Dire writing standards in GA magazines
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Norfolk
Posts: 407
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I think Brendan was Clarkson before Clarkson.
This post has got me thinking. I do sometimes write for one of the aviation mags and I have searched back over recent articles to see whether the cess pit of cliches has leaked into my copy (!).
I try quite hard to avoid it but maybe I fail.
Often enthusiasm, having something to say, and having the skill to write it well are difficult to combine in one place. It does sometimes happen but it is rare. When it does the material produced can be excellent.
I echo what SSD has said. If you can write well and have something interesting to write about just do it and send to the relevant editor. Most of the things i do are from my suggestion rather than because someone is selling an aircraft. The Chipmunk article in Pilot a couple of months ago was one such idea (which SSD helped me with).
Editors do find it difficult to find lots of good quality copy and being realistic given the budget for editorial (work it out by multiplying the number of copies sold by half the cover price and you have a rouhg idea of the revenue which has to cover the print, editorial, production etc, costs) each copy of the magazine is unlikely to be crammed full with award winning material. The trick is to get mostly good material and some excellent material to set the magazine apart from its competitors. If you think you can provide the excellence I am sure Ian S, Dave U, and Dave C would love to hear from you.
This post has got me thinking. I do sometimes write for one of the aviation mags and I have searched back over recent articles to see whether the cess pit of cliches has leaked into my copy (!).
I try quite hard to avoid it but maybe I fail.
Often enthusiasm, having something to say, and having the skill to write it well are difficult to combine in one place. It does sometimes happen but it is rare. When it does the material produced can be excellent.
I echo what SSD has said. If you can write well and have something interesting to write about just do it and send to the relevant editor. Most of the things i do are from my suggestion rather than because someone is selling an aircraft. The Chipmunk article in Pilot a couple of months ago was one such idea (which SSD helped me with).
Editors do find it difficult to find lots of good quality copy and being realistic given the budget for editorial (work it out by multiplying the number of copies sold by half the cover price and you have a rouhg idea of the revenue which has to cover the print, editorial, production etc, costs) each copy of the magazine is unlikely to be crammed full with award winning material. The trick is to get mostly good material and some excellent material to set the magazine apart from its competitors. If you think you can provide the excellence I am sure Ian S, Dave U, and Dave C would love to hear from you.
) is not that great.
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Enniskillen
Age: 67
Posts: 479
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Cessna burns 80l/h @ 160kts
I never managed less than 100 L/h.
I would love a TwinStar, I had a look at Aerofair, it made our TB20 seem so dated.
Join Date: Feb 2001
Posts: 120
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Well to see the sort of article the mags. are not interested in take a look at the Grumpy Gang site http://home.pi.be/~andre17/html/about_us.html and read the write ups on the 1999-2003 tours.
I like Nigel's humorous writing stile, unfortunately the Ed's of the mags. out there think you all want factual, non type specific unbiased boring type. Flying is all too serious to be humorous
I like Nigel's humorous writing stile, unfortunately the Ed's of the mags. out there think you all want factual, non type specific unbiased boring type. Flying is all too serious to be humorous
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Bordeaux, France
Posts: 581
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Yankee - Great site, are you by any chance a member of said cluB
,
I would love it if there were the odd article in the mags along those lines, I especially liked this bit...
SD..
,I would love it if there were the odd article in the mags along those lines, I especially liked this bit...
The Controller was soon confused as to what to do with 6 small Grummans who had had the temerity to invade his airspace – After initially routeing at least two of us into the path of an approaching 757 and mixing up who was where and in what airplane, he lost his cool. Who can forget his immortal words – “Britannia 123 – I have been invaded by many small airplanes – do a 360o.” And the incredulous (but semi-calm) voice of the pilot, “WHAT!! - I’m on a 7 mile final approach and you want me to do a 360o!!!?”.
SD..
Join Date: Feb 2001
Posts: 120
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Skydriller
With a handle like that I suppose I have to put my hand up and say, yes I’m a member.
Glad you enjoyed it. There has over the last couple of years been right ups in the mags. of similar fly outs covering the same places, but none have had that humors content that we can all relate to. The feed back from the mags. has been “yes that’s great for a club newsletter, but not for our publication”, I think they need to get a feel for what the grass routes flyer wants, not what they think we want.
I see your from the Bordeaux region, did you see the write up about the Orion Squadron at Marmande, http://home.pi.be/~andre17/html/1998_marmande.html now they would make a good article. A bunch of guys flying vintage planes a few of who are professional chefs who can arrange the most enjoyable fly-in that anyone could wish for.
With a handle like that I suppose I have to put my hand up and say, yes I’m a member.
Glad you enjoyed it. There has over the last couple of years been right ups in the mags. of similar fly outs covering the same places, but none have had that humors content that we can all relate to. The feed back from the mags. has been “yes that’s great for a club newsletter, but not for our publication”, I think they need to get a feel for what the grass routes flyer wants, not what they think we want.
I see your from the Bordeaux region, did you see the write up about the Orion Squadron at Marmande, http://home.pi.be/~andre17/html/1998_marmande.html now they would make a good article. A bunch of guys flying vintage planes a few of who are professional chefs who can arrange the most enjoyable fly-in that anyone could wish for.
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Shropshire UK
Posts: 107
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Not only GA Mags
..and by the way, the standard of picture captioning/ editing of RAF obituaries in the broadsheets has reduced me to stunned silence before now. Some poor distinguished aviators obit was graced with a very rare picture of an experimental turbo prop poweredMeteor last year, captioned "the world's first jet fighter".!!!
I wrote and offered to edit aviation stuff for them but got no reply.
AND that's before we get on to general GA stuff in newspapers, which I know has been done to death here, but I particularly liked the photo of the damaged cessna twin, both engines visible, captioned "single engined......"
I wrote and offered to edit aviation stuff for them but got no reply.
AND that's before we get on to general GA stuff in newspapers, which I know has been done to death here, but I particularly liked the photo of the damaged cessna twin, both engines visible, captioned "single engined......"
