Every complex product needs to be explained to its users, and technical writers, also known as technical communicators, are the ones who do that job. A growing field, technical writing requires multiple skills, including an understanding of technology, writing ability, and great people skills.

Whether you're thinking of becoming a technical writer, just starting out, or you've been working for a while and feel the need to take your skills to the next level, The Insider's Guide to Technical Writing can help you be a successful technical writer and build a satisfying career.

Inside the Book

• Is This Job for Me? What does it take to be a technical writer?
• Building the Foundation: What skills and tools do you need to get started?
• The Best Laid Plans: How do you create a schedule that won't make you go crazy? How do you manage different development processes, including Agile methodologies?
• On the Job: What does it take to walk into a job and be productive right away?
• The Tech Writer Toolkit: How do you create style guides, indexes, templates and layouts? How do you manage localization and translation and all the other non-writing parts of the job?
• I Love My Job: How do you handle the ups and downs of being a technical writer?
• Appendixes: References to websites, books, and other resources to keep you learning.
• Index