7 Low-Tech Technical Writing Jobs That Pay Well
You do not need to be a computer engineer or a scientist with Ph.D. to become a top-notch technical writer. There are many low-tech writing niches that you can prosper in even if you are not too comfortable with hi-tech subject matters. Here are seven such opportunities available to all technical writers:
1) Grant Proposal writing. There are a lot of non-profit organizations out there looking for writers to prepare and submit a grant proposal on their behalf. The same goes for for-profit corporations that need writers to prepare the necessary documentation to satisfy the conditions stated in a RFP (Request For Proposal) document and win commercial bids.
2) Resume and cover letter writing. Resumes and cover letters are "evergreen" writing gigs since they are needed all the time. But especially in times of economic hardship and recession, a good resume becomes more important than ever. Learn how to write great resumes and cover letters and you'll never be without a job.
3) Quality Control Plan (QCP) writing. This is a document submitted by a defense contractor trying to win a defense-related bid. You can learn how to write one within a day and make good money freelancing for defense vendors and contractors.
4) Tests and Quizzes. There are many tutoring companies, SAT and other exam-prep book publishers who need technical writers come up with all kinds of exam questions, tests and quizzes. Pick up one such book you like, find its publisher, and send a query to the editor.
5) Policy and Procedure writing. Policy and Procedure manuals are needed by all kinds of civic, religious, and military organizations, corporate Human Resources departments, and non-profits in general. You gather and compile the rules, policies and procedures so the managers know what to do when something goes wrong.
6) Case studies. A case study defines a problem for an organization, describes the alternative methods tried to resolve the issue, and then defines one solution that worked the best, with Before and After figures. Many mid- and large-size organizations have such case studies written both for their internal training and marketing purposes. This is a lucrative field that overlaps with writing White Papers.
7) Game rule writing. Video and board games is a $12 billion industry and growing. Every game must have its own file or booklet of rules and technical writers write them. If you can write clear directions on how to play a game, what constitutes a "win" or a "loss," what are the things that are allowed and not allowed, and express it in a language that can be understood by an average reader with only high school education, you might have a job with a game company.
If you are interested to read more about technical writing as a career and how it can help you earn a steady living, visit http://www.learntechnicalwriting.com. You might be pleasantly surprised with what you'll find out. Join the thousands who are already helped and inspired by this information provided by a Fortune 500 Senior Technical Writer. Visit today and claim your free report "How Much Do Technical Writers Make?"
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ugur_Akinci
1) Grant Proposal writing. There are a lot of non-profit organizations out there looking for writers to prepare and submit a grant proposal on their behalf. The same goes for for-profit corporations that need writers to prepare the necessary documentation to satisfy the conditions stated in a RFP (Request For Proposal) document and win commercial bids.
2) Resume and cover letter writing. Resumes and cover letters are "evergreen" writing gigs since they are needed all the time. But especially in times of economic hardship and recession, a good resume becomes more important than ever. Learn how to write great resumes and cover letters and you'll never be without a job.
3) Quality Control Plan (QCP) writing. This is a document submitted by a defense contractor trying to win a defense-related bid. You can learn how to write one within a day and make good money freelancing for defense vendors and contractors.
4) Tests and Quizzes. There are many tutoring companies, SAT and other exam-prep book publishers who need technical writers come up with all kinds of exam questions, tests and quizzes. Pick up one such book you like, find its publisher, and send a query to the editor.
5) Policy and Procedure writing. Policy and Procedure manuals are needed by all kinds of civic, religious, and military organizations, corporate Human Resources departments, and non-profits in general. You gather and compile the rules, policies and procedures so the managers know what to do when something goes wrong.
6) Case studies. A case study defines a problem for an organization, describes the alternative methods tried to resolve the issue, and then defines one solution that worked the best, with Before and After figures. Many mid- and large-size organizations have such case studies written both for their internal training and marketing purposes. This is a lucrative field that overlaps with writing White Papers.
7) Game rule writing. Video and board games is a $12 billion industry and growing. Every game must have its own file or booklet of rules and technical writers write them. If you can write clear directions on how to play a game, what constitutes a "win" or a "loss," what are the things that are allowed and not allowed, and express it in a language that can be understood by an average reader with only high school education, you might have a job with a game company.
If you are interested to read more about technical writing as a career and how it can help you earn a steady living, visit http://www.learntechnicalwriting.com. You might be pleasantly surprised with what you'll find out. Join the thousands who are already helped and inspired by this information provided by a Fortune 500 Senior Technical Writer. Visit today and claim your free report "How Much Do Technical Writers Make?"
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ugur_Akinci
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