Tech Writing - What Is It Good For?
For those of you who do not know me, I'm the managing editor of 15Seconds and Webopedia. I've been following and reading weblogs.asp.net for some time now, and I've noticed that the subject of technical writing does come up on occasion. In fact, blogging itself has become a form of technical writing.
I've set up this blog to share my thoughts and ideas on issues that surround the art, craft, and business of technical writing. I'd also be happy to respond to any questions or concerns you may have on technical writing.
I guess the first issue I'd like to address is book writing and article writing. I promise I'll try to keep it short and unbiased.
For those of you looking to write, I think it is important to know what you want to get out of the experience. Besides the desire to share your knowledge for the betterment of the development community, are you looking mainly to make some extra dough quick or are you primarily looking for prestige? Article and book writing do offer both, just in different proportions.
Those looking mainly for prestige, book writing is probably the best bet. There is greater distinction and prestige associated with having your name (and picture) printed on the front of a few-hundred page book. Writing a book is much more tedious and time consuming than writing articles, so the sense of accomplishment may be greater as well. Articles do also offer some prestige and distiction (and credibility), but the bare fact is this is book writing's forte.
Those looking mainly to make some extra money should try their hand at article writing. Publications, whether online or print, may pay, depending on writer experience, anywhere between $100.00 and $1000.00+ per article that usually contains 1,000 - 20,000 words. This is a flat fee, independent of page views or unique visits. Book authors may be granted royalties between 8% and 15% per copy sold. A colleague of mine recommends negotiating for the largest advance possible, especially if you are not a well establish author, and don't worry too much about the royalties.
With that said, there is definitely a synergy between the two. Writing articles is a great way to promote a book. While a book may eventually sell 20,000 copies, an online article may receive 20,000 visitors in less than a month. Plus, you'll get paid for the article as well! Depending on the terms of your contract, what you write in articles may be used in your books and vice versa.
In either case, you'll probably be asked to sign a contract to establish fees, rights, conditions, etc. It is of the utmost importance that you understand what is being granted to you and what you are granting.
This is just my take on the subject based on my experiences as an editor here at Jupitermedia. I know I haven't covered everything, but I hope I've given you a few things to consider.
Good luck!
-Steve Kapsinow