Arco Making Money in Technical Writing [Paperback]

Peter Kent (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1997

The only book about selling your services as a freelance technical writer. Highly acclaimed within the freelance tech-writing business. Originally published as The Technical Writer's Freelancing Guide, this edition is greatly updated -- 80% of it is new.

Editorial Reviews

Review

I found the book highly readable and interesting. It's logically organized and covers its material quite thoroughly. Kent has strong opinions on some subjects, but he backs them up with facts and experience... it's hard to imagine a technical writer who couldn't find something useful and worthwhile in this book. It should be especially useful to anyone who is trying to break into the field, to salaried writers considering making a move to freelancing, or to freelancers who want to improve their incomes. -- Keith Soltys, at the Internet Resources for Technical Writers Web site

If you are an independent contractor or want to be, this book is full of valuable information. ... every technical communicator should read this book. ... Do I recommend it? Yes, if only to see how "seasoned" a writer you are. It might surprise you how much -- or how little -- you know abut our industry. -- John P. Eldard, Technical Communication, the Journal of the Society for Technical Communication

Kent writes in a clear and concise style with plenty of examples to illustrate the steps involved in achieving a successful career in technical writing. -- Ian Lyall reviewing the book in various technical-writers discussion groups [STC Lone Writers, COPYEDIT, Techwr-l, Writers] and in an STC chapter newsletter.

Kent's friendly and helpful tone will draw you in and provide you with some of the best career advice you're ever likely to receive. ... My advice is to buy this book and keep it as a reference source. At $16.95 it's an absolute bargain! -- Elaine Randolph. TECHNIScribe, the newsletter of the Orange County Chapter of the STC.

Never having been a full-time freelancer, I hadn't previously seen a copy of Peter Kent's first edition of Making Money in Technical Writing. If I had, it might have changed the course of my working life. That's a Recommendation, then?

Absolutely. -- Gary Conroy, In the Spotlight, at the The Mining Company's Technical Writing Web Site

Peter Kent gives solid, specific advice about how to manage the transition between being an employee and being a freelancer. -- Diane Haugen, writing in Whiskey Creek Document Design

Selling one's services directly may not be everyone's cup of tea, but even people who prefer to work through agencies, or "body shops", will benefit from much of the advice. There are excellent passages on dealing with agencies, for example, or on networking with colleagues. The many online and offline resources listed in the appendix alone would be worth the price of admission. -- Roger Frey, Society of Editors newsletter, Australia

The book can be used by the novice writer looking to break into technical writing or for those already involved in the field who are looking to improve their knowledge and skills and earn a higher income for their work. An exceedingly valuable resource for the serious writer looking to earn money in the potentially lucrative technical writing industry. -- The Internet Writer's Journal

This is a new book that you really should take a look at, even if you have been making a living at technical writing for a long time. ... the level-headed and realistic way he sorts things out and helps the reader evaluate the information is what makes the book so useful. I just about guarantee you will learn something interesting and potentially profitable. -- Stephen Forrest, Vice President of the Metro Baltimore Chapter of the Society for Technical Communication, writing in Chesapeake Bayline, the chapter newsletter.

From the Author

This book is in a second edition because of the great praise the first edition received, and because after that edition went out of print I (the author) continued to receive requests for the book.

Before this edition went to print I gathered testimonials from people who had read the first edition, and those who saw a preview edition of the second book.

Those testimonials are printed at the front of the book, and are posted at the book's web site.

The testimonials contain comments such as ... "I found your book very helpful in my budding freelance career"
"I found your approach to be realistic and right on target"
"I took your advice and doubled my income overnight! I made $150,000 last year"
"I was determined to be a successful freelancer and now I am. Thanks for the guidance."
"Thanks so much for your book, which steered me in the right direction. It was the right information at the right time."

Join the technical writing discussion groups, and ask about this book; you'll find that for every one who says that the book is "out of touch with today's job market," there will be several who will praise it. (The major tech-writing group is techwr)

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 280 pages
• Publisher: Arco Pub; 1st edition (October 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0028618831
• ISBN-13: 978-0028618838
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,738,660 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good advice . . . for the right type of person, June 8, 1999

By 

Robert Lawrence (Brooklyn, NY USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Arco Making Money in Technical Writing (Paperback)

I found this book outstanding and completely to my taste. But I am an aggressive entrepreneur and (in business matters) generally an optimist. That seems to be Peter Kent's personal style, so everything he said made perfect sense to me.

The mixed reviews given here may reflect different personalities, differing degrees of luck, or maybe just differing job markets (the two most negative reviews are from the Pacific Northwest--coincidence?).

In any case: (a) there are nowhere near enough technical writers; (b) there are a ton of outstanding opportunities for people who are bright and well-organized; and (c) if you want to take up the profession, this book can take you from zero to 60 in a couple of years.

But I reiterate: you've got to have the contractor's personality. Kent says that in his book, so (you negative reviewers) don't fault him if you see things differently.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Answers Questions Writers Face Today!, March 28, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Arco Making Money in Technical Writing (Paperback)

With the popularity of the Internet as a serious publishing medium, many opportunities now exist for writers from a variety of backgrounds and experiences to make a decent living. This is particularly true in the area of technical writing. Peter Kent has written Making Money in Technical Writing to provide writers with insight into how they can turn their writing experience into real income producing opportunities!

This book will help answer some of the more pressing questions writers face today such as how to look for work, finding the right agency, which assignments to accept and which ones to reject, how to price work, how to copyright protect work, how to conduct contract negotiations, and what the pros and cons of freelancing are. Helpful advice on working more efficiently, selling work, building a good reputation, and tax preparation is also provided.

The author thoughtfully includes a number of good resources for writers that will get them started in the right direction. Information about Websites, writer's associations, technical service firms, correspondence courses, training courses, seminars, and writing and consulting books for further reading are provided. All of these resources will contribute to a successful writing career.

Subtitled Turn Your Writing Skills Into $100,000 A Year, this book will convince readers that this goal is possible. Make no mistake though. Serious effort is required to become a successful writer. Fortunes in the writing business are not typically made overnight but with the right advice, encouragement, and inner drive, the readers of this book have a fighting chance at becoming successful. Must reading!

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not just for technical writers...., August 20, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Arco Making Money in Technical Writing (Paperback)

I am not a techincal writer, but a techincal translator, yet there are many overlapping characteristics between the two professions. His advice on writing skills is most certainly applicable to us, too. The advice I appreciated most, however, was the practical information on taxes, laws, health benefits, canvassing agencies, and contract-writing. Due to the user-friendly layout, I was able to skip over irrelevant sections and go directly to what I wanted to read. Peter's book is highly readable, thorough, and resourceful, making it an excellent introduction to a freelancing career.