Making Money in Technical Writing News & Views Book Review

Making Money in Technical Writing, by Peter Kent Macmillan 1998. ISBN 0-02-861883-1. $16.95, 280 pp. by Estella Clifford Senior Technical Writer, Elsag Bailey Inc. Originally published in News & Views January 1998 issue. Copyright 1998 STC-Philadelphia Metro Chapter. For permission to reprint this article, contact the Managing Editor.

Are you a permanent employee who yearns for the variety and flexibility that the freelance life offers? Are you a freelance writer who wants to improve business? Are you in a related profession, considering a career change to technical writing? Are you new to the technical writing scene, wondering if you'd like to make it your career? If you answered "Yes" to any of these questions, then Making Money in Technical Writing is an ideal book to consider adding to your library. This highly readable volume is organized into four main sections, reflecting the author's Three-Step Method for becoming a freelance technical writer: Getting Started Step One: Using the Agencies Step Two: Cut Out the Middleman Step Three: Consulting The big picture "Getting Started" covers a lot of ground, including an overview of the technical writing profession, the tools and training required, and basic writing tips. Typical backgrounds are discussed, and various writers describe how they entered the field. Salary ranges and freelance rates are included. Numerous references for obtaining additional information support the material. Chapter 4 describes various ways to freelance and how these positions are compensated. To become a successful freelancer requires skills and qualities beyond technical competence and writing ability. Among these qualities are the ability to handle money, to handle uncertainty, to handle change, to learn quickly, to sell oneself, to network, to get on well with people, to motivate yourself, and to maintain a good reputation. Even writers with all the necessary qualities must further consider both the advantages (Chapter 5) and disadvantages (Chapter 6) to freelance status. Calculate your compensation How much do you truly earn? Use the guidelines in Chapter 7 to calculate the true compensation you receive for each hour you work, assuming you are in a "permanent" job. This vital step allows you factor in both the value of your benefits and the number of hours you actually work. A worksheet is provided, as are suggestions for evaluating various benefits, from medical insurance to the company cafeteria. Even for those not planning to freelance, this is an informative exercise! Using agencies "Step One: Using the Agencies," provides tips on how to find and negotiate with agencies. Because the agency provides the contract, contracts and restrictive covenants are discussed briefly here. (A detailed look at contracts is provided in Chapter 20, for independent contractors who must draft their own contracts.) The negative aspects of working through an agency are examined in Chapter 10. Going independent Those who prefer to find work on their own will appreciate "Step Two: Cut Out the Middleman" and "Step Three: Consulting." These sections describe preparations for the independent life, networking (painlessly!), tax considerations, and sales basics. Chapter 10 consolidates work-hunting tactics. Chapter 20 provides a detailed discussion of contracts, a sample contract, and suggestions for additions to more advanced contracts. Even those not considering the freelance life will find this book to be a handy compendium of technical writing resources. Chapter 24, "Working Online," includes a list of useful World Wide Web sites, mailing lists, and news groups. Other resource lists include publications for contractors, technical service firms, professional associations, and courses and seminars of interest to technical writers, as well as a bibliography.

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Posted February 1, 1998 (rst)