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EDUCATE THE MASSES - WRITE USER MANUALS
By Thomas Bosch
It may not be the most glamorous writing assignment in the
world but writing user manuals can be profitable steady work
which pays the bills while you're busy working on your novel.
I discovered this after recently writing a user manual for a
US-based software company.
You're probably wondering how to break into this kind of work.
Let's start with your own computer and look at the software
programs you are using. Do these programs have user manuals
available? If not, contact the company concerned, via their
website, and offer them one. If they do have a manual, take
a look at it and see if it can be improved upon. Rewrite
the first chapter for free and tell the company there's more
where that came from. You may impress someone with your bold
approach.
It doesn't have to stop at software. What about household
items such as washing machines and vacuum cleaners? Do you
think the instruction leaflet really sucks at explaining how
the product works or should be constructed? Then find the
contact details for the company and offer them something better.
The worst they can do is say "no thanks" but you never know,
they might just pause for a moment and think you're proposing
a great idea.
But there are two rules that need to be heeded with this
kind of work :
Keep it simple and straightforward – the reason why my
software manual was such a hit was because I simplified
the whole process. I took a complicated situation and
rewrote it to the point where even the most advanced
computer novice could understand it.. But that leads me
to another point. Don't preach to the reader and don't
talk down to them. Write the manual in a friendly casual
chatty way as if you were having a phone conversation with
them.
Include screenshots / photos as much as possible. The other
successful ingredient of my software manual was that I
included a multitude of screenshots. They say a picture
paints a thousand words and they're right. Alongside your
beautifully flowing text, include a screenshot or photo of
what you're talking about. Not only will it illuminate
what you're saying but pictures break up the page and make
it look more approachable. Nothing is worse than a page
full of nothing but dry text.
If you're accepted for a manual-writing assignment, write
the drafts of the manual in Microsoft Word (which makes it
easier to make corrections) and be prepared for LOTS of
rewrites and nit-picking. The company's legal department
will go over your prose with a fine-tooth comb. My 40-page
software manual went through nine drafts and took six months
to write.
As for fees, it all depends on the size of the company and
how high-profile their product(s) is/are. For example,
you would charge Microsoft a lot more than what you would
charge your local business entrepreneur. Plus there are
other factors to take into account such as the number of
pages needed, how many pictures are required and if the
company wants anything extra added to their downloadable
version such as a clickable index or highlighted keywords
(which takes more time). This is one of those projects
where I would charge an hourly rate because the potential
for countless rewrites is enormous. I would work at
between $50 - $75 a hour, but I would also recommend that
you let the company suggest a fee. They may end up
offering more than you anticipated.
=====
Thomas Bosch is an entrepreneurial writer who sees the
potential for the written word in everything he sees.
Always writing, always dreaming and always thinking of
more ways to make money writing. He can be contacted
at signofthefour@gmail.com .
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