You may have heard me say before how thankful I am to be able to do what I do. After spending most of my working life turning a wrench, the opportunity to now help those still in the bays is something I never take for granted. Along the way, I've met hundreds, if not thousands of techs, shop owners and educators from every corner of the globe.
I like to think I'm on a first-name basis with all of you.
And I also like to think that the relationship I have with our readers is one thing that makes Motor Age unique among automotive trade magazines. No matter where I go, what event I attend or presentation I make, there are always a number of you that take the time to say "Hello" and share your stories with me. In addition to hearing from you in person, I also receive your emails, social media messages and YouTube comments. I am humbled whenever a reader shares that something he (or she) saw in the magazine, our YouTube channel or in one of our webinars has provided a means to perform a job easier, tackle a diagnosis more productively and, in the bigger picture, make a better living for themselves and their families.
So how did you get started?
A common question I'm asked is how I got started writing for Motor Age and many of you have followed up by asking how you could follow a similar path. Let me start off this month's column by addressing the first question.
It all started with a Lexus EVAP fault that was kicking my backside while still working in a shop for a living. Even then, I believed in continuing my education and attended training classes in my local area as the time and opportunity allowed. I also kept up with the industry online by participating in the International Automotive Technicians Network (iATN) and reading the trades.
For some reason, I just couldn't make any sense out of the system operation description the shop's service information system had on the Lexus. Using the resources I had, I put together a tool box reference that outlined the operation of the four different EVAP systems Toyota/Lexus were using through that time. I also made notes about known issues and their fixes, all with the idea of throwing it in my toolbox.
My wife, God bless her, had other ideas. She suggested I take what I'd spent all that time at the dining room table assembling and submit it to "one of those magazines you're always reading". So I did!
That first article was published but not by Motor Age. As I've since learned, the content you're reading today was planned nearly a year prior and there were no open slots for an EVAP article. However, both the managing editor and technical editor of the time thought enough of my writing style to ask me to write for MA, starting with case studies and lessons learned that would be shared in the "Garage" column.
The rest, as they say, is history. As time with the magazine grew and opportunities became available, I began to do more and more on a freelance basis. And from there, the chance came to join the group fulltime and here I am.
But, as I share every chance I get, I always try to stay grounded and remember where I came from. I go to work every day with the primary goal of finding new ways that I, and the magazine, can help you succeed and grow in this ever-challenging profession.
Can I write for Motor Age?
I am thankful and proud of the contributors that grace the pages of this magazine every month. Every one of them is an accomplished technician and most are nationally recognized trainers. Even so, I am always on the lookout for the "next generation" — those that will grow to lead this industry long after I, and others, have closed our toolboxes for the last time. And I've found a few. Talented technicians like Brandon Steckler, Mike Miller, and Mike Reynolds — just to name a few.
Some that still write for me and some have moved on to bigger and better things. And some that have yet to be introduced in these pages. But not to worry — you'll get to meet them in 2020!
Are you one of those next generation leaders?
Writing for a national trade publication requires more than being a competent technician. You also have to be a competent researcher, decent writer and storyteller.
Most importantly, your desire to write for us should be based on helping others. Writing and teaching others because you want them to succeed is a trait shared by every contributor on our team and it is obvious when you see and talk to them in person. Writing just to see your name in print will be obvious in the content you submit.
Be warned! Mentally prepare yourself to have your articles dissected by nearly half a million technicians who will read that article in these pages or online. Make a mistake in your theory or process and you can be assured you'll be hearing about it in your email!
I don't look for perfect writers. I do expect submissions to the magazine, though, to at least be spellchecked and formatted somewhat properly before I get it, just to cut down the workload on my end!
I start every new writer out with "Garage." This monthly feature is a cornerstone of our magazine and a feature I used to look forward to every month. It's more than just a case study - it's a story of a challenge faced and overcome, and the lessons learned in the process. One of my personal favorites is a challenge faced and nearly lost, but the lessons learned in the process were invaluable.
We all have those kinds of stories. The ones we share with our fellow techs over a cold beer at the end of the day. The ones that start with "that (fill in the OEM of your choice here) nearly kicked my a--!" I'm betting you have one or two of your own, don't you?
If you'd like to submit a story idea, here's a few tips for you.
1. The submission, for our print issue, has to be between 2,000 and 2,500 words. The Word program tracks this for you in the lower left of the open document window.
2. Avoid reusing common phrases. Reading "as well" at the end of every other sentence is a bit tiring to the reader and especially tiresome to the editor!
3. Write it like you'd speak it. Don't try to be too formal — be yourself!
4. Illustrations have to be more than screenshots and MUST be high resolution. This is one that trips up even experienced contributors. Low resolution images work fine online but will not reproduce well in print. Illustrations should be 300 DPI OR a larger image size (like cranking up your phone or camera to record the highest file size image it is capable of). Each story requires 6 to 8 illustrations that are independent of the story and the more, the better.
Oh, and if you include a photo or image that you, yourself, did not create be sure you have permission to use it!
If you do decide to send me a submission, send it to [email protected]. Be prepared for it to take a bit of time for me to read it over and send you my critique. And don't take offense if your first few tries don't make the cut. I'm betting your first few oil changes or brake jobs weren't perfect either.
Who knows? You may be invited to contribute regularly to America's oldest trade publication — Motor Age!
