Re: Ada magazine

[riehler@ajpo.sei.cmu.edu (Richard Riehle)]

In article <3dqrk3$vi8@source.asset.com> bishopm@source.asset.com (Michael M. Bishop) writes:
>In article <3dc3k4$39k@monmouth.edu>,
>DEAN RUNZEL <s0222353@moncol.monmouth.edu> wrote:
>>I have a question for the Ada community and the vendors. Has anyone ever
>>seriously considered starting a magazine with a primarily Ada orientation?
>
The notion of a magazine devoted exclusively to Ada is commendable, but we
should not overlook the oportunities to infiltrate the more more conventional,
more mainstream publications with stories about Ada. 

I have been doing this for several years, and the editors are usually quite
willing to dedicate some of their expensive space to Ada articles when 
those articles conform to their editorial policy.  

The opportunties are worldwide. Not only can you write for the well-known,
slick and glossy pubs such as Dr. Dobbs, Software Development, Windows Tech,
Embedded Systems Programming, Journal of Object Oriented Programming; don't
overlook the less widely distributed journals. For example , The Journal
of Structured Programming, or DPMA's Data Management, or the official
publications of any of the computing societies.

There are also opportunities in the platform-specific magazines such as 
DEC Professional, Interact, Sun Observer, Advanced Systems, and numerous
others. Some of these publications even pay a few dollars (very few, to be
sure), so you can use the proceeds of a published article to take your
spouse to dinner.

Start with an idea. The idea should be built around the solution to some
problem. The wider the appeal of the problem, the better. 

The focus of your article should be something other than Ada.  Ada should be
the medium which supports a solution, not vice-versa. I have even used the
technique of including code in two languages, C++ and Ada, side-by-side.
This makes the reluctant C++ reader a little more willing to consider the
validity of your Ada solution.  

Once you have a good handle on what you want to say, send a query letter
to the editor of a magazine.  Don't worry about rejection. Every writer gets
rejected sometime. Some editors will like your idea but have suggestions
to improve the article.  

Summary:

We will do better with articles about Ada in the non-Ada press than simply
talking among ourselves. The opportunities are there. Try it.

Richard Riehle