Freelance Technical Writer – Weekly Home Business Idea

Do you have the skills to create and maintain technical documentation? A technical writer can write online help for programs, write scripts for instructional videos and prepare technical information for the end user.

Skills Required

A tech writer not only has to be an excellent writer, but must be capable of understanding the topics they write about. You may have to get technical information across to a non-technical audience. The information must be precise and complete.

Common Expenses

To start out a technical writing business, your main need may be a computer. A machine dedicated to your business has advantages, especially if other family members will be wanting to use a computer while you work.

You may need specialized software, depending on the requirements of the job. Some will require fairly common programs such as Microsoft Office. You may also need Project, Visio, RoboHelp, Photoshop, Adobe Acrobat and familiarity with some scripting languages.

A domain name and hosting can be useful for your online portfolio.

There may be expenses associated with finding clients. You will want to print business cards. You might look for work on boards that will have either an upfront cost or take a percentage of your earnings from projects found there. You might try pay per click advertising.

Possible Income Streams

Hopefully you can attract clients over time through your site. However, sites such as Shelancers, Upwork or Guru are also good places to search for work.

Related Scams

When you’re running your own business dealing with clients, your main concern may well be getting paid by your clients. Sometimes this will be really difficult. But there are fewer flat out scams out there when you have your own business. They do exist, however.

Fake job boards, for example. Any time you pay for membership you should first research to be sure that you will be getting something for your money, or at least have the chance to. Sometimes a legitimate source just won’t have a match for you. Other times there may be deliberate deception about the possibilities present on a site.

Recommended Reading

Technical Writing 101: A Real-World Guide to Planning and Writing Technical Documentation, Second Edition
Technical Writing Basics: A Guide to Style and Form (3rd Edition)
Microsoft Manual of Style for Technical Publications