Technical Author Training

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Technical Writer
Gloucestershire

My Business Background and Experience

Before starting a full-time Technical Writing business in 2000, I worked in various roles during my career.

Electronics Development Engineer

  • Concorde flight computer design team, Marconi Elliott Automation.
  • Royal Aircraft Establishment, Farnborough; electronics engineer on early fly-by-wire avionics, Hunter Mk13 fighter.
  • UKAEA Aldermaston, medical electronics division.
  • Universal Parking Ltd; I developed the first, electronic Pay and Display ticket machines to go into production in this country. (Sorry, it was my fault!)

Drawing Office Manager / Mechanical Designer /
Electrical Engineering / Field Troubleshooting

  • Mobile trailer generator with floodlighting equipment.

Sales Engineer / Area Sales Manager / Franchise Manager, Staff Training and second-line Technical Support, Technical Writer

  • Microprocessor development systems, (Jermyn Distribution).
  • Pay and Display ticket machines, (Universal Parking Ltd and Thorn EMI Autopayment).
  • Car park automatic control systems.
  • Leisure management computer systems, (Torex Leisure).
  • Ticketing systems, (Almex Control Systems).
  • Touch screen retail systems.
  • (I got my O.U. Management Diploma during this period.)

Software Product and QA Manager (Torex Leisure)

  • Turn-key, Leisure Management computer systems
  • Software Usability testing and improvement
  • Software Quality testing
  • Software Help Guides
  • Sales support.

Technical Writer

One of my roles during the decade 1990-2000 was to write manuals for the companies that I worked for. I had the knack of explaining things to people who didn't know.

2000: In 2000, I was made redundant, which was the best career move that I had ever made! ... I started my own Technical Authoring business, and my first client was Quota Leisure Systems in Australia. They sent me their software over the internet, and then I sent them the completed Help Guides.

These Help Guides were significant in winning them a $200,000 order: Quota said that the customer threw out a substantial, 2-year-old system that was difficult to use because the documentation was so poor. They really liked my Help Guides, so that's what clinched the order.

2002: Business was going well, so I set up Authorgraphic Ltd. In 2017 when I retired, it was still going strong, with 170+ clients across 11 countries.

Now I'm offering my Technical Writing Course in the form of a special self-study training manual. See Home page for a link.

Whatever the Industry...