Technical Writing

A lot of times, people forget that there are more venues for writing than just creatively. Technical and professional writing may not get as much fanfare, but they definitely offer more reliable employment and a steady source of income. Recently, I hosted a panel of Technical Writers who participated in a Question and Answer discussion. Although my major is English and my emphasis is professional writing, I still learned a lot that I didn't know before and I'm sure a majority of the public doesn't know either.

For instance, did you know that a professional writer can get employment doing anything from formatting pamphlets, to proofreading brochures, to working with a team on the copy editing of manuals or novels, to acting as a language consultant for start-up or long-established companies? Specifically, one of the members of the panel has a job as a senior professional writer for the LDS church doing graphic design and java scripting for websites. His name is Tom Johnson and he maintains a blog called: www.idratherbewriting.com Another member works with a team of other technical writers on updating user's manuals for the military. One of my professors worked for the navy doing the same type of thing. If it's variety and spice you want, the possibilities in professional writing are endless.

Flexibility is another great advantage of professional and technical writing. You may be hired full-time permanently with benefits with a large company or corporation to keep all of their literature and instruction material correct and up-to-date. Another option is to work on a contract basis on one project. The length to complete a project might last between a few weeks to several months and occasionally may lead to long-term employment. Contract work pays more per hour, however, and allows you to decide when you want to work. The third option is free-lancing. This is the most flexible type of work, but it means you do a lot of marketing for yourself. This is ideal for social people who are good at networking and creating friendships. Free lance work might include applying for grants for libraries or proofreading newsletters or calendars. But no matter what line of technical or professional writing you end up in, work can be guaranteed. While sadly not all of us can become the next "Great American Author," all people with a degree in English (be it Bachelor's or Doctorate) can be assured of a chance to find stable, gainful employment.