I had the pleasure of attending the Hashnode Bootcamp, a series of informative sessions featuring expert speakers who shared their knowledge on Technical Writing. I was impressed by the speakers' expertise in the field, as they provided valuable insights into choosing Technical Writing as a career and advancing in the industry.

I'll be sharing the key takeaways from the Hashnode Bootcamp, and how it can benefit aspiring Technical Writers.

Bootcamp Schedule

Session 1: The Importance of Writing as a Developer by Ankur Tyagi

Session 2: Leveraging Technical Writing to Land Opportunities and Boost Your Developer Career by Swapna Kumar Panda

Session 3: Leveraging Social Media for Monetization by Nader Dabit

Session 4: Building Your Personal Brand on Social Media by Ákos Kőműves

Session 5: Freelance Writing Opportunities for Developers by James Q Quick

Now let us get into the important pieces of advice given by these amazing speakers!

1.On Idea Generation

You should note down all your ideas in a single place. Whether it is noting down your ideas in a diary or in Notion. This way, if you ever run out of ideas, you will always have all your ideas in one place. When you read articles written by other writers, think if you can write them better, if you think you can, then write about it.

As you learn something, you should create projects in it, open source it and write about it. Write about a problem you solved. As you learn, teach it through your writing. It's not mandatory to have a niche. You can always write about a single topic or write about multiple. Even if you have a niche, you can always change it.

2.On Writing

Start writing when motivation strikes you, don't force yourself. When you first start writing a draft, don't think about editing. Write everything that is on your mind and think about editing at a later time or day. When you come back to your writing after a while, you will be able to see and edit things better.

You should have basic knowledge about the technology you are writing about. Other information can be gathered through research and verification from different sources. Focus on quantity at first, and later on quality. As you write more, the quality of your writing and content will get better.

Learn in public. Share what you learn and help others learn as well. Be consistent. Set a goal for yourself that you are confident you can achieve. For example, writing one article per week or 10 per month depending on how much time you can contribute. Stop overthinking too much. Especially before publishing your first article. Once you publish your first article, you will have a lot more confidence than before pressing that publish button.

3. On Writing Better

Good language, grammar and readability are important aspects of an article. Being concise, adding a summary and being understood by people of all levels are important aspects of a technical article or blog. It is okay to add a little humour. Try to add photos or videos, as people understand and connect better when graphics are involved.

Format your writing in a way that people can skim through. Most people prefer reading the main points and not long paragraphs. The title of your article should be engaging. It should encourage the reader to open and read through the whole article. The content should be understandable. Write in a way that even a beginner can understand what you are trying to convey. Your writing should be in a way that both beginners and experts can refer to your article.

Read other people's articles and observe the way they write and explain things. Don't fully rely on AI. AI has made the job of a writer easier, but no one likes reading content written by AI. Take assistance from AI. But your writing should have your personal touch.

4. On Personal Branding

When you start writing on a platform like Hashnode, it makes your writings discoverable by others. But, only a few people can find and read your work this way. So, you should also work on your Personal Brand. Share your writing on different platforms. Connect with the audience and network and engage with like-minded people. Give genuine feedback and try to be helpful to others. Your authenticity is what will make them like you.

Your Social Media profile should have a clear bio and image. Your audience should be able to know you better. Add links to your other Social Media profiles so they can follow you on other platforms as well. Ask someone to review your online presence and give genuine feedback. Start engaging with people you want to work with.

5. On Monetizing

The most basic and important thing when it comes to earning money through technical writing is to have a good portfolio. Your portfolio should show that you know well about a technology/technologies and you can easily write about it. Ask someone to review your portfolio and give honest feedback.

There are many guest author programs run by various companies that you can apply to. You can contribute to a company's documentation by open source. If you gain some experience and a good social media following then you can also make money using Subscriptions, Collaboration, Brand Partnerships, Paid content and even full-time opportunities.

Another way to get technical writing opportunities is by Cold DM. You can message/email people you are interested in working with by telling them about yourself and how you can help them.

Key Takeaways

The Hashnode Bootcamp was an amazing experience with an informative series of sessions. Here are some of the key takeaways from the Bootcamp:

• Note down all your ideas in one place.

• Learn in public and document your learnings.

• Write clearly and concisely with good grammar.

• Your content should be understandable.

• Start working on your personal brand.

• Have a good portfolio.

• Look for opportunities.

Technical Writing has a great scope but only if you are willing to work towards it consistently. If you find this article helpful, share it with your friends!