Elements for Writing Better Technical Manuals

How good is your product manual? Tech writers, product and marketing managers should be concerned. Surveys have shown that nearly two-thirds of consumers have said that "sometimes" product instructions make sense. If consumers couldn't figure out how to use the product, one-third would return that product and buy another elsewhere. The fact is that people are turned off by many of today's product manuals for end-users. Meaning, a shoddy manual could affect the bottom line in company sales.

This book is not about writing well, or grammar. Writers generally do both pretty well. This book addresses problems that result in a poor user experience and offers simple, often overlooked practical advice on how to make improvements. Consider this book as a primer for those getting into the field of technical writing, as most products today are technical in nature. It's a handbook to show what end-users expect to find, which is clear, easy to follow documentation. For product managers it may offer insight of why your latest product isn't doing so well in sales. Included are checklists, diagrams, examples, and a list of commonly used style guides to improve the content and structure of technical manuals and to help keep your project on track.