Tag: Procedure Implementation
Why to Hire a Technical Ghostwriter: 5 Ways a Technical Ghostwriter Can Help Your Company
The great American author Mark Twain once said, “Writing is easy. All you have to do is cross out the wrong words.” No offense to Mr. Twain, but writing is not quite so simple. Writing requires a combination of skill and expertise that takes time to develop. And in the business world, time is a luxury few companies can afford. As a result, producing text, particular...
September 10, 2021 READ MORE
Why Technical Writers Need Strunk & White’s “The Elements of Style”
Raise your hand if you have ever heard of Strunk and White’s “The Elements of Style.” Now, raise your hand if you’ve ever used Strunk and White’s “The Elements of Style.” Finally, if you raised your hand on the second question, raise it if you have used it lately. Had the above commands been presented to me before I was given this blog topic, my hand...
August 17, 2021 READ MORE
The Technical Writer’s Role in Document Development
If you’ve ever been charged with producing technical manuals or documents, you know how important it is to ensure that they’re written in a clear and concise manner. But what if you’re not a writer? Or what if you are just too busy to get the job done? That’s where the technical writer steps in. Technical writers specialize in writing and editing docum...
January 19, 2021 READ MORE
Barbara Adams is an award-winning writer with more than 30 years of technical writing experience. Her portfolio includes hundreds of whitepapers, case studies, trade articles, op-eds, books, and brochures. And at TWFH, Barb is our go-to authority for all things technical. For this installment of Copywriter Q&A, Barb talked to us about the art of making technical co...
January 15, 2021 READ MORE
Top 3 Reasons Why Smart Companies Hire Technical Ghostwriters
Have you ever set up a printer in your home or downloaded software onto your laptop? Perhaps you constructed a jungle gym for your kids or took your blood glucose level with a medical monitor. If so, you likely benefited from the work of a technical ghostwriter. Some may only associate the term “ghostwriting” with professionals who draft content on behalf of ano...
November 13, 2020 READ MORE
The Art of Technical Ghostwriting
One of the most challenging aspects of technical writing is communicating effectively with a subject matter expert (or SME, commonly pronounced as one word “smee”). SMEs have the knowledge that the technical writer must extract and translate into useful publications, such as documents, videos, webinars, classroom courses, and marketing collateral. In some cases, ...
January 30, 2020 READ MORE
Talking to SMEs: How to make the most of their time (and yours)
When it comes to adding clout to a piece of writing, fewer things help more than talking to a subject matter expert (SME). They know the ins and outs of what you’re writing about and they know it well. They are the expert after all. The context and technical knowledge that an SME brings to a piece of writing is undeniable. The journalism world is effectively built on...
December 18, 2019 READ MORE
HOW TO KICK-OFF A WRITING PROJECT: PART ONE — THE PROCESS
When starting a new project, one of the most important first steps is the kick-off meeting. Leading a kick-off meeting for a writing project requires lots of preparation—and patience—on the part of the project manager and the project team. The meeting brings together all stakeholders and sets the tone for the entire project. The writing process can involve a lot ...
September 27, 2019 READ MORE
Breaking “The Curse of Academia”: Subject Matter Expertise and Writing for a General Audience
You are an industry expert. You know your stuff. You wrote the book on it - literally. But when tasked with stepping outside of your industry-specific box -- for example, if you’re asked to contribute copy to a sales brochure or draft an editorial for a customer-facing web copy -- you often find that it’s easier said than done. Why? It’s not a lack of expertise. ...
March 13, 2019 READ MORE