Write Magazine Articles: Yes, YOU!

erco

Another thread prompted me to post this gentle reminder that the collective genius in this forum (yes, that includes YOU) should be looking for outside opportunities to save the world. Print magazines, for however long they last, are looking for content (articles) and YOU could well be earning some money back from your hobby. I've written for ROBOT and SERVO, and it's pretty fun to show people that you're published. I've also found that people LOVE seeing that on a resume, so consider it to bolster yours.

ROBOT has a lot of news, product reviews, and coverage of STEM/VEX/FIRST competitions. Pays ~$75/page IIRC. It's been a while since I wrote for them, and their chief editor Tom Atwood is gone. Steve Norris has written some fine articles for ROBOT, perhaps he can chime in here about the current climate. Wait... I haven't heard from Steve for a while, come to think of it. STEVE?

SERVO has more tech content and DIY stuff. They also like series, so if you want to write your large masterpiece in multiple parts and drill down into the nitty gritty, go for it. I've been honored to occasionally be in the same issue with articles by Gordon McComb and David Dorhout, fellow Forumistas. I haven't written for Nuts & Volts yet, but there's another possibility. Same publisher as SERVO.

Per Duane Degn, force yourself to take some still photos of your projects during construction for documentation. Otherwise, to get those pics, you must disassemble ("no disassemble #5!) or build another. You're going to build these things anyway, why not share it in a magazine and earn $400? Martin_H, I'm talking to you! Start documenting for dollars.

Robin, the editor at SERVO, is very enthusiastic and professional, a joy to work with (I owe her an article today, so why I am I blathering here?). I won't post her email here for fear of spam bots, but PM me for it, or get it from the website or magazine.

In a related story, Gordon keeps gently reminding me that book publishing is alive & well, for you over achievers out there.

Now go FORTH and start writing!

JonnyMac

I've worked with Robin for a LONG time. She's very nice, and treats writers well. You're not going to get rich writing tech articles, but that that doesn't tend to be the reason we do it, anyway.

David Betz

I used to write articles for BYTE Magazine, Dr. Dobbs Journal, and Personal Workstation Magazine but I haven't written anything in ages. I suppose people are tired of reading about XLISP! :-)

Ron Czapala

The only magazine article for me was an assembler program I wrote called XDEL.
I wrote it on a IBM PC Jr with two floppy drives - no hard disk...

I sent it to PC magazine and they asked to me write an article to go along with it and published it in Sept 1986 (Wow - 29 years ago...)
https://books.google.com/books?id=ksjshmkLdIEC&pg=PA267#v=onepage&q&f=false

Nice check for $600 too!

xanadu

I completely agree. Im two busy to lern but people here should be published. People here should be mfg too, KickStarter if you have to, YOU have what it takes. Completely agree.

Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)

One caveat, (even though Jon seems to manage quite nicely): if you're ever approached to write a regular magazine column, you'll never fully appreciate how short a month is until each one contains a deadline.

OTOH, if people constantly see your name in print, it can lead to some amazing opportunities.

-Phil

erco

While working with SERVO editor Robin and rounding up robot photos for my article, she told me that she'd love for people to share their robot photos with her, along with a short caption. Even if she just uses it for filler material, it might be fun for all you builders here to see your bot in print, so consider emailing some stuff to her. Might be a nice way to ease yourself into getting published. Start with a photo, then write a blurb, then a whole article!

Send to robin at nutsvolts dotcom, mention that erco sent you so she knows the context.

erco

My very basic article on analog servos is in July's SERVO magazine. Just got mine today. I expanded the servo portion of a robot curriculum I'm writing and I was pleasantly surprised that editor Robin was interested. I mentioned Parallax a few times, shared some Stamp & Prop code (thanks Duane) and they used a photo with a Parallax servo, as well as PJ Allen's Cypherbot with peanut butter jar lid wheels (in the DIY category). Sorry Duane, they didn't use the pic you sent me of your Halloween Hex.

First half preview at http://servo.texterity.com/servo/201507/?folio=68#pg68 Kind of a PITA to view, but it's free...

There's also a great article on Robot Hut, a fan's private museum in Elk, WA. http://www.robothut.robotnut.com/index.html

Robot Hut puts my robot room to shame: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMOtGYprBRQ

Other articles are about the new Battlebots show, general combat bot construction, general animatronics construction, CNC part design, and the bots of Maker Faire.

So again, what are you waiting for? Start writing! SERVO focuses on robotics, and companion magazine Nuts & Volts (same publisher) has more general electronics: power, audio, FPGAs, and general coding.

Surely you have something to write (home) about.

GordonMcComb

Who's this "Eric" guy? I expected "By Erco," you know, how the old toy companies used to be ,,, "By Marx!" Or, "Every human particle wants an Erco article."

Anywho, congrats on another fine contribution. Even the kid at 0:44 likes it!