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Hi everybody,
My partner and I are discussing writing an introductory technical writing
textbook for a publisher we've worked with for years. This would be the
publisher's first entry into this market, so before we can even write our
proposal we need to do some very basic research. I'm consulting a lot of
other sources, but I know from past experience that the TECHWR-L folks are
always the best resource. So here are a few basic questions:
1. In your experience, are most technical writing classes taught through
English departments?
2. Do you prefer one technical writing textbook to all others?
3. Does any one technical writing textbook dominate the market?
4. Are you aware of any certification programs (similar to A+ or MCSE) that
you think might someday become widely accepted in the profession?
5. What are the best technical writing programs in the U.S.?
6. Do you have any advice for a would-be author of a technical writing
textbook?
Thanks for any help you can give me. I'll summarize all the responses in a
few days, in case anyone else is interested.
Once we start writing, we'll be looking to hire some reviewers. If you're
interested, please contact me directly at ashaffer -at- chorus -dot- net -dot-
