Finding Your Voice: How to Choose the Perfect Publishing Platform for Your Writing

The thought of Publishing can be daunting to some. It’s easier than you would think.

• Create a list of topics for at least 30 days, it can be laser focused or an eclectic grouping about many things.
• Write what you’re comfortable with, be willing to dig deep. Whether Technical, Creative, or anything in-between, Just Go For It!

MadCap Flare

A documentation authoring and publishing tool developed by MadCap Software. It is primarily used by technical writers to create and publish digital documentation. In Flare, publishing refers to the process of taking content that has been authored in the software (such as help files or user manuals) and generating output that can be published and distributed to users. 

To publish content in Flare, you need to first create a target, which is the output format you want to generate. Flare supports a wide range of output formats, such as HTML5, PDF, and EPUB. Once you’ve created a target, you can select the topics or sections of your content you want to include in the output, as well as any styling or formatting options you want to apply. Finally, you initiate the publishing process, and Flare generates the output in the format you specified. The resulting output can then be distributed to users via various channels, such as a website, a help center, or a mobile app.

In addition to Flare, MadCap Software has developed several other platforms for content creation and management, including:

1. MadCap Central: A cloud-based platform that allows teams to collaborate on content creation, store and manage documentation assets, and track project progress.

2. MadCap Mimic: A platform that allows users to create software simulations and demonstrations, which can be used for training and support purposes.

3. MadCap Lingo: A translation management platform that simplifies the process of translating content into multiple languages.

4. MadCap Contributor: A tool that enables subject matter experts to contribute knowledge and content to documentation projects, without requiring them to use Flare or other authoring tools.

Overall, MadCap Software offers a comprehensive suite of tools for technical communicators and content creators, with a focus on streamlining the authoring and publishing process, improving collaboration, and enhancing the user experience.

WordPress

Publishing on WordPress refers to the process of making your written content or multimedia files available on your WordPress-powered website or blog. WordPress is a content management system (CMS) that allows website owners to create and publish content to their sites without requiring extensive technical knowledge.

To publish on WordPress, you first need to log in to your account and navigate to the WordPress editor. This is where you create new posts, pages, and other types of content. Once you’re in the editor, you can add text, images, videos, and other media to your post or page, and format your content using a variety of styling options.

Once you’re happy with your content, you can specify its status (such as “draft” or “published”) and any other relevant metadata, such as categories and tags. When you’re ready to publish, simply hit the “publish” button, and your content will be added to your website, where it can be viewed by your visitors.

WordPress also allows you to share your published content across a variety of social media platforms and other channels, making it easy to get the word out and reach a wider audience. Additionally, WordPress offers a wide range of plugins and themes that can help you enhance your content and customize your site to meet your specific needs.

WordPress offers a vast library of plugins that enable users to add various features and functionalities to their websites beyond the basic content creation and management. Here are some popular types of plugins that WordPress offers:

1. SEO: WordPress provides several plugins that can help optimize search engine ranking for your website, such as Yoast SEO, All in One SEO Pack.

2. Security: WordPress also offers multiple security plugins, such as Wordfence, iThemes Security, and Jetpack Security. These plugins enhance the security of your site, prevent hacks and malware attacks.

3. Backup: Backup plugins, like UpdraftPlus or BackupBuddy, are imperative to store your website’s critical data, including your posts, pages, media, and customization.

4. Performance and Speed: Plugins such as WP Smush and W3 Total Cache help optimize the performance and speed of your WordPress website.

5. Forms and Surveys: There are several WordPress plugins to create forms and surveys, like Gravity Forms, WuFoo Forms, and Contact Form 7.

6. E-commerce: WordPress offers several plugins that allow you to create and run an online store within your website, such as WooCommerce and Easy Digital Downloads.

7. Social Media Integration: There are numerous WordPress plugins that enable you to integrate social media platforms, which helps to increase website traffic. Popular plugins include Jetpack and Social Warfare.

These are a few examples of the numerous plugins that WordPress offers. You can browse the WordPress repository to find many other plugins that can help enhance your website’s functionality and performance.

