be carefully checked -- and usually the author is the worst person to do the checking. Editing is crucial to finding errors, improving clarity and making sure that the guide's style and tone is appropriate and consistent throughout the document.

Do you:

• Have paper based hard copy and screen based soft copy to edit?
• Have an editor who can do both content and grammar focused editing?
• Have an editor who can do a final proofread of the guide before printing?

7. Finishing

Just because the user's guide has been written and edited doesn't mean it's finished. To get the document from your screen into a user's hand requires many crucial steps, involving marketing strategy and the practical issues of printing and delivering. Not only that, but you

1. Researching

Before you can start writing a user's guide, you need to understand the user. You can find this information by finding current users and asking them. If that's not possible go to your marketing department and find out what they've learned about your target customers. Reference material like text books and white papers can also be useful but are no substitute for real people and fresh data.

Do you know:

• Who is the user?
• What do they need to do?
• How can the software help them?

2. Planning

All projects start out vague -- but nothing can get accomplished until you define exactly what it is you need to write. You need to know what resources you've got to complete the project and how the success of the writing project will be defined. Make sure you know what your responsibilities are and what you're going to do if complications arise.

Do you know:

• What media will the guide appear in?
• What are the milestones and deadlines on the way to completion?
• How do you communicate with management?

3. Defining Writing Style

User's guides need to use different writing strategies than other kinds of writing. Because they are focused on leading users through complex actions to specific goals, they need to have clear descriptions of every step and consequence along the way. It is crucial that the writing in guides contain no ambiguity, while at the same time using as little technical jargon as possible

Can you:

• Link every action with an effect?
• Match the level of vocabulary with your target market?
• "Chunk" information by writing in self-contained units?

4. Writing the Table of Contents

The table of contents is the most important part of the user's guide for the writer. It provides the skeleton of the document, limiting and defining what needs to be covered. For the user, the table of contents is where the scope of the guide are mapped out and provides one of the primary ways the user navigates the guide to achieve their goals.

Does your Table of Contents:

• Accurately reflect the content of the guide?
• Provide a way for the user to easily find what they're looking for?
• Clearly outline tasks and results?

5. Writing the Draft

Many people can write, but not so many can write well -- and even fewer can write in a way that makes complex information easy to understand. When writing a software user's guide the key is to always focus on the problems the user is trying to solve. To do this you need to organize information clearly and anticipate the problems users will have as they follow your instructions.

Does your writing:

• Use different styles of writing for different tasks? -- using narration for examples, but instructions for tasks and questions and answers for specific problems
• Speak directly to the user?
• Use active voice, always presenting a clear subject and object?

6. Editing Writing the document is just the beginning. Even good writing needs to be carefully checked -- and usually the author is the worst person to do the checking. Editing is crucial to finding errors, improving clarity and making sure that the guide's style and tone is appropriate and consistent throughout the document.

Do you:

• Have paper based hard copy and screen based soft copy to edit?
• Have an editor who can do both content and grammar focused editing?
• Have an editor who can do a final proofread of the guide before printing?

7. Finishing

Just because the user's guide has been written and edited doesn't mean it's finished. To get the document from your screen into a user's hand requires many crucial steps, involving marketing strategy and the practical issues of printing and delivering. Not only that, but you

ing project will be defined. Make sure you know what your responsibilities are and what you're going to do if complications arise.

Do you know:

• What media will the guide appear in?
• What are the milestones and deadlines on the way to completion?
• How do you communicate with management?

3. Defining Writing Style

User's guides need to use different writing strategies than other kinds of writing. Because they are focused on leading users through complex actions to specific goals, they need to have clear descriptions of every step and consequence along the way. It is crucial that the writing in guides contain no ambiguity, while at the same time using as little technical jargon as possible

Can you:

• Link every action with an effect?
• Match the level of vocabulary with your target market?
• "Chunk" information by writing in self-contained units?

4. Writing the Table of Contents

The table of contents is the most important part of the user's guide for the writer. It provides the skeleton of the document, limiting and defining what needs to be covered. For the user, the table of contents is where the scope of the guide are mapped out and provides one of the primary ways the user navigates the guide to achieve their goals.

Does your Table of Contents:

• Accurately reflect the content of the guide?
• Provide a way for the user to easily find what they're looking for?
• Clearly outline tasks and results?

5. Writing the Draft

Many people can write, but not so many can write well -- and even fewer can write in a way that makes complex information easy to understand. When writing a software user's guide the key is to always focus on the problems the user is trying to solve. To do this you need to organize information clearly and anticipate the problems users will have as they follow your instructions.

