Starting a Home-Based Technical Writing Business

Do you like to write and wish there was a way to make a real living at it? Well thankfully, technology is on your side. The boom in technology companies all across the country has produced a need for good technical communicators, or tech writers, to document, describe, and teach how to use new software applications, computer hardware, and information systems. The other good news is that there is a strong and vibrant world community of technical communicators with resources, programs, and conferences that can help you learn the craft.

So, what is a tech writer exactly? In the broadest sense, a tech writer is someone who explains a technical topic to either a non-technical audience or an audience unfamiliar with the subject. Tech writers can document everything from software manuals, to policy and procedures, hardware installation guides, online help, and web site content.

How it’s Done

Tech writing is a home business that’s well-suited to working from home. You can communicate with clients over the phone or through email, you can download and install the product off the web for testing, or log in to lab servers and run your tests remotely.

Usually home-based tech writers work on contract, paid either by project or hourly. However, you can sometimes negotiate to be a home-based employee with salary and benefits. Either way, your employer or client saves in office space if the onsite location is crowded, and in equipment costs.

The downside is that you don’t get as much face-time with managers, developers, and other people resources. If your contract is local, it’s a good idea to arrange meetings in the office from time-to-time to make sure you’re getting all the information you need and meeting everyone’s expectations.

If you client is long distance, free internet video phone services make it easy to have one-on-on or conference video calls. For example, SightSpeed (www.sightspeed.com) is a free video phone with great picture quality, smooth flowing video, and sound. All you need is a web cam and headset and you can start making free video calls.

Resources

Before you launch into tech writing as a career or home business, there are a few resources you should know about. Bookmark these sites and visit them often:

www.stc.org – Society of Technical Communication (STC) is a long standing professional organization dedicated to helping technical writers in all industries succeed and grow. There are local chapters in nearly every state and province, and in other countries. Get in touch with your local chapter and attend a meeting. Not only will members be eager to answer all your questions, meetings are a good place to start networking. The STC also has special interest groups (SIGs) that run their own meetings on subtopics of technical writing, such as online communication, marketing communication, usability, and independent contracting. The STC also publishes the STC salary survey for members—the only place to go to find out what tech writers with various levels of experience are making.
Techwr-l – This web site started out as a simple newsgroup for tech writers but now is a full fledged web resource for tech writers.
tc-eserver.org - A comprehensive single location from which to access the highest-quality published resources currently available online for technical writers.

Networking and Promotion

To kick-start your tech writing business, you should be networking like crazy. Start with the contacts you already have, like friends, family and former co-workers. You can also go to the Chamber of Commerce in your area and attend meetings or small business seminars that will expose you to the business community.

Getting that first job may prove to be the most difficult, but once you’re working, finding additional clients gets easier because you’re building a portfolio of material you can stand behind.

You should also consider developing a small website to promote your business and have business cards printed that include your site name. Your site doesn’t have to be fancy but it DOES have to look clean and professional, with NO spelling mistakes or grammatical blunders. Remember that you are selling your writing skills, so every time you communicate with your customers on the web or in email, take the opportunity put your best work forward.

Finally, tech writing works either way as full time or part time career. Make sure you have a great setup at home, including a high speed internet connection, laptop or desktop computer, laser printer, fax software, and headset for internet telephone calls. Keep your network open and lively and get to know your local STC chapter.

Leanne Tremblay is a senior freelance technical writer and publisher of www.quickstartvoip.com, a site all about working from home using VOIP internet phone services and free video phone software.