Pragmatic methods for writing blogs, articles, and other technical pieces that stand out from the crowd!
Do you want to connect with your community, share your state-of-the-art achievements, and help your peers benefit from your hard-fought lessons learned? Do you want to get the kind of attention that expands your career? Master the art of writing engineering blog posts and articles! This comprehensive guide shows you how to create content your fellow developers will love to read and share.
Writing for Developers is full of the practical tips, tricks, and techniques you need to translate the ideas floating around your head into content that’s clear and compelling, including how
• Pinpoint topics that make intriguing posts • Apply popular blog post design patterns • Rapidly plan, draft, and optimize blog posts • Make your content clearer and more convincing to technical readers • Tap AI for revision while avoiding misuses and abuses • Increase the impact of all your technical communications
Whether you’re brand new to writing, or a seasoned hand who wants more attention for your work, Writing for Developers will help ensure your writing resonates with readers. This isn’t a generic writing guide—from start to finish, the book is laser-focused on technical topics, writers, and audiences. Authors Piotr Sarna and Cynthia Dunlop combine their differing perspectives as an engineer and professional writer to help you write compelling works. You’ll learn through detailed examples, methodical strategies, and a “punk rock DIY attitude!”
Foreword by Bryan Cantrill. Afterword by Scott Hanselman.
About the technology
A well-crafted technical article can spark a new idea, demystify a technology, expand your perspective, or save you from going down a disastrous path. Even if you don’t consider yourself a “good writer,” you can make a difference by sharing insights and advancing the community. This practical guide shows you how to create blogs, articles, and other content your fellow developers will want to read and share.
About the book
Writing for Developers introduces seven popular patterns for modern engineering blogs—such as “The Bug Hunt,” “We Rewrote It in X,” and “How We Built It”—and helps you match these patterns with your ideas. This book covers the entire writing process, from brainstorming, planning, and revising, to promoting your blog in ways that build reputation and generate further opportunities.
What's inside
• Rapidly plan, draft, and review your content • Build on popular blog post design patterns • Support your writing with AI • Increase the impact of all your communications
About the reader
For developers and engineers of all ability levels—even if you’re not a native English speaker and never took a writing class in your life.
About the author
Piotr Sarna is a software engineer and an experienced book and blog author. Cynthia Dunlop has been writing for and with developers for 20+ years.
This book is about how to make the Internet a better place. How to step out of your comfort zone and boost your personal brand along the way. How to reflect and appreciate the work challenges you overcame in the past.
Blog posts about software development are not necessarily always a dry subject, and this book contains dozens of tricks and techniques on how to find interesting topics, structure your thoughts, deliver it in a compelling way and find your audience.
I really liked the different frameworks to approach the actual writing, this is super useful and provides an excellent direction to start. Another helpful thing is the classification of different patterns used in the most successful blog posts. This really feels like a cheat code and helps to come up with good and relevant ideas.
This book was of a fantastic value for me. Highly recommended for veteran bloggers and newbies alike.
- Each chapter is highly self-contained and well-structured, you can just jump into any chapter that catches your interest without worrying about missing prerequisite knowledge. This book provides the necessary context and quick recaps as needed. - If your goal is to market yourself through writing, this book is definitely for you.
Other Thoughts:
- This is NOT a book that helps you build writing habit. While it highlights the benefits of writing technical posts and provides essential skills for crafting great content, the decision to start writing—and the discipline to keep going—ultimately rests on you. - As a non-native English speaker, I found some of the language in this book a bit ornate. Simpler, more straightforward phrasing would have made it an easier read.
The most comprehensive collection of blogging patterns, specifically designed to empower developers, data scientists, data analysts, programmers, and IT professionals to write authoritatively about their wide-ranging interests in technology. This book is rich with techniques to help you start writing your own technical blog posts. If you want to begin your technical writing journey, this is the perfect book for you.
A good book for everyone who wants to write. It does not matter if it is a blog, an article or a whole book. You find a lot of helpful resources and ideas that can help you to start quickly. For writers with more experience, it is a good help to keep track and to get new ideas. Definitely a must-read for technical writers.
A Developer's Guide to Standing Out: A Review of "Writing for Developers"
In the bustling world of software development, where new technologies and best practices emerge daily, the ability to communicate effectively is as crucial as coding skills. "Writing for Developers" by Piotr Sarna and Cynthia Dunlop offers a timely and practical guide for developers looking to share their knowledge and expertise through compelling written content. This isn't your typical, dry writing manual; it's a focused, engaging, and even "punk rock DIY" approach to crafting technical pieces that resonate with fellow developers.
The book's strength lies in its targeted approach. It understands the unique challenges and opportunities that technical writing presents. Instead of generic advice, Sarna and Dunlop delve into the specifics of crafting blog posts, articles, and other technical content that stand out from the crowd. They address the core issue: how to translate complex technical ideas into clear, concise, and engaging prose.