Does your writing:

• Use different styles of writing for different tasks? -- using narration for examples, but instructions for tasks and questions and answers for specific problems
• Speak directly to the user?
• Use active voice, always presenting a clear subject and object?

6. Editing Writing the document is just the beginning. Even good writing needs to be carefully checked -- and usually the author is the worst person to do the checking. Editing is crucial to finding errors, improving clarity and making sure that the guide's style and tone is appropriate and consistent throughout the document.

Do you:

• Have paper based hard copy and screen based soft copy to edit?
• Have an editor who can do both content and grammar focused editing?
• Have an editor who can do a final proofread of the guide before printing?

7. Finishing

Just because the user's guide has been written and edited doesn't mean it's finished. To get the document from your screen into a user's hand requires many crucial steps, involving marketing strategy and the practical issues of printing and delivering. Not only that, but you

with an effect?

Match the level of vocabulary with your target market?

"Chunk" information by writing in self-contained units?

4. Writing the Table of Contents

The table of contents is the most important part of the user's guide for the writer. It provides the skeleton of the document, limiting and defining what needs to be covered. For the user, the table of contents is where the scope of the guide are mapped out and provides one of the primary ways the user navigates the guide to achieve their goals.

Does your Table of Contents:

• Accurately reflect the content of the guide?
• Provide a way for the user to easily find what they're looking for?
• Clearly outline tasks and results?

5. Writing the Draft

Many people can write, but not so many can write well -- and even fewer can write in a way that makes complex information easy to understand. When writing a software user's guide the key is to always focus on the problems the user is trying to solve. To do this you need to organize information clearly and anticipate the problems users will have as they follow your instructions.

Does your writing:

• Use different styles of writing for different tasks? -- using narration for examples, but instructions for tasks and questions and answers for specific problems
• Speak directly to the user?
• Use active voice, always presenting a clear subject and object?

6. Editing Writing the document is just the beginning. Even good writing needs to be carefully checked -- and usually the author is the worst person to do the checking. Editing is crucial to finding errors, improving clarity and making sure that the guide's style and tone is appropriate and consistent throughout the document.

Do you:

• Have paper based hard copy and screen based soft copy to edit?
• Have an editor who can do both content and grammar focused editing?
• Have an editor who can do a final proofread of the guide before printing?

7. Finishing

Just because the user's guide has been written and edited doesn't mean it's finished. To get the document from your screen into a user's hand requires many crucial steps, involving marketing strategy and the practical issues of printing and delivering. Not only that, but you

ft

Many people can write, but not so many can write well -- and even fewer can write in a way that makes complex information easy to understand. When writing a software user's guide the key is to always focus on the problems the user is trying to solve. To do this you need to organize information clearly and anticipate the problems users will have as they follow your instructions.

Does your writing:

• Use different styles of writing for different tasks? -- using narration for examples, but instructions for tasks and questions and answers for specific problems
• Speak directly to the user?
• Use active voice, always presenting a clear subject and object?

6. Editing Writing the document is just the beginning. Even good writing needs to be carefully checked -- and usually the author is the worst person to do the checking. Editing is crucial to finding errors, improving clarity and making sure that the guide's style and tone is appropriate and consistent throughout the document.

Do you:

• Have paper based hard copy and screen based soft copy to edit?
• Have an editor who can do both content and grammar focused editing?
• Have an editor who can do a final proofread of the guide before printing?

7. Finishing

Just because the user's guide has been written and edited doesn't mean it's finished. To get the document from your screen into a user's hand requires many crucial steps, involving marketing strategy and the practical issues of printing and delivering. Not only that, but you

be carefully checked -- and usually the author is the worst person to do the checking. Editing is crucial to finding errors, improving clarity and making sure that the guide's style and tone is appropriate and consistent throughout the document.

Do you:

• Have paper based hard copy and screen based soft copy to edit?
• Have an editor who can do both content and grammar focused editing?
• Have an editor who can do a final proofread of the guide before printing?

7. Finishing

Just because the user's guide has been written and edited doesn't mean it's finished. To get the document from your screen into a user's hand requires many crucial steps, involving marketing strategy and the practical issues of printing and delivering. Not only that, but you will also need to determine how the document will be archived and what relationship it will have to other products and documentation.

Have you:

• Determined the form the guide will take? Will it be on-line? A CD? A book?
• What kind of visual or graphic design will go with the text?
• How many copies will be printed? Will they all be used for the same purpose?