Many people ask me what books about technical writing I may recommend. I think that only practice can help you to upgrade your skills but books may serve as a basis for further development. So I?ve compiled a list of useful books and accompanied each item with a description.
1.Technical Writing Process by Kieran Morgan. This book is about a five-step approach to creation of almost any piece of technical documentation such as a user guide, manual or procedure. It?s suitable for a wide range of audiences: aspiring technical writers and students of technical writing, non-writers who find themselves assigned with the task of creating technical documentation, established writers who want to bring more structure to their work, and anyone managing a documentation project.
2.Technical Writer Career Guide by ClickHelp.
Whether you only consider becoming a technical writer and not sure where to start, or already have a job and looking for ideas and inspiration to develop further in this direction, you might want to scan through it.
This ebook covers a wide range of questions, from the history of technical writing taking its roots in antiquity (yes, it?s that old!) to technical writing skills, modern tools, workflows and documentation design.
3. The Insider?s Guide to Technical Writing by Krista Van Laan
Technical writing requires multiple skills, including understanding of technology, writing and communication skills.
Whether you?re thinking of becoming a technical writer, just starting out, or you?ve been working for a while and feel the need to take your skills to the next level, The Insider?s Guide to Technical Writing can help you build a successful career in technical communication.
4.Managing Your Documentation Projects by JoAnn T. Hackos
The book devoted exclusively to technical publication project management, managing your documentation projects, arms you with proven strategies and techniques for producing high-quality, extremely usable documentation, while cutting cost and time-to-market. Dr. JoAnn T. Hackos, a top documentation design and project management consultant to major corporations, including IBM and Hewlett-Packard, shares with you the fruit of her more than 15 years of experience in the field.
5. Technical Communication, 9th edition by Mike Markel.
Comprehensive and truly accessible, Technical Communication guides students through planning, drafting, and designing the documents that will matter in their professional lives. Known for his student-friendly voice and eye for technology trends, Mike Markel addresses the realities of the digital workplace through fresh samples and cases, practical writing advice, and a companion Web site ? TechComm Web ? that continues to set the standard with content developed and maintained by the author.
6.Chicago Manual of Style
The Chicago Manual of Style Online is the venerable, time-tested guide to style, usage, and grammar in an accessible online format. It is the indispensable reference for writers, editors, proofreaders, indexers, copywriters, designers, and publishers, informing the editorial canon with sound, definitive advice.
7.Technical Writing for Dummies by Sheryl Lindsell-Roberts.
Whether you?re contemplating a career as a technical writer, or you just got tapped for a technical writing project, this friendly guide is your ticket to getting your tech writing skills up to snuff. It shows you step?by?step how to research and organize information for your documents, plan your project in a technical brief, work collaboratively with your reviewers etc.
These books are just a part of essential books about technical writing and communication. The second part is coming out soon. Stay tuned!
What techcomm books can you recommend?
