Manuals of similar products will show you how other writers have tackled the subject. Look for similarities among the writers, which indicates both common functionality and common approaches to describing something. Look for differences that stand out. Those are likely to be functions that are unique to a given product. Your product may or may not include those functions, or may have alternate ways of solving the problem that you can describe, enhancing the value of your product. While your job may be writing a how-to, showing the customers the value of their purchase is a great way to encourage them to continue reading. Devour trade magazines. Find out how the people who use the products work with them day-to-day. They may wish there was a function that solved their particular problem, and if your product is the solution, that needs to be highlighted.
It lets you focus on individual parts of the whole. Your goal is to familiarize the user with how to learn the process. How to perform the function can be left for a tutorial at the end, if desired, or left for the user to discover on their own.
If, for some reason, it isn’t feasible to do the steps, think them through thoroughly and consult somebody who is an expert.
If you’re writing on paper, be sure to leave space for additions between each step. Remember to renumber your steps if you add more in.
Conversely, if there is some bit of knowledge that will make the user’s task easier or more interesting, add it in.
Consider having a friend or two use the manual. Watch them closely when they learn how to use the product. See where they zip through it. See where they get lost, confused, or fail at the task. Listen to what they have to say, then adjust your manual accordingly.
Title them, and note their locations.
For a more comprehensive manual, you can also take this opportunity to note all the small topics, and use that information to create an index.
