How to Write a Technical Manual Fast
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About this ebook
This book was written for business people who have little time to create manuals (and even less time to figure out how to do it) but who know it is critical to have one, because
THE MANUAL IS THE CUSTOMER’S PRIMARY WINDOW INTO USING THE PRODUCT.
Promotion and marketing count—but if you can’t explain how the product is meant to work in the customer’s world, you have a problem.
If the right conditions are in place, a working draft of your technical manual can be ready FAST—within a week.
Your motivation is to give customers the best possible description of how the software or hardware operates. You may never get feedback from them, but that is likely a good thing—it means they didn’t have to call Tech Support—they were able to make sense of what the product did because of what you gave them in the manual. THAT IS WHAT YOU WANT.
In these brief pages I have described what you need to prepare the manual up front so that adding content over time is streamlined and easy.
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Book preview
How to Write a Technical Manual Fast - Regina Clarke
How to Write a Technical Manual Fast
Copyright 2016 by Regina Clarke
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in retrieval system, copied in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise transmitted without written permission from the author.
Cover design and layout by Regina Clarke
Cover Photo: CC by 2.0 (Noah Sussman, Cube Sweet Cube)
Table of Contents
Title Page and Copyright
Chapter 1: Setup
Chapter 2: Quick Summary of the Process
Chapter 3: Formatting
Chapter 4: Layout
Chapter 5: Creating the Shell of the Book
Chapter 6: Tools Checklist
Special Notes on Software Manuals
(with links to professional manuals)
Special Notes on Hardware Manuals
(with links to professional manuals)
Appendix: Sample Page Specifications
For the Reader
Other Books by This Author
About the Author
Chapter 1: Setup
If the right conditions are in place, a working draft of your technical manual can be ready FAST—within a week.
You may need to add or revise content before final copy, based on product changes, but with the draft in hand,