One of the most valuable aspects of the book is its introduction of seven popular patterns for engineering blogs. These patterns, with catchy names like "The Bug Hunt" and "We Rewrote It in X," provide a framework for structuring technical narratives, making the writing process less daunting and more organized. The authors don't just present these patterns; they guide you through the process of selecting the right pattern for your specific idea, ensuring that your content is both informative and engaging.
"Writing for Developers" covers the entire writing lifecycle, from initial brainstorming and planning to drafting, revising, and even promoting your work. The authors offer practical tips and techniques for each stage, addressing common challenges like writer's block and how to effectively incorporate visuals and code snippets. They also provide valuable insights into how to use AI tools for revision while cautioning against potential misuses and abuses, a crucial consideration in today's tech landscape.
The book's focus on clarity and conciseness is paramount. Sarna and Dunlop emphasize the importance of writing for a technical audience, providing concrete strategies for making your content accessible and persuasive to fellow developers. They understand that developers value precision and accuracy, and they equip readers with the tools to achieve both.
Another commendable aspect of the book is its accessibility. The authors specifically target developers of all skill levels, even those who might not consider themselves "good writers" or native English speakers. The clear and concise writing style, combined with numerous examples and practical exercises, makes the book easy to follow and apply.
While the book excels in its practical advice and focus on technical writing, some readers might find the "punk rock DIY attitude" a bit overstated. However, this energetic approach doesn't detract from the book's core value: providing a comprehensive and effective guide for developers who want to share their knowledge and make a lasting impact through their writing.
In conclusion, "Writing for Developers" is an essential resource for any developer looking to improve their communication skills. It provides a practical, targeted, and engaging approach to technical writing, empowering developers to share their expertise and contribute to the broader tech community. Whether you're a seasoned blogger or just starting out, this book will undoubtedly help you craft compelling content that resonates with your audience and elevates your career.
A comprehensive guide on the process of writing technical blog posts. All stages are covered: idealizing, writing, publishing, promoting and ultimately benefiting of the post's success.
I like how several real-life classical recent blog posts are presented and dissected by the authors. It is very practical and specific.
I originally picked up this book to improve my writing for my company’s internal Confluence wiki. It covered that for sure, and I really fell I should start writing articles "in the wild".
The text is really up to date. There is advice on how to use LLMs, not to write the articles themselves, but to spot omissions and anticipate readers questions.
Overall a great read in the times we software developers and other professionals are living.
interesting book to help me write better as developer. This book covers personal perspective to AI-based one in terms of writing better blogpost. This book is gonna be my go-to reference for prioritizing essential points needed in my future blogpost.
Technical writing and blogging may not come naturally to everyone. For many developers, the idea of putting thoughts into words can feel daunting. But the truth is, these skills are incredibly valuable whether you’re writing engineering blogs, presenting your work on platforms like GitHub or Kaggle, or simply communicating your ideas more effectively. The problem? There aren’t many resources out there to help developers master these skills.
You could spend hours dissecting popular tech blogs, trying to decode their style and structure, or you could pick up a copy of "Writing for Developers" by Piotr Sarna and Cynthia Dunlop.
Tech blogs and community forums are invaluable for developers. They bridge the gap left by the often dry and technical official documentation of software products and services. As a long-time blogger, I was thrilled to discover this book dedicated to teaching the art of technical blogging, written by experts in the field.
The book kicks off with something that immediately grabbed my attention: a handy summary table of seven blog post patterns for modern engineering blogs. The idea that blog writing, like programming, has patterns and anti-patterns is fascinating. It’s a brilliant way to give readers a roadmap, and the “Crunch Time Cheat Sheet” at the end is the perfect quick reference for anyone short on time.
The first seven chapters lay the groundwork for technical blogging, while the later chapters dive into the characteristics of popular blog post patterns, complete with examples, dos, and don’ts. It’s like having a mentor guide you through the process. What I found especially useful were the final chapters on promotion, adaptation, and expansion. They offer practical advice on how blogging can open doors to speaking engagements and even book publishing. The book wraps up with two appendices packed with practical information on publishing options, tools, and using Generative AI.
This book is a treasure trove of tips and suggestions for developers who might feel intimidated by the idea of writing about their work. The authors build confidence by offering real-world approaches to common challenges, all delivered with a touch of humor that makes the content engaging and easy to follow. One of my favorite takeaways is the idea of using Generative AI for peer reviews of blog posts.
A small critique is that the book uses some phrases and terms (like "footgun") that might not be familiar to a global audience or beginners who aren't social media savvy. But that’s a minor quibble in an otherwise excellent guide.
Fittingly, the book includes an afterword by the legendary Scott Hanselman, whose blogs and tech talks have been a source of inspiration and problem-solving for me throughout my two-decade software development career. As he aptly puts it, "A great blog post is forever. Today's real-time social media is quickly forgotten. Don’t be a meme, but a movement."
