by Julia Borgini

Created on: December 13, 2008   Last Updated: December 14, 2008

Planning a technical writing project is a bit of an artform, something that requires a lot of experience and a bit of flair. But with the right tools you'll be planning even the most complex technical writing project with ease. Start off by looking at the available reference documents, a list of any subject matter experts you'll be able to interview, and the timeline for the project.

Are there any reference documents you'll be able to use? This is the best starting point for determining the scope of the project. Do you have functional requirements, design documents, architectural plans, and access to any prototypes you might need? Depending on the industry you're writing for, you may have any or none of these, or a completely different set of documents. The point is, you need to have some reference documents from which you can determine the scope of the work.

Are they making any subject matter experts available to you? A subject matter expert (or SME) is a crucial part to any documentation project, as they'll be able to answer any questions you might have, fill in any gaps in the reference documentation, and also act as a technical reviewer for you. You'll need to make sure that your documents are accurate, so knowing who you can involve from the prospective employer is a good thing to know right at the beginning.

Has the prospective employer determined a timeline? This is a key piece of information you must have in order to best determine your own writing time. Oftentimes the documentation is the last thing being produced in a project, so knowing when people are expecting you to be finished is key. Keep in mind that there may be translation costs involved as well, so asking about any deadlines for this as well is important. Your writing timeline must fit in with the overall project timeline, so knowing when they're expecting you to be finished is important.

Have you determined your payment option? This can be a tricky point for some freelancers and prospective employers, as no one is usually comfortable talking about money. It's a topic that gets talked about endlessly in forums around the Internet: when to ask for payment. But it's an important thing to keep in mind, since we all want to be paid appropriately for our time and effort. The essential thing is this: figure out if you want to be paid before, during or after the project's completion. Most freelancers agree that for a smal project like a minor release notes set, or a technical editing project, you can

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