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Do you have what it takes to be a technical writer?

Are you very analytical, with an excellent grasp of communicating in plain English? You may be a good fit for technical writing.

13 May 2024 9:00

Thuy On

Technical writer. Bookshelves full of colour coded files or bound reports. Along the top shelf are blue, green, lime and yellow ones. On the bottom grey and white.

Writing and Publishing

Photo: Maarten van den Heuvel, Unsplash.

Almost always, creative writers have to support their art through myriad other jobs, both allied and non-related – some take up the teaching mantle, others become arts administrators. Many dabble freelance in a variety of ways, taking on gigs in proofreading, copywriting, school visits and journalism for instance. Turning to technical writing is one possible avenue to supplement your earnings. It can be a lucrative main (or side) gig, but its highly specialised language requirements mean it’s not for everyone. ArtsHub reached out to three writers who are working in this sub-sector.

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Thuy On

Thuy On is the former Reviews and Literary Editor of ArtsHub and an arts journalist, critic and poet who’s written for a range of publications including The Guardian, The Saturday Paper, Sydney Review of Books, The Australian, The Age/SMH and Australian Book Review. She was the Books Editor of The Big Issue for 8 years and a former Melbourne theatre critic correspondent for The Australian. She has three collections of poetry published by the University of Western Australian Press (UWAP): Turbulence (2020), Decadence (2022) and Essence (2025). Threads: @thuy_on123 Instagram: poemsbythuy