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> If 3 years constitutes a "senior tech writer," then what does that
make a
> tech writer who has 10-15 years experience?
Well, from personal experience,
17 years as a research chemist
+ 14 years as a freelance techwriter
----
too expensive for most corporate budgets
I've lost count of the times I've bid on a contract and lost out to
an entry-level writer who would accept an entry-level rate. And
(until very recently <smile>) the direct-hire positions I've been
offered have included pitiful salaries.
In two cases, the company that turned my bid down was lucky; they
got a superb beginner who was a talented writer, learned the
industry and technology quickly, and did a very good job for them.
In the remaining cases (several dozen in the last 5 years), I
generally got a call from the manager about 9-18 months later asking
me to do the 'revision'. Since 'revision' in these cases usually
involved rewriting tra<deleteword>less-than-optimal documentation
from scratch when the original developers are no longer available, I
charged double for it. Got it, too, usually without a whimper.
Corporate bean counters seem willing to pay whatever it takes for
repairs, but not for excellent originals.
Kat Nagel
Senior Technical Writer
Real Time Enterprises http://www.rte.com
kat_nagel -at- rte -dot- com
