Main

February 03, 2007

Technical Communication

'Technical Communication' is a genre of writing that includes information technology, medical, science, technical, and trade writing. The technical communication era burst onto the scene in the latter part of the 1950's when the Society of Technical Writers and Editors (STWE) was formed (later becoming the Society for Technical Communication [STC]). This innovation in documentation development has evolved parallel to the information era representative of computers and the Internet. Technical Communicators may perform some, or all, of the following:

  • Documentation specialization
  • Information development
  • Technical editing
  • Technical illustrations
  • Technical translations
  • Technical writing
  • Web design

DonnaInk has been involved in technical communications for over 20 years, where early efforts involved typewriting with carbon paper (now considered archaic). As times have changed, DonnaInk has grown with the times. In fact, we have maintained leading edge technology involved in this massive field of talent.

With so many varieties of writing specific to technical communication, some commonalities are necessary in order to be effective in the marketplace. These include citations, proficient presentation, consistency, attractive final copy, organizational credibility, accuracy, and illustration prowess; additionally, technical communication needs to answer the following questions:

  1. What does the audience need to know?
  2. What does the audience know already?
  3. And, in what order do they need to know the presented information?

For instance, when developing end-user guides for new software or enhancements-the technical communicator has to present clear, compelling, easy to use final copy that presents definitive technical diagrams (vector or other) and/or screen captures along with accurate text that will ensure the end-user comprehends the necessary information to use the guide in real-time practical application. The technical communicator's reader may be aboard a ship during a national security crisis, she/he may be performing medical training, or applying Hazmat operations for an emergency response team. These readers need to have immediate, concise, accurate final copy.

Books, Ghostwriting, and Manuscript Development

Without words, without writing and without books there would be no history, there could be no concept of humanity. Hermann Hesse
Herman Hesse, awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1946, was a poet and novelist; however, in his initial attempts at poetry-Hesse was found to be contrived with an inability to reach inside his soul to present the emotion his work deserved. At a crucial point in his writing career he had an epiphany resulting in an awakening of his inner passion that he then crafted into his writing. At the onset of Hermann's career though, you could venture to say he was viewed as not having the potential to deliver final copy worthy of a Nobel Prize in Literature.

The same can be said for many modern day writers. Whether working in fiction or practical non-fiction each of us has a message to convey regarding our insights or stories whether professionally or personally. A manuscript requires effective planning, market awareness, and subjective analysis. At times in the development of a manuscript, writers are so ingratiated into their effort that the ability to take a step back to proofread, analyze, assess and reassess, or critique their work in progress is often thwarted. You may hear, this book was a labor of love. Many times manuscript development is just that-laborious; at DonnaInk we labor for you.

DonnaInk features proofreaders, editors, writers, and industry experts who are prepared to analyze, critique, or rewrite your text. Services we offer include:
  • Abstracts and abridgements
  • Agent representation
  • Anthology editing
  • Book jacket copy writing
  • Book proposal consultation
  • Book proposal writs
  • Book query critiques
  • Content editing (scholarly, textbook, trade)
  • Copy edits
  • Ghostwriting
  • Indexing
  • Manuscript evaluation and critique
  • Novel synopsis for literary agent or publisher
  • Page layout (desktop publishing, camera-ready copy)
  • Production editing and project management
  • Proofreading
  • Research for writers or publishers
  • Rewrites
  • Script evaluations
  • Summaries
  • Textbook writs and edits
  • Translations
  • Treatments
  • Typesetting
  • Writer coaching
With works in print for former clients in diverse genres (Department of Defense [DoD], enterprise architecture, fibre optic channeling, media, music, and scriptwriting) DonnaInk offers wide-spectrum representation. We would like to assist you in meeting your writing goals this year.

D. Quesinberry, January Message

Pricing can be a challenge to service oriented professionals. When we develop the client to client-provider bond, work often takes on its own life. The desire to achieve client objectives typically overrides the more practical responsibility of fair pricing. The documentation/media industry is no different than any other service orientated industry in this regard; media and technical communication firms develop relationships with clients desiring to achieve "their" successes sometimes at the expense of the bottom-line.

Uniquely, the writing industry also features many publications and development associates who ask writers to present products for copy or publication as their payment. Some of these requests come from pristine publications where inclusion in their copy is a legitimate form of payment; however, some of these requests come at the cost of client good faith. Vanity presses request authors to pay for publishing services, and count on the author performing most, if not all, capacities involved in the daunting task of publishing. From beginner, to seasoned writer, we may be asked to write and edit for free.

Therefore, DonnaInk presents competitive pricing to our clients on our website for initial review without any hidden agenda. When you review the DonnaInk website, you will note our fee schedule along with service offering information. Though the fee schedule may appear overwhelming at first, please-don't despair. Fees are broad in scope, taking into account large corporate clients, to small business startups, to private individuals.

Danielle, Credit Representative, reviews work orders and discusses them in team meetings. Together we consider the requirements necessary to complete your work order while we keep an eye on both your budget constraints and our bottom-line. We don't believe in price gouging and we will not gouge our clients.

Our greatest resolve is to share a mutual exchange in successful rewards of qualitative final products. With this reality in mind, we look forward to a long association with you while you allow us to fulfill your goals and objectives in the upcoming years; and, here's to 2007 excellence!

Proposal Development

To achieve a winning proposal, prospective clients need to be assured that your solutions are a cut above the competition. Winning proposals must convey a solid understanding of fulfillment requirements. This is achieved through effective planning and research, in addition to dedication to service. Striking text and qualitative format will deliver your message succinctly and leave no prospects for question in reviewers' minds regarding your potential as an upcoming team player and respondent contractor. Through seamless compliance to Grant, IDIQ, RFI, RFP, or RFQ proposal requests, coupled with well-developed, easily understood, technical solutions you present your expertise and value-adds that Government (DoD, Federal, State and local), commercial, or industry designees desire.

Government or Industry solicitations require comprehensive management and production service fulfillment, which DonnaInk offers. As complement to existing knowledge management (KM) resources, through efficient development process management that achieves award winning results – DonnaInk develops succinct, solutions-based, compliant end-products. And, we support best practice methodologies with proactive returns-on-investment (ROIs).

Win themes, discriminators, and response strategies must weave your story while demonstrating corporate strength, integrity, past performance, and technical comprehension with an ease that usurps competitor prospects. DonnaInk can provide the clear text and qualitative final copy that gives your company a competitive edge in 2007. Let us work for you!

Digg!
Blink It



The Fourth Estate

The belief that the press was free and independent arose by the mid-nineteenth century when businessmen maintained the capitalist order. The mainstream press was then weakened somewhat and maintained a defense in the stability of the state, which later evolved to a society that admitted no conflict of class interest, conflict between ignorance and enlightenment, conflict between the individual and the state, and later provided the intellectual framework where the free press could be perceived as a watch dog of government and guardian of the people.

SANS Demystified

The rapid rise of e-commerce, data-heavy websites, and globalization has increased the demand for data storage space--and Storage Area Networks (SANs) are the best way to solve the problem. This resource "demystifies" SAN technology and functions, showing how to manage, configure, and build your own SAN for a wide variety of applications. This text turned out to be an excellent ghostwrites that covers fibre optic channeling; albeit we learned from McGraw Hill that as the true author of this book it should never have been ghostwritten as they only allow co-authors. Still, the work is top notch regarding SANs.

Hosting by Yahoo!