Along The Tucson-Nogales Highway

The Professional Engineer as a Writer

WRITING is usually looked upon by the professional or technical man as something far beyond his capabilities. Yet this same man will write up a report in a conclusive manner and in good English. A man who can get up a good report on the job will have very little trouble in writing an article for a magazine or newspaper if he will but take the time to do it.

Technical writing differs a good deal from the kind of writing which is done for the magazine which caters to the general public. In fiction the style, plot, etc., etc., are the vital points which make it interesting. In a technical article the thought or information conveyed is the important point. The reader of a technical article cares little or nothing for fine grammatical sentences or flowery language so long as he can get something of value from the article in the way of new information. The first and foremost requirement of a technical article is that it have real ideas and real thoughts which can be utilized in a practical way. The ideas, or thoughts, need not be necessarily new, but if they are not new they should be treated in a different manner or in a more complete form. The presentation of any thought or novel idea or new apparatus should always be made logically. This is not particularly hard to do if an outline of some sort is made up first before the article is written.

Actual writing of a technical article is not difficult once the idea is obtained. Many men have excellent ideas, but are shy at putting them down on paper. The editors of the technical magazines and the trade papers are in search of new ideas at all times, and as a rule they are not at all concerned with the literary style in which the idea is presented. Of course, if a manuscript comes in well written and neatly worked up and requiring very little editing, it is certainly welcome; but when a new idea, or something pertinent comes in it will never be turned down simply because it is not well written. In other words, if a man has a good idea of practical importance and with real information which will be of interest to other technical men, he will have little trouble in getting it published no matter what the literary style happens to be.

MUST HAVE MEAT

Technical articles must have meat in them, and this is just what the techni-cal or professional man can put into them without a great deal of trouble. Nearly every magazine has a sort of style which is generally followed, and it is almost impossible for the occasional writer to follow it out. This need not necessarily deter the would-be writer. as it is not difficult for the editor to change the article to suit his wishes. Editors do not like to rewrite the material for the magazine, but they will do By K. B. HUMPHREY In "Professional Engineer"

Tell Your Story

In this article Mr. Humphrey proposes a plan for engineers, that has the hearty endorsement of the American Association of Engineers and all farsighted members of the profession. Engineers need practice in translating technicalities into common parlance. Few florists could sell V. cucullata but violets go over big.

Mr. Humphrey urges two reasons why engineers should enter the field of writing for publication, one of these is personal; it is an opportunity to earn a few extra dollars in a legitimate way, and the favorable publicity of having one's name in print is an asset to the individual. This is in no sense vulgar or aggressive advertising, but a service that brings a reward in professional standing. The other reason is professional. There is a real dearth of authentic material on engineering subjects because of the long-standing conviction of engineers that writing is not a forte of the typical engineer. Engineers are peculiarly fitted to tell of interesting, unique and vital features of their own work. A better informed public will be a more appreciative public. Engineers owe to to their profession to give it all the available publicity possible. . . . . so if there is enough important material in the original manuscript.

So much for what the editor requires. How can the ordinary man give it to him? There are certain mechanical de tails which will give a manuscript a better chance of acceptance and not burden the writer to any great extent. One of these is the appearance of the copy handed in. While, as said before, the idea in the article is all important, If the copy comes in written in pencil and so broken up that it is almost im-possible to decipher it, the chance of an acceptance is thereby lessened. Manuscripts should be typewriten, double spaced, and with plenty of margin at each side. This facilitates editing by allowing room for necessary corrections and changes of style. It must be remembered that the type-setter requires absolutely clean copy with few corrections in order that he may do the job correctly and in the minimum amount of time. If a manuscript comes in correctly and neatly written it means less work for the editor and consequently he is more favorably inclined to use the material presented. This is not intended to scare the technical writer, but simply to show that a presentable manuscript has a better chance of acceptance than one poorly presented in the mechanical aspects.

TYPE REQUIREDD

It is not advisable for the ordinary technical man to try to write feature stories of the type required by the more popular magazines or for the newspapers. The first efforts usually meet with more success in the trade or technical magazines, where the idea counts for more than the literary style. Trade magazines are always interested in new ideas or new applications of tools, or different ways of accomplishing a difficult job. Nearly every construction job of any size presents problems which have to be worked out for that particular situation. Many times the same idea, with possibly a little alteration, can be used on some other job. A short writeup, with perhaps a sketch or photograph, will always get a hearing. Another possibility is the "shop kink" department. These are nothing more than ideas worked out by the men in the shop for expending a piece of work written up in about 200 words.

Sketches can be made with pencil or pen and should be clear, though there is no necessity for a finished drawing. Most magazines have their own artists, who make a new drawing which conforms to the established style of the magazine. Photographs should be of as large a size as possible and should be clear for good reproductions.

The report of a new line of investigation always receives favorable attention in the office and as a rule the material is very easy to get into shape for publication. Curves are an easy method of showing results and should be used Continued on page 23