Welcome everyone to our February edition of TechCom Manager, 2006! It’s hard to believe that the month of March is just around the corner. And you know what that means … Spring isn’t far off. Then of course, here in Ohio, we never know what we’re going to get as far as inclement weather as we transition from Winter to Spring. Thinking back not so many years ago, I can still remember getting snow in May! Yes,  May! Never a dull moment around these parts!

A BIG THANK YOU FROM ME TO YOU! In last month’s issue, I mentioned to you how my sister experienced a brain aneurysm back in December, and how she was battling to regain her health. I want to personally thank all of you for your kind, encouraging, and supportive emails. I’m happy to report that after two months in the hospital, my sister is progressing very well and is now undergoing intense rehab, which is making her stronger every day. It’s a miracle she’s alive, but it’s even a bigger miracle that she can now walk!

This Month’s Theme

This month, our theme addresses what it’s like in corporate America to work as a lone writer. More and more, I hear how a lot of technical writers, in both small and large companies, are operating as the “glue” that holds their organizations together. It’s not uncommon for these individuals to wear several hats and be called upon for assorted responsibilities outside of their job descriptions. This includes (but is not limited to): lead tech writer, project manager, marketing program developer, web master, graphics creator, editor, quality-control coordinator, and so on.

Having been that exact person off and on for many years at NCR Corporation, what’s compelling to me is how some organizations typically take lone writers’ talents and contributions completely for granted. And worse, they continue to think of these amazing employees merely as their “documentation people,” when these writers should be receiving a great deal more respect and notoriety than that anyway!  With that said, I think this month’s feature article really hits the nail on the head.  The article provides some eye-opening insight as to how to conduct one’s self when faced with working as a lone writer in a large or small operation, as well as practical advice for managing projects and workflow.

Our Feature Writer

This month, our feature article, The Life of a Lone Writer, comes to us from Whitney Potsus. Whitney is an excellent repeat author for our newsletter and has been a lone writer for the entirety of her technical-writing career, both as a staff employee and as a contractor. Recently transitioned into full-time contracting, she’s now making her first foray into the aerospace industry. She spends her off hours teaching business and technical communications courses, and freelance writing for a variety of publications. She launched, and managed for several years, the “Solitary Scrivener” newsletter for the STC’s Lone Writer special-interest group, and has contributed articles to several STC and IEEE publications.

Whitney, it’s great that you could take time out of your extremely busy schedule to share with us your experience on this very serious subject. Welcome back!