In the world of content writing, technical writing is considered to be in the higher echelon of content writing categories. The reason being simple, it takes knowledge and experience in order to be a freelance technical writer. Therefore, it also translates into higher earnings due to the fact that you are providing a niche service.
Compared to a regular content writer a technical writer earns, on an average, three times more. For a regular content writer, it is always advised to get some knowledge and experience of at least one technical field, through which they can increase their profits. Now, freelance technical writing is done for science and engineering related fields.
Many companies look to hire technical writers who are well experienced in the required field, it also helps if you have related articles published. Then by writing sample articles on one of the technical fields or starting a blog with regular articles, a writer can start presenting themselves as a technical writer.
In essence, technical writing has to be very precise and concise it should deliver the information with the right terminology. Therefore, it is important to be able to work on the minute details of every aspect of your article as precision is the key.
When we said that technical writers earn up to three times more than regular writers it is still a conventional estimate. There are many writers who are earning much higher profits comfortably, what that also means is more earning in a lesser amount of time. There are some ways through which technical writers can multiply their earnings further, let us look at some of these ways –
1. Create a proper full-length resume and a portfolio with examples –
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Your resume should contain all the details relevant to your technical writing career, it should also have well-designed articles. It is also an added positive to include your technical development experience if you have any. It will be beneficial to use professional language.
(The above books are merely indicative and not necessarily recommended by us.)
2. Take a short term course or self-study –
There are many places including online sites which give easy to learn courses on technical disciplines. You can find out the current trends according to industry estimates and choose the technical field which interests you the most. Take an online course with a certification which will help you get hired as a technical writer. Read publications and books – It is very important to have a keen knowledge about the technical field you intend to write about. You can study websites and find publications online also you can purchase books or e-books which you can read in your free time. Once you are done with this in order to become a freelance technical writer, it will be necessary to have a blog or a website displaying your articles. If you have written content for technical fields earlier, it is always helpful to keep links of your work which you can give along with your profile.
One can also join a technical writing course. Apart from studying technical fields through which you can become a technical writer, there are also technical writing courses which help immensely in giving a more precise idea of all that is involved in writing for technical fields. Some of these technical courses give direct opportunities to hire technical writers.
3. Start Developing Software or Websites –
Computer and Internet technology is the major technical field in which many technical writers are required. It is growing at a rapid pace and new technology is invented and brought into the market every year. It is very helpful to have some hands-on knowledge on web development and software development tools which necessitate a large number of articles. The skills learned from studying the latest web and software tools will help you in developing your own website or application plus you will also gather the knowledge to write technical articles.
4. Attend technical seminars and lectures –
It is very beneficial for technical writers to regularly visit the technical seminars and lectures in the nearby areas and cities. Networking helps a great deal to meet more people connected to the same field and also other technical writers. You can exchange ideas and learn more from others. It is a great way to meet prospective clients and meeting them in person helps in putting across an impression which is missing when communicating only online. Some of the people at these technical fairs are looking to hire technical writers or find credible agencies which can connect them to freelance technical writers. One can keep a short copy of their resume and portfolio in hand to show to interested people if required. Also, have a professional business card which you can hand out to people.
5. Contact all the important companies –
All the major companies related to any technical field have their own openings for hiring technical writers. The name of the top 100 companies related to any technical field can be found easily. Once you have found the name of these companies it is advisable to make a spreadsheet with the name of the all the top 100 companies and their contact information and the response you get from them. It is very likely that at least a few of the companies from the total list will be looking to hire technical writers. You can repeat the process every month or bi-weekly and regularly contact the companies to find out if they have any openings. It is one of the best ways to get long-term clients, giving you a good price for your work.
These are the five main ways someone can enhance their technical writing career, which will lead to better earnings. Just by simply being in the profession for some time will improve your earnings and clientele. Technical writing is one of the best ways to make a good earning while being independent and not tied down to a regular work routine. It gives the flexibility to do more with your time and explore other avenues in life.
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