Dan Gookin: The OG of Technical Writing

If you love the "For Dummies" series of books, you'll enjoy the chat between Kirupa and Dan Gookin, prolific author (100 books and counting) and the creator of the "For Dummies" series.

The conversation centers on Gookin's career, focusing on his revolutionary approach to technical writing, which prioritised humour and personality over traditional, dry instructional styles. He discusses his writing process, including the importance of outlining and taking breaks, and reflects on the evolution of the publishing industry and the rise of digital content. The interview highlights Gookin's enduring influence on technical writing and his ongoing passion for creating accessible and engaging content.

Interesting trivia from the hour-long free-wheeling interview -

Dan Gookin drew inspiration from Mad Magazine when developing the series' humorous and approachable style. He loved Mad Magazine as a kid and aimed to combine its humour with informative content in his computer books. He wanted to write books that were friendly and approachable for beginners, unlike the dry and boring computer books available at the time. His goal was to make technical writing fun and entertaining, allowing the author's personality to shine through.

Gookin's approach revolutionized the computer book publishing industry. Before the "For Dummies" series, most computer books were dry and humourless. Publishers initially resisted Gookin's idea, believing that beginners wouldn't buy books. The success of the "For Dummies" series, with its humour and personality, changed the industry's perspective. Other publishers began seeking books with humour, leading to a wave of engaging and entertaining computer books.

"I write the first draft and then the second draft...I can actually think of silly things to do...which is a lot easier because it's to me it's easier to make fun of something than it is just to start out to be funny."

Gookin considers WordPerfect For Dummies "the best book I've done". The book  published in 1992 included a lot of humour, some of which he thinks would get him in trouble today. He shares an anecdote of a reader who laughed out loud while reading the book on the New York subway, drawing attention from other passengers.

Dan Gookin explains that the colors yellow and black were chosen for the For Dummies book series by the Editor in Chief of IDG Books, Mac McCarthy because his research found that they were the two most opposing colors that attract the human eye. 

Dan often rewrites books in the For Dummies series to reflect changing technology. Gookin gives the example of PCs For Dummies, which has been updated to 13 editions. He explains that these updates involve substantial changes. For example, early editions of PCs For Dummies covered DOS and floppy drives, but later editions do not. He strives to maintain originality and consistent humor in his writing, ensuring that he does not recycle previous content when updating his books.

The very first book in the For Dummies catalog was DOS for Dummies.