I really need to do an article on the value of good documentation in relation to reasonable compensation for technical writing.

I'm on a discussion group for local tech writers, and we've been discussing salaries and understanding of what goes in to technical writing.

There's a great quote I love by Red Smith, a well known sports writer from the last century, who said, "There's nothing to writing.  All you do is sit down at a typewriter and open a vein."   Truer words weren't spoken, even if one has to translate typewriter to keyboard (or keypad).  I spend a lot of time making my documentation comprehensive and easy to read. 

And Maya Angelou once apologized for not having the time to make a poem she wrote shorter.  It takes time to reduce a written piece into a more concise piece.

What I think is missing is an understanding of the long term cost savings involved in good documentation.  What are the values I can think of, off the top of my head?

• Expedited training
• Eliminate corrective actions
• Reduced re-work
• Faster change management cycles
• Expedited implementations

Now to quantify that.