Publishing in journals (was: On the fence)

["Hart, Geoff" <Geoff-H -at- MTL -dot- FERIC -dot- CA>]

Bruce Byfield reports: <<Some writers in STC publications are academics
these days. For these writers, STC publications might have some prestige,
but not necessarily. Most academics -at least, locally- whose work touches
on technical writing haven't heard of the STC any more than employers
have.>>

Alas, all too true. One of George Hayhoe's difficult feats over the past few
years has been to produce a journal that both meets the elevated (sometimes
pretentious) expectations of the academic community and remains relevant to
the practitioner. You can never fully satisfy both audiences, but he's done
a great job of balancing the two extremes. As for ignorance of STC in the
academic and practitioner community, this is yet another challenge. We're
working on it, and we do have some well-known names in the academy who are
also working on it and making some progress.

<<However, freelance contributors are in a very different situation. For
them, publication isn't an intrinsic reward.>>

I stand (sit, actually) as a counterexample. Though to be more precise, it's
the satisfaction of writing something useful and sharing it that floats my
boat; publication is just the means to that end.

<<I don't agree with Samuel Johnson's comment that "only a blockhead ever
wrote for anything except money," but I can understand why he might say
it.>>

Well, we English Quebecers are known as "tetes carrees"* (insert relevant
accents), so draw your own conclusions. <g>

* "blockheads"

<<As a freelancer, I have to ask: what would the advantage be of writing for
the STC magazines?>>

Well, it impresses the hell out of Mom and Dad. <g> But recognition within
the STC is certainly worthwhile for me, since I enjoy their conferences.
Being well-known within the Society makes for particularly interesting
conferences. I spent far too much time talking to colleagues and making new
friends (or renewing old ones) instead of catching up on my sleep. Still
catching up, actually... <yawn>

<<Since I have no interest in pursuing a career within the STC or in
becoming one of its self-appointed "leaders," there's no reason I would
write for the organization's magazines.>>

Neither have I, though I must note that the leaders are all elected, not
self-appointed. About the only self-appointing going on is at the chapter
level, where some people take on positions that nobody else wants. That's
the problem with all volunteer organisations: lots of positions get filled
by acclamation.

<<Volunteering for such things is a way of paying dues and returning
favors.>>

Yet another reason why I write for STC. Plus, I'm a recovering scientist
(and as a Canadian, one of those left-wing socialist types <g>), so I've
been exposed to this quaint notion that sometimes expanding the body of
knowledge shared by a profession, for no obvious reward other than that it's
the right thing to do, is a good thing.

--Geoff Hart, FERIC, Pointe-Claire, Quebec
geoff-h -at- mtl -dot- feric -dot- ca
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