Differentiating the platforms: 

MadCap Flare is a technical authoring tool that enables the creation of various types of technical documentation. Unlike WordPress, MadCap Flare does not offer plugins in the traditional sense, but it offers several built-in features and functionality that add value to the technical writing process. Here are some of the features MadCap Flare offers:

1. Single-Source Authoring: MadCap Flare allows authors to write content once and publish the same content in multiple formats automatically. With the Single-Source Authoring feature, you can publish technical documentation in web-based Help systems, PDF, Microsoft Word, HTML5, and other formats.

2. Content Reuse: Authors can reuse the same content across various projects and documentation types with MadCap Flare. This feature enables multiple writers to access, manage and update the same content, saving time and reducing errors.

3. Conditional Text: MadCap Flare offers a feature called Conditional Text. This feature allows authors to include or exclude specific text or images based on conditions such as audience, language, or platform.

4. Responsive Design: MadCap Flare supports responsive design, and authors can use this feature to create documentation that’s optimized for various devices with different screen sizes. The content is adjusted automatically based on the device’s screen width.

5. Translation: With MadCap Flare, it’s effortless to create content for international audiences. Authors can translate content into multiple languages with MadCap Lingo, a built-in translation tool.

6. Reports: MadCap Flare offers reporting features that enable content authors to track the progress of documentation in real-time. For example, you can see how much work has been done and how much is left unfinished.

These are some of the features that MadCap Flare offers to simplify the technical documentation creation process.

WordPress (CMS) offers two main platforms: WordPress.com and WordPress.org. Here’s what you need to know about each platform:

1. WordPress.com: This is a hosting platform that offers a user-friendly interface for creating and managing a website. WordPress.com offers a free version that includes limited features and functionality, and paid plans that allow users to customize their website and add additional features such as a custom domain name, eCommerce functionality, and more. WordPress.com handles site security, backups, and software updates, but users are restricted in terms of customization options and plugins.

2. WordPress.org: This is a self-hosted platform that requires users to download the software and install it on a web host. With WordPress.org, users have complete control over their website’s design, functionality, and content. Users can customize their website’s appearance by choosing from thousands of free and paid WordPress themes or designing their custom themes. Additionally, users can install plugins, which offer additional features such as contact forms, social media integration, image optimization, SEO, and more. However, managing the website’s security, backups, and software updates rests solely on the website owner.

In summary, WordPress.com is a hosting platform that offers limited customization options but handles all the website management tasks while WordPress.org is a self-hosted platform provides full control over the website’s customization, but users need to manage their security and software updates.

Similar Publishing Platforms including WordPress:

1. WordPress

2. Medium

3. Tumblr

4. Squarespace

5. Blogger

6. Wix

7. Ghost

8. Joomla

9. Drupal

10. HubSpot

11. Weebly

12. Typepad

13. Shopify

14. Big Cartel

15. Zenfolio

16. Cargo Collective

17. SmugMug

18. DeviantArt

19. Behance

20. Dribbble

21. Issuu

22. Lulu

23. Blurb

24. CreateSpace

25. MagCloud

Similar Publishing Platforms including MadCap Flare:

1. MadCap Flare

2. Adobe RoboHelp

3. Help+Manual

4. ClickHelp

5. Oxygen XML Editor

6. Paligo

7. Zoomin

8. Docutools

9. ProcedureFlow

10. ScreenSteps

11. HelpSmith

12. Dr.Explain

13. Manula

14. Dozuki

15. MindTouch

16. Jorsek’s easyDITA

17. PubsHub

18. Inforuptcy

19. Xpertdoc

20. EasyVista

21. Pathwright

22. Wordwall

23. SmartSheet

24. Workzone

25. Easelly

Technical Publishing Platforms (this is not an exhaustive list):

1. GitHub

2. GitLab

3. Bitbucket

4. Atlassian Confluence

5. Google Sites

6. Apache OpenOffice

7. LibreOffice

8. Microsoft Office 365

9. Google Drive

10. Dropbox Paper

11. Evernote

12. Notion

13. Trello

14. Basecamp

15. Asana

16. Jira

17. Discourse

18. Vanilla Forums

19. Zendesk

20. Freshdesk

21. Help Scout

22. Intercom

23. UserVoice

24. Usabilla

25. Mural

Please 👍 and subscribe – it’s free!