I’m the author of 26 non-fiction books and close to 200 magazine articles. As of Q1 2011, Book #27 is in the works and should see publication in a few months. I’ve developed and written documentation and books for many leading software products, and have received 26 writing awards to date. (Lists of books, articles, projects, and awards are at www.hedtke.com.) All in all, I’ve been in the software business for over 30 years and have close to 30 years as a writer and 7 years in technical publications management.
Besides books, I also do radio and magazine interviews and frequently travel to do lectures and guest appearances at conferences and seminars. My “day” job is owning and managing JVH Communications, a company that offers writing and business consulting services for a variety of private, public, and governmental clients.
I like writing; it beats making an honest living. By the time I finish book #27, I’ll be close to 8 million published words. To quote Andy from Neil Simon’s “Star Spangled Girl,” “I am now capable of committing the perfect crime because I no longer have any fingerprints.”
My favorite professional organization is the Society for Technical Communication, an organization I’ve belonged to since the late 80s. I’ve served on their Board of Directors and headed numerous committees. If you’re interested in non-fiction writing and technical communication, you should look into the STC.
You can reach me at john@hedtke.com.
Other cool stuff worth knowing about me:
- I’ve donated 85 pints of blood.
- I write and sell buttons to a button company in California. Some examples are “I’ve suffered for my art; now it’s your turn,” “Stop me before I log on again,” “Death is nature’s way of telling you to turn off the computer,” “You have too many issues; I’m canceling my subscription,” “Failure is not an option—it already comes bundled with the software,” and “How’d you like to curl up in bed with the author of a good book?” It doesn’t pay the rent, but it’s a lot of fun.
- I’ve been playing banjo and guitar and singing for 40 years. He says he gets a lot of requests when he plays the banjo, but he goes ahead and plays it anyhow.
- When not otherwise occupied, I sleep late as much as possible.
- After 24 years of living in Seattle, I now live in Eugene, OR, with The Babe and a collection of cats.