Write what you know. It makes more sense

Are you an expert in your field? Do you get asked to write about what you know by your marketing department? How do you go about that task?

I ask because I find so many times that people write what they think they should write, not what they know.

Marketing departments ask me to help shape knowledge into words that make sense to customers. The expert has put together the first cut, and it's complex, convoluted and sprinkled with jargon.

So I get on the phone to the expert to get a better understanding of what they're saying. After all, if I can't understand it, I can't explain it to an audience.

Nearly every time, the expert explains the story to me lucidly, and answers my questions clearly. They could have used those words to write their piece. Writing doesn't have to be that far apart from speaking. Don't be afraid to write as you would talk, just with a little more polish.

Tips on technical writing and editing

Once upon a time I was an editor at Butterworth Scientific which published technical journals and books. As well as honing my own journalistic skills I spent many happy hours editing and proofreading content from our contributors.

Almost as many moons ago I used this knowledge in a collaborative chapter with the late, great Ron Brown from KBC on editing technical writing. It's old, but it's still relevant, and not just for technical writers. There are tips here for anyone who writes or edits for business - marketing, articles, journals and books. And it's short.

Here's our guide to editing for accuracy and style.