As an active tech blogger for over two decades, I found this book incredibly informative and highly recommend it to anyone interested in writing technical or engineering blogs.
We do read a lot. Not just books, work-related memos, API docs, but also technical blogs and even short SNS messages regarding various issues (tech-related things, work-related problems, even about cooking). Whether you are a programmer or developer, we all experience something based on what we read. And we all end up in the same place - we learn something. Unfortunately, for most of us, that has been the destination. Not many of us continue their new journey from it – I mean “Writing.” We do write code and contribute back to communities and sources. But still, we, at least I, are very immature at writing those in human language.
I feel this book is recalling my old ‘good’ English class (either English 101 or Writing class for engineering students) in college. It was like reading my first programming book 10 years after I graduated – we all knew but we all ignored it. It starts from what we already know but never started. The book shows how other blogs/technical writing work, what types of writings are out there, and what we need to consider while we write. It even encourages why we need to write (in my case, even though English is not my first language).
After reading the book, you (including myself) might need more courage to start your own technical blog, but at least in my case, it motivates me to write more short messages on my Mastodon (a decentralized social blog). I feel I might even write some longer posts about my experiences in my field in the near future. If you feel like me, I think this book is worth something for us.
This book is a great starting point for anyone looking to begin their technical writing journey, whether you're interested in blogging, articles, or newsletters. While it's particularly aimed at developers and technical professionals, the principles can apply to anyone wanting to write technical content.
✅ Key strengths: Excellent collection of blog post patterns (How We Built It, Bug Hunt, Rewrote it in X, etc.) Practical advice for content creation and promotion Well-structured guidance for beginners Good use of real-world blog examples
⚠️ Limitations: It doesn't give much information about how to write well and use tools. Some parts are skim-able, especially if you're not interested in specific motivation factors.
💡 Audience Good for: Developers looking to start blogging Technical professionals wanting to improve their content creation Beginners in technical writing
Not so good for: Experienced writers looking for advanced techniques Those seeking in-depth writing style guidance Readers wanting detailed technical tool recommendations
I recently read this book, and I highly recommend it to any developer looking to start writing. The book makes it clear that you don’t need to be an expert or a great writer to share valuable insights. It provides a structured approach to writing, from brainstorming to publishing, and encourages developers to contribute to the community.
One of the most useful aspects is its introduction to common blog post formats like *Bug Hunt*, *We Rewrote It in X*, and *How We Built It*, which help frame ideas in a compelling way. It also covers practical techniques for drafting and revising content efficiently.
The book offers advice on using AI as a writing assistant: not to generate text, but to refine and improve what you’ve written. It also emphasizes that strong communication skills can enhance all aspects of a developer’s work, not just blogging.
What stood out most to me is its encouragement to just start writing, regardless of experience. If you’re a developer who’s ever thought about sharing your knowledge but didn’t know where to begin, this book is a great guide.
I don't know that many books on blogging, so it's great to get a fresh perspective like the one this book offers. The first part walks through the process of writing a solid blog post, but I found it a bit overwhelming, probably because of the too many details. At times, I lost track of the overall process.
However, the second part was really good. It covered common patterns in technical blogs and included great examples by linking to existing posts.
The last three chapters gave a nice overview of what happens after your post is published. This includes reaching a wider audience through social media, turning a blog post into a conference talk, and even eventually publishing a book. Don't expect a lot of step-by-step details here, that's clearly not the focus, but I still found it a nice addition.
Not a bad book on blogging. Focused mostly on how to create and promote content and very light on tooling. About half of the book explores blog "Patterns" - specific templates of blogging, which might be useful you have one of these templates in mind, but might be pretty "skimmable" otherwise.
-0.5 stars for using AI art (pointless, ugly and inconsistent) + 0.5 stars for using excellent blogs as examples.
It's an OK book: nicely structured, contains some useful info. My main complaint is that it does not teach you to write better. It will teach you why to write, what to write, and how to create a proper draft. But how to actually write in engaging style - that part is missing, as far as I could see. I did not finish this book from covert to back, but mainly because it reads like documentation - if I ever start writing, I might consult certain chapters, but reading the whole thing was too boring.
A must read book for developers old and new. This is a gem of a book which guides a developer on the many options they have to publicize their work through blogs. The author guides the reader using examples and use cases. A must have book which you will read many times throughout your career !
Piotr and Cynthia have provided a lot of helpful tips to author blog entries and assist with creating presentations for sharing with a large user community.
As you know, one important technical skill for developers is writing clearly and accurately. This book, mainly focused on writing blogs, helps developers start their journey in writing technical articles and posts. What I like most about the book is Part 3, where the authors discuss Blog Post Patterns such as Bug Hunt, Rewrote it in X, and How We Built It, to name a few. While reading, it was clear to me that the authors have years of experience in writing. The text is well-written and informative. If you want to write technical blog posts on Medium or start a newsletter but don't know where to begin, I highly recommend this book.