: Where to find authors for highly technical articles? I've looked at some of the largest outsourcing sites. These have huge amounts of software developers, and huge amounts of casual writers.

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Search for Technical Writers on LinkedIn

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I'm late to this discussion, but we call ourselves "programming-writers". And yes, we are rare and expensive. For example, on my current contract I add Doxygen comments into Java source file, read C++ files (the native implementation of many of the Java files), post the files on a Linux server where I modify Php and JavaScript, write SQL statements to interact with a MySql database, modify Windows BAT and Cygwin Bash shell scripts, while using emacs with custom modifications.

Most developers dread writing documentation and most writers do not have the technical breadth. I suggest you try Craigslist and use the heaviest technical requirements. Be prepared to be inundated with responses from the barely qualified (as in they wrote a VB program once).

doug

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Given the number of software development books available, it's fair to say theres a lot of writers out there who can program, and with a healthy dose of google you should be able to find the websites for quite a few of them.

If you want a head start you then, as a writer with a published programming book, I'd be happy to hear about your idea if you want to drop me a comment on my website.

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There are regional sites like this one: www.minneapolistechnicalwriter.com/
(Check out their "Other Directories" tab.)

I think I would look for programmers who know their field but who can also write well. (Maybe ask to see their English class grades?) As @Monica stated, writers who can program are rare. You might ask a faculty member at a university (either a technical writing instructor or a programming instructor) whether they know of anyone looking for freelance work.

If you find someone comfortable with your subject matter, then you can steer them in the direction you want your marketing copy to go. My experience (in medical publishing) is that technical writers usually are not that comfortable developing marketing copy.

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One resource is Techwr-l, a large, long-running mailing list and web forum. You can't just post job ads to the mailing list, but they accept ads/sponsorships. I've never advertised there so I don't know how well it works, but you could ask them about success rates.

You could also look into the Society for Technical Communicators (STC), a large professional organization. My experience is that writers who can program are rare but not non-existent there.

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