Some fields of technical communication have low entry thresholds (such as press release and resume writing, for example). Others have much tougher entry conditions and also pay accordingly. API (Application Product Interface) writing is one of those highly technical documentation fields.
API writing is for software engineers who want to switch to documentation, or technical writers who know programming and have an intimate understanding of the software design and build process. It is a difficult specialization that pays well.
In short, an API is a collection of all the methods, functions, objects, classes, etc. that developers (software engineers) use to develop a software product. Initially, all of those programming components seem manageable since there are only a handful of them. But in a software project that spans many months and years, these interface components multiply like rabbits. Most of the time, the project needs someone to document and make sense of all the tools and methods used by the team. That’s when API writers come on the scene.
To be an API writer, you really need to know at least a couple of programming languages like C, C ++, Java, etc. You should be able to search a code and at least identify its main components and speak intelligibly with the developers.
Documents generated by an API writer include the Developer’s Guides, the API Quick Reference Guides, the System Administration Guides, the Installation Guides, the Release Notes, etc.
An API writer also needs to know how to use industry standard tools like Adobe FrameMaker (great for single-source cross-platform documentation) and specialized code extraction tools like Doxygen and Javadoc. Some API writers are expected to also generate UML (Unified Modeling Language) diagrams. That’s why advanced knowledge of flowchart and diagramming tools like MS Visio is helpful.
If you love technology and software programming as much as information writing and design, API writing could be your ticket to a solid career with good pay.
In the United States, the best locations for API writers are Silicon Valley in California, the Northern Virginia Corridor, Austin TX, Research Triangle in North Carolina, Rt. 128 Corridor in Boston, Portland Oregon and Seattle in the state of Washington. In India, Bangalore would be a good city to find employment as an API writer. In China, Shanghai is a good bet for API writing jobs.
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