Some technical communication fields have low entry thresholds (like press releases 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 fields of documentation.

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’s a tough major that pays well.

Briefly, an API is a collection of all methods, functions, objects, classes, etc. that developers (software engineers) use to develop a software product. Initially, all 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 into the picture.

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 look at a piece of code and at least identify its main components and speak intelligibly to developers.

Documents produced by an API writer include developer guides, API quick reference guides, system administration guides, installation guides, release notes, etc.

An API writer also needs to know how to use standard tools of the trade 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 generate UML (Unified Modeling Language) diagrams as well. That’s why advanced knowledge of diagramming and flowcharting tools like MS Visio comes in handy.

If you love technology and software programming as much as writing and information design, API writing could be your ticket to a solid, paying career.

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, the Rt. 128 corridor in Boston, Portland Oregon, and Seattle in the washington state. 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.