Technical Writing Trends in 2010 has become a Great Niche According to Yahoo

This little piece of writing further illustrates the need for new types of writers. Below is an excerpt from an article recently posted on yahoo.com. The title of the article is:

"High-Paying, Low-Stress Jobs" - 5 ways to earn big bucks without major stress." 

5. Technical writer
In this high-tech age, new groundbreaking tools, mobile devices, and innovative gadgets are released on practically a daily basis. Obviously, someone has to write about these ingenious doodads and complicated thingamabobs. That's where technical writers come into play.

Although they sometimes face tight deadlines, technical writers typically enjoy flexible hours and a comfortable, quiet workspace. Quite a few of them have an enviable 10-second commute--from their bedrooms to their desks. Because all they need is a phone and a computer with an Internet connection, many technical writers work from home.

What's more, technical writers are in extremely high demand. As technical companies continue to release pioneering new products, someone has to transform their complex technical-ese into everyday language the average customer can comprehend. Technical writers generally earn between $47,000 and $98,000 a year."

- Source YAHOO.COM,
by Amy Bell, Investopedia.com

This is great  news for writers. I've posted other articles from yahoo about the resurgence of journalism on the internet, technical writing is now more popular than ever. There are many successful "gadget" based blogs and most of them are advertised directly to net savvy individuals.

Isn't it interesting that the same people using the latest gadgets first are blogging and then getting paid for it? The occupation of Technical Writer has breached top five jobs because of it's complete lack of stress combined with potential for high pay.

As for niche writing, this is a perfect example of how knowing one specific topic well enough automatically has value. In the past you would have to get hired to write about something very specific such as an ipad or an HD Camcorder. Today, people don't bother fishing through physical pages for much, they get their answers not from the paid experts, but from reliable word of mouth posted in relevant forums like blogs, community bulletin boards, social networking sites, etc.

People are free to judge for themselves which reviews are credible on the internet. In the field of gadgets and technical writing, it's very difficult to plagiarize or fake knowing more than you do. Readers who own or have examined the products will likely know it better than you unless you extremely educated on your niche. This is what real journalists call a "beat," which is really just an old fashioned way of referring to your area of expertise, good journalists have multiple fields they can be consulted on.

Technical Writing also means having some cash to spend on gadgets, or at least a few friends who work at Radio Shack. Accessibility to resources is a major factor in blogging. For those who wish to explore areas of writing that are new, I would first suggest that you look in your own backyard for something that you might already be an expert on. If you have a craft, trade, job, or a passion that you consider yourself an expert on, then you might already have all the niche writing you need. To actually get paid you simply need to connect with the forums that NEED relevant writing whether it's technical writing or otherwise. Either way, getting paid to write quickly and productively is the ultimate goal for freelancers and bloggers of all levels. This article is positive sign that even more opportunity is on the horizon with new and valuable technical writing niches that are still undiscovered. 


Read the Full Article by Amy Bell