Book Review: Writing for Developers

Writing for Developers: Blogs that get read by Piotr Sarna and Cynthia Dunlop
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

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.

Also see - Takeaways from Google's Technical Writing Course