Contracting with Technical Writers and Editors: Why, When, and How

Abstract

By the very nature of their jobs, engineers have a fundamental and ongoing responsibility to report their work and capabilities to a variety of audiences: peer technical audiences, less technically informed but otherwise sophisticated management audiences, and often the general public. Yet many do not have the editorial skills to effectively convey their messages to these audiences to achieve their communications goal. One way to address this problem is to contract for writing and editing services. This article discusses when contracting makes the most sense, types of technical writers and editors, considerations in assessing technical writers and editors, ways to prepare for work with technical writers and editors, and typical steps in publication planning, writing, and production.