As a technical writer, you’ve likely not considered branding yourself and your work—and understandably so: your documentation—no matter how masterful and easy to understand—often isn’t associated with yourself.
You don’t get a byline; you don’t get a image of yourself below the headline; instead, it’s just another piece of content created by “the documentation team.”
However, that doesn’t mean there’s value in creating your brand as a technical writer. And you can do so in ways that align with your philosophy and perspective of the industry.
Take Tom Johnson, for example, who’s built a brand for himself around his tech writing site,
I’d Rather Be Writing (which, I
highly recommend, as you’ll sense in this episode); or Sarah Maddox at Google Maps, who’s built a brand through her site,
Ffeathers, combining her interests in technical writing and science fiction.
You have a unique perspective on technical writing that could build your brand while helping your peers lead more fulfilling careers—and in this episode, you’re gonna learn how to do it.
We have Ash Blankenship on the podcast: former fellow podcast co-host at Parskify podcast, where we first met, and today, is the founder at
Acme Design: a web design agency that helps entrepreneurs and creatives build their brand.
In this episode, Ash shares how you can find your unique perspective on technical writing to brand your work, including:
- How to use content to build your brand
- How to choose the right platform to build your brand
- How to build a tribe that believes in your approach to technical writing
Show Notes:
What is The Not-Boring Tech Writer?
Some people hear the phrase "technical writing" and think it must be boring. We're here to show the full complexity and awesomeness of being a tech writer.
This podcast is for anyone who writes technical documentation of any kind, including those who may not feel comfortable calling themselves tech writers. Whether you create product documentation, support documentation, READMEs, or any other technical content—and whether you deal with imposter syndrome, lack formal training, or find yourself somewhere in the gray area between technical communications and general writing—there's a place for you here.
Each month, we publish two episodes: an interview with an amazing guest focusing on useful skills or tools that can help you improve your tech writing skills, and a behind-the-scenes solo episode with host Kate Mueller about what she’s working on, struggling with, or thinking about in her daily tech writing life.
The Not-Boring Tech Writer is generously sponsored by KnowledgeOwl, knowledge base software built for people who care, by people who care.