# 032: Drowning in contribution chaos? Let's fix it!
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Drowning in contribution chaos?
Tech writers say they want engineers to contribute docs.
But when engineers actually contribute?
Secretly, we sometimes dread it.
Because without a contribution system, "help" turns into chaos:
No user journey outlined
Dense, jargon-heavy writing
New docs shoved into random places that break your Information Architecture
You can fix that!
Here's how to invite docs contributions without sacrificing quality, structure, or your user needs.
1) Build a contributor system, not just a request.
Don't just say, "Anyone can contribute docs!"
Instead, create a:
Docs contributor guide (purpose, audience, scope)
File naming conventions
Template for different documentation types (e.g., tutorial, API reference, etc.)
2) Gatekeep Some Things (strategically!)
You're not blocking content creation.
You're protecting:
✨ Information Architecture consistency
New content must fit the existing Information Architecture structure.
No orphan pages.
✨ Voice and tone
Engineering explanations ≠ user-facing docs.
Your job is translation.
✨ Strategic alignment
Just because you can write about it, doesn't mean it should exist.
Ask: "What user decision does this enable?"
3) Create three contribution lanes
Make it easy for folks at all comfort levels to contribute to docs.
Lane 1: Suggest docs ideas or improvements
Lane 2: Draft new docs content
Lane 3: Submit docs PRs directly
Each lane gets reviewed by you, the tech writer, but contributors choose their comfort zone.
Your job isn't to write everything.
Design documentation workflows that scale knowledge across your organization.
Managing documentation shouldn’t turn you into a bottleneck.
Now go forth and design a docs contribution system that enables contributors. 💪🏿
Hasta nuestra próxima aventura,
(Until our next adventure)
Quetzalli Writes
