The other day, I received an e-mail from a facilities engineer interested in publishing an article in HPAC Engineering. I answered him right away, but that made me think it might be a good idea to write a general statement about our process for other potential authors.
The best place to start is at the beginning, so let’s talk about the magazine itself. HPAC Engineering is a technical publication that targets mechanical-systems designers and facilities engineers and is intended as an educational platform to help them do their jobs better. Articles we publish are technical in nature, focusing on all aspects of designing, specifying, operating, and maintaining energy-efficient mechanical and building automation systems.
To help us remain one of the most technically accurate engineering magazines serving this industry, we maintain an editorial advisory board consisting of professional engineers who review potential features.
There are three types of content one can contribute:
Bylined technical features: These are general (i.e. nonproprietary/noncommercial/nonpromotional) articles that avoid mention of specific products, manufacturers, and services. They should provide a genuine takeaway for readers—something to help them do their jobs better.
Commentary articles: HPAC Engineering publishes two columns: Engineering Green Buildings and Managing Your Facilities. These contain industry members’ thoughts and opinions on timely industry-related developments and issues.
Case studies: HPAC Engineering’s Design Solutions department showcases innovative design ideas, or how a peculiar problem was resolved. This monthly department is where manufacturers and service providers talk about how their product or service was successfully applied in the field.
It should include a discussion of the building—its age, type, use, and, if permitted, owner. These articles also should highlight what problem or challenge was overcome, what the solution was, and subsequent results (performance data), as well as applicability to other buildings.
What about topics? We plan our editorial a year in advance and publish a content directory. Our 2012 content directory can be found online at http://bit.ly/HPAC-CD. This doesn’t mean our topics are carved in stone—If you have an idea that isn’t in the directory, you can and should still query us.
HPAC Engineering is a teaching publication and though that often means we cover new advances, we also cover older material to refresh it with new approaches, different designs, and so on.
The first step to getting published is to contact an editor with your idea. The editors of HPAC Engineering are:
Mike Weil, editorial director,
216-931-9433, mike.weil@penton.com.
Scott Arnold, executive editor,
216-931-9980, scott.arnold@penton.com.
Ron Rajecki, senior editor,
216-931-9752, ron.rajecki@penton.com.
The editor will advise you as to the magazine's interest; help you hone the idea, if necessary; walk you through the publishing process; and discuss article parameters and deadlines.
So don't be shy. If there is something that you would like to write that would benefit your fellow engineers and designers, please let us know.
We look forward to your contributions!
Send comments and suggestions to mike.weil@penton.com.