Jessica Nealon

Most underrated tech writer skill? Correcting errors without people feeling like they're back in 3rd grade. Sample: "Here's something I found, did you mean this?"

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Here's the final article in my 10-part technical writing training series. The Real Goal of Technical Writing: Making Work Easier for Everyone https://lnkd.in/e99YiX2R

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Technical writers know what leadership rarely gets to see. 👀 Here's what closes the gap: 1. Docs Shape the User Decision → Documentation affects adoption, retention, and support volume → Treating it as a finishing task creates costs that show up elsewhere 2. The Questions Are the Work → Pre-writing research is where documentation value is built → The questions aren't delays. They're early-warning signals. 3. Earlier Involvement Costs Less → Late documentation creates rushed work that needs more revision after launch → Early context means better docs, fewer revisions, fewer surprises 4. One Change Ripples Everywhere → A single product change can affect interconnected docs, screenshots, and release notes → What looks small often isn't 5. Prevention Doesn't Show on Dashboards → Support tickets not created and onboarding calls not needed don't appear in reports → Measuring impact only by output misses the value of problems that never reached the team 6. Documentation Is Organizational Memory → Knowledge that lives only in people's heads leaves when they do → Technical writers build the infrastructure that makes teams resilient to change Better visibility = better decisions. TW + Leadership = teams that scale. Which point do you wish leadership understood most? Drop the number (1-6) in the comments. 👇 Save this for the next time you need to articulate your value upward. Share this with a technical writer who's building their case with leadership. Want more career insights for technical writers: 1. Follow Technical Writer HQ 2. Like the post 3. Repost to your network

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In the realm of technical writing, this couldn’t be more true. Clear, comprehensive documentation may seem tedious or low priority until a critical issue arises or a new team member needs guidance. But well-crafted technical documents are the backbone that keeps projects running smoothly, enabling knowledge transfer, troubleshooting, and user success. Investing time in solid documentation today prevents costly delays and confusion tomorrow. Prepare before disaster strikes — write with purpose and clarity. Wishing all technical communicators a productive and fulfilling Friday! #TechnicalWriting #Documentation #KnowledgeManagement #TechComm #FridayMotivation

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In this interview, Kelly M. and I discuss AI as she demonstrates how to make and use a discrete AI. Watch this if you want to learn how to make your own robot minion to make your life easier!

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Why Technical Writing Is More Than Just Writing . . Technical Writing Isn’t Just About Clear Docs, It’s About Thinking Smarter And Solving Problems. In My New Medium Article, I Break Down The Four Stages of A Technical Writer’s Career: From Learning The Ropes To Leading Teams. Each Step Teaches You To Ask Bigger Questions And Make A Real Impact. Want To Know What It Takes To Grow From Writing Words To Shaping How People Understand Tech? Read The Article For Free And Share Your Own Career Moment That Changed Everything! #TechnicalWriting #CareerGrowth #TechCommunication #Documentation #ProfessionalDevelopment

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A lot of technical writing work is devoted to updating, expanding, and improving existing documentation. But the challenges are very different when a product doesn't have any customer-facing documentation at all. At this week’s Write the Docs East Coast Virtual meetup, we’ll explore best practices for new product documentation. Let’s break down the problems and share strategies to tackle them. RSVP below, and make sure your Zoom name matches your RSVP name. East Coast Virtual Meetup: Best Practices for New Product Docs Friday, February 20, 8:30am to 9:30am Eastern RSVP here:https://lnkd.in/enR2eWb8

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"𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗱𝗼𝗰 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗻𝗼 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲... Your user has no chance." Whether you're a structured authoring pro or a Docs-as-Code advocate, you 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 to understand these foundational concepts to write great documentation. Without them, you're just writing docs like everyone else. But you’re 𝗻𝗼𝘁 like everyone else. You're a 𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗿. For structured authoring folks, XML enforces structure; you literally 𝘤𝘢𝘯’𝘵 go wrong. But if you're working with Markdown or other markup formats under Docs-as-Code, structure is entirely up to 𝘆𝗼𝘂. And that’s where true mastery lies. You need to be 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝗼𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗴𝗮𝗺𝗲 writing with intent, clarity, and purpose. Because tools don't make the writer. Structure does. https://lnkd.in/gQUVKgqp #contentops #technicalwriting #technicaldocumentation #contentdesign #dita  

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As an ID, we do a lot of technical writing as part of procedure documentation, job aid creation, course design, etc. I have much respect for those that write all day, every day. You have eagle eyes and catch all the fine details. A few things I do that are technical writing, even in the design space. 1. First person, active. 2. Tell, don't ask. The word "please" does not belong in a procedure. 3. Nothing should, could, or would. It is and does. 4. Keep things clean and simple. Even complicated processes should be easy to understand in written form. 5. Tables of Contents are your friend!

