Commercial Writers

Technical writing for commercial purposes has probably been a growing business since the first person put pen and ink to paper. There are different types of writing, some of which are more recent. For instance, when done in relation to sales it is referred to as "copy writing".

A technical writer, even for a niche purpose can now be found easily through agencies or through the internet.

Commercial writers most often tend to work for corporations which procure their services for:

• Press releases
• Advertisement copy
• Brochures & Sales letters
• Catalogues & Company newsletters
• Website content
• Speeches
• White Papers

What to look for in a Commercial Writer

It is greatly advised to check references and past experience of the potential candidate for your technical writer jobs. This can be done through assessing educational qualifications, market reputation and previous writing. It is a good idea to ask for a comprehensive portfolio while making your assessment.

You may also want to evaluate the positives such as:

• Integrity of data - no cut and paste jobs
• Versatility of writing styles - should be able to adapt to different styles as per the clients requirements
• Meeting deadlines - this is the most essential skill, and rates the highest in professionalism
• Cost effectiveness - should win on both aspects of cost and quality
• Good research skills - be able to get a hands-on, on the topic
• Language skills - be a good communicator on paper with excellent grammar
• Audience analysis - answers the unasked questions of the readers within the piece

You would most likely not want to hire a technical writer who:

• Is a jack of all trades - claims to have expertise in ALL areas. For example an engineer writing a medical copy without support from trained medical staff.
• Uncooperative attitude - unwilling to hear out the client's needs and expectations

Eventually the person that you select could be part of an agency or could be a freelancer looking for freelance writing jobs; what's important is that the selected candidate and the client are on the same wavelength and the technical writer is fully able to understand the client's requirements.