How-to Write a How-to Guide
Clinton Rose
English 255
How- to guides are common in products that require patrons to assemble or install the product. They are typically referred to as directions and are recognized by most everyone. Mass production companies are the main producers of how- to guides, but anyone with experience and writing skill can create one. How - to guides are based on a credible author explaining how to do something in detail so that the reader can perform the task without having previous knowledge or skill. In the past most of them were printed pieces of paper, but as of recent, technology has allowed them to be imbedded into the internet or compact disks for greater accessibility. With the recent changes in technology, visual aids such as pictures and videos have been because today’s products require more from the user. How-to guides are often overcomplicated, which is a shame because the principal behind developing one is not. Below is an example of how to write a how to guide.
Option- If the how-to guide is longer than one page it is recommended that you include an index so the reader can find sections at a glance.
Ex: I: Brief Introductory Section
II: Needed supplies
III: Develop a Step-by-Step format
IV: Conclude with what should be the final product.
I: Brief Introductory Section
· The author should give a general overview and explanation of genre
· This is where the author should address the purpose of your genre (what it is, who writes it, when, for what reason).
· Author needs to include some form of credibility to show reader you are knowledgeable.
Ex: Include education level, years in the industry, or how many times you have done the task.
Tip: Make sure that you cover all the questions with short answers so that the introduction stays within a reasonable length.
II: Needed supplies
· Give the readers a list of required supplies such as tools, software, or pre requisite skills. This will ensure that the reader understands what he or she is about to get into.
Tip: the author should take time to think of every possible supply. It is very important that they never assume the reader will have the needed supplies. Readers will become very frustrated if they get half way through then realize they cannot finish because they do not have a certain supply.
III: Develop a Step-by-Step format
1) The first step to developing a how to guide is determining what type of audience and what format. It is important to understand the intended audience because there are many different aspects that need to be thought of before starting.
· Certain aspects such as visual aids or more text, young or old and language are just a few aspects that determine the success of the how to guide.
· For example, a young child requires more visual aid and adults, on most occasions, want detailed information.
2) The second step is choosing a format and it is a critical step that is often overlooked. Fortunately, it is an easy step and the principals behind it have not changed.
· The author should stick to a systematic layout from beginning to end.
· The process needs to be broken down and analyzed so that the author can organize the steps chronologically
· Authors need to use numbers or bullets
· It is important to organize your how to guide by separating each section with bullets, numbers or roman numerals.
Tips: There is a vast amount of information pertaining to how to write a how-to guide so the author should utilize his resources to make a better product. Authors should also make sure they do not jump back and forth from steps.
3) The third step when writing a how- to guide is to develop the text.
· In this step, authors should make sure that the text is short, direct and composed of simple wording.
· The author should also look at the process from the reader’s point of view and anticipate possible questions
· Similar to the needed supplies section, authors should never assume the reader will understand and thus they should explain even if it seems simple.
· The author should keep the step-by-step section of the guide to around 300 to 400 words on average.
· The author should include visual aids
· It is a good idea to add visual aids into the text where possible. They will help the reader visualize the step that goes with the text and it will enhance the efficiency of the guide.
· Ex: pictures, videos, illustrations.
Tip: If visual aids are used, make sure that they are clear and labeled so there is no confusion.
4) Review
· After the author has developed the text to their ability, he or she should then review the document or other aid and make appropriate corrections such as spelling and grammar.
· Have someone go through the guide and perform the task. Then ask for suggestions and if any arise, fix them immediately.
IV: Conclude with what should be the final product.
· Show picture of finished product.
· Depending on the type of how- to guide, you choose the author should give an example of the final product as a whole.
· It could be a link to a web site, a picture on a document or video showing the final outcome.
· It will also allow readers to compare their how -to guide against the preferred guide.
· Authors can do this by adding links to sources that readers could look at for examples.
· Ex:
http://www.howtoguides365.com/how-to/repair-credit/
http://www.howtoguides365.com/how-to/read-stock-market-ticker/
http://www.howtoguides365.com/how-to/not-for-profit-corporation/
http://www.guidetobuy.info/product15-write-product-guide.html
http://chris.pirillo.com/how-to-write-a-how-to-guide/
Option- If the how-to guide is longer than one page it is recommended that you include an index so the reader can find sections at a glance.
Ex: I: Brief Introductory Section
II: Needed supplies
III: Develop a Step-by-Step format
IV: Conclude with what should be the final product.
I: Brief Introductory Section
· The author should give a general overview and explanation of genre
· This is where the author should address the purpose of your genre (what it is, who writes it, when, for what reason).
· Author needs to include some form of credibility to show reader you are knowledgeable.
Ex: Include education level, years in the industry, or how many times you have done the task.
Tip: Make sure that you cover all the questions with short answers so that the introduction stays within a reasonable length.
II: Needed supplies
· Give the readers a list of required supplies such as tools, software, or pre requisite skills. This will ensure that the reader understands what he or she is about to get into.
Tip: the author should take time to think of every possible supply. It is very important that they never assume the reader will have the needed supplies. Readers will become very frustrated if they get half way through then realize they cannot finish because they do not have a certain supply.
III: Develop a Step-by-Step format
1) The first step to developing a how to guide is determining what type of audience and what format. It is important to understand the intended audience because there are many different aspects that need to be thought of before starting.
· Certain aspects such as visual aids or more text, young or old and language are just a few aspects that determine the success of the how to guide.
· For example, a young child requires more visual aid and adults, on most occasions, want detailed information.
2) The second step is choosing a format and it is a critical step that is often overlooked. Fortunately, it is an easy step and the principals behind it have not changed.
· The author should stick to a systematic layout from beginning to end.
· The process needs to be broken down and analyzed so that the author can organize the steps chronologically
· Authors need to use numbers or bullets
· It is important to organize your how to guide by separating each section with bullets, numbers or roman numerals.
Tips: There is a vast amount of information pertaining to how to write a how-to guide so the author should utilize his resources to make a better product. Authors should also make sure they do not jump back and forth from steps.
3) The third step when writing a how- to guide is to develop the text.
· In this step, authors should make sure that the text is short, direct and composed of simple wording.
· The author should also look at the process from the reader’s point of view and anticipate possible questions
· Similar to the needed supplies section, authors should never assume the reader will understand and thus they should explain even if it seems simple.
· The author should keep the step-by-step section of the guide to around 300 to 400 words on average.
· The author should include visual aids
· It is a good idea to add visual aids into the text where possible. They will help the reader visualize the step that goes with the text and it will enhance the efficiency of the guide.
· Ex: pictures, videos, illustrations.
Tip: If visual aids are used, make sure that they are clear and labeled so there is no confusion.
4) Review
· After the author has developed the text to their ability, he or she should then review the document or other aid and make appropriate corrections such as spelling and grammar.
· Have someone go through the guide and perform the task. Then ask for suggestions and if any arise, fix them immediately.
IV: Conclude with what should be the final product.
· Show picture of finished product.
· Depending on the type of how- to guide, you choose the author should give an example of the final product as a whole.
· It could be a link to a web site, a picture on a document or video showing the final outcome.
· It will also allow readers to compare their how -to guide against the preferred guide.
· Authors can do this by adding links to sources that readers could look at for examples.
· Ex:
http://www.howtoguides365.com/how-to/repair-credit/
http://www.howtoguides365.com/how-to/read-stock-market-ticker/
http://www.howtoguides365.com/how-to/not-for-profit-corporation/
http://www.guidetobuy.info/product15-write-product-guide.html
http://chris.pirillo.com/how-to-write-a-how-to-guide/