Copywriting
4 Levels of Editing in Technical Writing
Writing is re-writing; that is, editing. Technical editing is a crucial part of all technical writing projects. But we have to remember there are multiple levels of technical editing which makes the task all the more challenging. LEVEL 1 EDITING Spec Editing. Does the document satisfy all the macro requirements specified in the Documentation Plan?…
Read MoreTechnical Writing — End Your Sentences with What Matters the Most
© 2010 Ugur Akinci Readers remember what they read the last much better than what they read first. Thus try to end your sentences with things that really matter. Don’t end your sentences with matters of secondary importance. For example, here is a sentence from U.S. OSHA Technical Manual: “Workplace investigations of ventilation systems may…
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How to Subordinate Your Supporting Idea to the Main Idea
Introduction A supporting idea is a detail that supports the main idea. Generally, a supporting idea is an example of the main idea or an explanation of the main idea. In order to subordinate your supporting idea to the main point, you need to present it in a way that makes it clear that it…
Read MoreHow to Use a Database to Store Content
(Excerpt) Using a database to store content has some big advantages. Assuming it is set up and managed correctly, and that users (procedure writers, content creators, etc.) can find, edit, and extract the content they need for a particular document, it can offer value in being able to ’single-source’ certain reusable content, and to separate…
Read MorePros and Cons of Working as a Remote Writer
Working as a remote writer might sound like a dream job, but it can also have its downside. One of the main challenges is that you’re not surrounded by coworkers on a day-to-day basis. The following are some of the pros and cons of working remotely: Pros of Working as a Remote Writer: Remote writers…
Read MoreHow to Write Web Content with SEO in Mind
SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is a “necessary evil” for most writers and I agree with them. It’s not easy to write with SEO in mind because that brings in yet another level of discipline and complexity to a craft that is already complex and hard in many ways. But, on the other hand, if you…
Read MoreHow to Split and Simplify Your Complex Sentences
© 2009 Ugur Akinci Here is a sure-fire method to split your long sentences into shorter and more easily understandable ones: Split your sentences at conjunctions like “and”, “or”, “while”, “however”, “although” etc. Those are the connection points where one clause is linked to another. By breaking your clauses apart you can develop a simpler…
Read MoreHow to Eliminate Redundant Words from Your Writing
© 2009-2010 Ugur Akinci Repeating an idea has its rightful place in article writing, essays, or journalistic writing. Even if you’re writing a technical article for engineers and scientists it pays to express the main idea once in the header (a must), then in the sub-header, another time in the opening paragraph, and lastly for…
Read MoreHow to Use Twitter to Promote Your Writing Services
© 2009 Ugur Akinci There is a good way to use the Twitter to promote your writing services, and another way that’s not that good. I’m finding these things out myself by trial and error and I wanted to share some of my findings with you. 1) Always share something useful and relevant, either by…
Read MoreWriters: Searching Through the Job Ads is not Marketing
© Ugur Akinci Generally speaking, we writers are not good at marketing our services. We love what we do and yet expect to be “discovered” and paid well for it too. Think again. This blog entry was prompted by an email from an obviously-very-qualified reader who asked whether she needs to get a technical writing…
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