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Interested in writing for Making Waves?
That's exactly what this magazine is all about - publishing the experiences, insights, and issues of the people who are actually doing CED, for the benefit of like-minded people across North America.
Writing is no small task. Even professional writers often find it takes a lot of effort to write something that is as valuable and engaging to strangers as it is to themselves. Unless writing is a very big part of your job description, the same is likely to apply to you.
Here are some hints that may make the process more rewarding for you.
- Write about what you know from personal experience. Your own work and that of your organization may not seem earthshaking to you, but it is likely a story that only you can possibly tell. Who else could know all the details but you? To get the ball rolling, e-mail us a 300-word outline of what you would like to tell people about. We'll get back to you with comments, suggestions, and some possible deadlines.
- Address your peers. Your readers are people like you, with a commitment to inventing and enhancing initiatives that address whole communities. Tell these readers what you have learned and how you have learned it. Include your certainties and suspicions as well as things that you still wonder about. (This is a much deeper level of insight than a communications officer can provide, so please spare him or her the trouble.) And if you're an overworked person who doesn't usually have 20 consecutive minutes to spend at professional reading, remember - the same goes for your readers.
- Be frank and be as technical as the story demands. What would you say to your readers over coffee? How would you say it over coffee? (If you really must use footnotes, therefore, keep them to the bare minimum.) Of course, you face political realities. One of the weaknesses of this first-hand approach to journalism is that the "whole truth" could endanger relationships within your organization and its allies. So there's no need to write an exposé, but remember that your readers have much to learn from both your errors and your successes.
- Get your thoughts down on paper. Leave matters of organization and style to later. If writing is a real difficulty, try taping yourself instead, and then send in a transcript. Making Waves supplies editing free of charge. It is your task to supply the solid information - what you achieved, how you achieved it, what went sideways, and if and how you corrected things. If you can do that, we should be able to shape your work into a piece of journalism that will do your and your organization proud.
- If you're the kind of person who "sets goals," your goal in writing should be to answer a question - one which truly intrigues you as you set pen to paper or fingers to keyboard. (What role should HRSDC play in our operations? Can Wal-Mart help our town bounce back?) If you know more about the answer to that question when you're done, your readers will too.
Generally, 700 words make a page in the magazine. The average article is 2-3 pages (or 1400-2100 words). After we've discussed your outline, e-mail us your first draft. We will respond with an edited copy for you to amend, supplement, and/or approve. We will not publish a text that you do not approve. (I did once years ago, and am still smarting from the author's well-justified outrage.) Try also to send or lend us photos illustrative of your story, especially of people in action.
There is no payment or honorarium to writers. You retain copyright over your words; we reserve copyright over their layout.
(Note: we publish contributions in the language - English or French - in which they are submitted. A summary in the other official language accompanies each article.)
Through Making Waves magazine we are trying to cultivate among CED practitioners a culture of straightforward, informative reflection on their own work and on the field as a whole. It's an unconventional exercise. But then, this is an unconventional field, isn't it?
Thanks. Don't forget to write.
Don McNair
Managing Editor, Making Waves
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