Is Technical Writing Right For You?
http://freelancewrite.about.com/library/weekly/aa0202003a.htm

Sommer, Diane
About.com
2003

Abstract:

Times are tight, and as a writer, maybe you find yourself looking for a new way to use your love for words in a way that generates a more steady stream of income. You come across articles and ebooks on technical writing and wonder if it may be right for you. You already know technical writers penned every owner’s manual for all the gadgets and gizmos, appliances and machines in your every day life. Did you also know they prepare reference manuals, product specifications, assembly instructions, parts lists, help screens and website text? Add to that all the mountains of information they create for businesses – employee handbooks, policy manuals, training manuals, and other documents specific to that type of business. If your only ambition is to see yourself on the NY Times Bestseller List, obviously technical writing isn’t for you. On the other hand, if you have ever had to wade through a user guide that was so vague or so far over your head that you thought I could have written a better book than this, technical writing may be worth considering.