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Deadlines from CMS? They’re not just boxes to tick—they’re golden chances to shake things up and fix what’s been slowing you down. Instead of rushing to “just meet” these mandates, why not flip the script? Think automation that slashes prior auth and claims delays. Imagine connecting all your systems so members breeze through their experience without a hitch. And don’t forget—security and transparency aren’t just buzzwords; they’re the trust builders your members deserve. 🔒✨ It’s about working smarter, not harder, turning compliance into a real advantage. Ready to dive deeper? Check out this smarter path forward 👉 https://lnkd.in/dVDYi_UH #HealthcareInnovation #CMSCompliance #DigitalTransformation #Automation #CustomerExperience

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The move from CVSS v3.0 to v4.0 isn’t just about better numbers, it’s about smarter decision-making, stronger prioritization, and staying ahead of the curve. 📈 Whether you're leading a security team 🪪 or conducting research 🔍 , understanding CVSS 4.0 can help you get more value from your vulnerability assessment ✅ , to provide greater scoring precision, enhance alignment, introduce new metrics for tailored risk assessment, and improve support for modern environments and remediation strategies. 💡 In this blog, learn more about what this shift means for the future of vulnerability management, as well as an analysis of the value of v4.0 compared to v3.0, with Intigriti next steps and considerations provided. https://lnkd.in/em-qXr4x #CyberSecurity #CVSS4 #VulnerabilityManagement #BugBounty #ThreatIntelligence #RiskAssessment #SecurityStrategy

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In regulated industries, content development is never static. Evolving regulations, standards, and compliance requirements continuously reshape how information is created, maintained, and delivered. Effective documentation strategies must account for the hidden costs of scope creep, recurring updates, and obsolete manuals that quickly lose value when requirements change. By building adaptable, scalable content systems, organizations can reduce rework, control costs, and ensure critical information remains accurate, compliant, and useful over time.

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So you want to be a Technical Writer? Here's a few idea to advance your KSA: * Kurt Ament, Indexing: A Nuts-and-Bolts Guide for Technical Writers The key idea for an index is 'aboutness': what does the reader have in mind whilst searching? Indexing for technical documents is about 'tasks'; tasks are a combination of two ideas: nouns and verbs. Nouns are always plural: folders, paths, directories, files; Verb are always gerunds: adding, changing, deleting. Reducing your entries to <verb>ing <noun>s makes double entry obvious and quick: <noun>s, <verb>ing.  note   ={3 chap., 97 pp., index: 11 pp.},  url   ={https://lnkd.in/eKe6skkG * Kurt Ament, Single Sourcing: Building Modular Documentation We are all about ReUse, right?  note   ={5 chap., 230 pp., glossary: 6 pp., index: 22 pp.},  url   ={https://lnkd.in/e9vbtJXn * https://www.doxygen.nl/ This is a package of markup for your programs so you can then assemble documentation of your project into either .html or LaTeX to .pdf. * Ronald J. Fehd, Indexing: Goals, strategies and tactics This paper discusses metrics of your indexing effort: ** E/pg: Entries per page ** L/E: Locators per Entry https://lnkd.in/eMxQkfKb Happy Continuing Education! https://lnkd.in/eMxQkfKb

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Most accessibility failures aren’t due to lack of intent but due to lack of structure. Manual processes. Late discovery. Fragmented tools. No visibility. ADA compliance requires engineering discipline, not periodic audits. If you’re evaluating your accessibility maturity, let’s connect: partnerships@aziro.com Explore more: https://lnkd.in/gkGvWnxZ #ADA #DigitalAccessibility #WCAG #QualityEngineering #ADACompliance #Aziro #ADATitleII

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Douglas Erickson Article Review: Are Tech Writers Actually Documentation Product Managers? Welcome to episode 178 of my Technical Writing Success podcast. Hosts Daphne and Fred review a great and thought provoking article by Douglas Erickson entitled "A Shift: Technical Writer to Documentation Product Manager?" Erickson explores the evolving landscape of technical writing, specifically focusing on the transition toward a documentation product manager model. He suggests that traditional writing roles are being threatened by generative AI, which corporations view as a tool for achieving content at scale. Gain access in the comments. ☕️ Buy Me a Coffee: https://lnkd.in/eeq_3ivT ➕ Follow me, Curt Robbins, for career-enhancing insight into AI, workflow efficiency, and enterprise documentation. 🧠 Hire me to coach or train you about AI: https://lnkd.in/eqJUA6rt

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If you're a technical writer and your documentation checks the boxes for accuracy, completeness, consistency, usefulness, and precision-Good Job! But great documentation does more. It feels intuitive, flows smoothly, looks good, meets user needs, and even anticipates what they’ll need next. Let’s turn good documentation into a great experience. #technicalwriter #technicalwriting #customersuccess

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Great documentation doesn’t just explain, it empowers. A well-written guide can turn a confused user into a confident one. What’s your favorite example of great technical writing? #technicalwriting #technicaldocumentation

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