Source
r/freelanceWriters•
EllsTrek

How can I expand into technical writing?

Advice & Tips

I had a solid technology career. I have four published sci-fi novels. I’ve also written all the content for five websites, four of which are live and I can use as references. I’ve written technical white papers, but I can’t use them as in my portfolio because of employer contracts. I remember how much I enjoyed technical writing (and it pays better). What suggestions do you have to get back into it, but as a freelancer?

Posted Jun 16, 2021, 11:04 PM UTC

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cubicle_escape•

I’ve seen a lot of ads for remote technical writing jobs. You may want to invest a small amount of time and write some mini tech/instructional articles to use as a portfolio. I don’t think they will care about the fiction writing (sorry! But that’s really cool) Emphasize your tech working background and your ability to write precise documentation. Good luck!

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Lysis10Expert Contributor ⋆•

yeah, I've gotten hit up from some pretty big brands on LinkedIn. One cool company. Too bad I don't do technical writing.

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cubicle_escape•

Why not expand your skill set and earn some extra? 😀

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FRELNCER•

'Cause working smart is more fun than working hard.

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cubicle_escape•

Cool cool, Sounds like you’ve found your niche. Was mostly trying to encourage OP.

Good for you!

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Lysis10Expert Contributor ⋆•

Sounds boring to me tbh.

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cubicle_escape•

I get that, I think tech writing is good for people who are more into structured and complex tech stuff. Just trying to encourage OP. Glad you found a niche you like better.

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[deleted]•

[removed]

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Phronesis2000Expert Contributor ⋆•

Does technical writing pay better though?

I used to do technical writing in a prior employee role, and my intention when I went freelancing five years ago was to pick up this kind of work. But I have never seen advertised gigs (e.g., on Upwork) where the proposed pay has been approaching a reasonable price. In some cases I have applied and gone through to interview, and the proposed final price was preposterous.

As a caveat, my technical writing was mainly financial, not tech (hedging and risk policies).

My experience with technical writing in-house is that it is very time-consuming to do well, mainly due to constant revisions and input from stakeholders. So when I have been looking at freelance gigs of substantial policies, e.g., more than ten pages I have been looking in the $1000s of dollars per document, and I never see gigs at that price point.

By contrast, while content and copy are certainly not easy, there are still a decent number of well-paid gigs out there for qualified individuals.

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EllsTrekOP•

The average income is about $72k/yr. It’s a worthy pursuit.

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Phronesis2000Expert Contributor ⋆•

Oh, I assumed we were talking about freelancing, not salaried employment.

Yes, my impression is that it pays well enough for employment, but that the freelancing market in technical writing is more complex.

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EllsTrekOP•

Yes, freelancing—it’s about building up a client base.

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