Editorial Guidelines

EDJ is a technical publication for software development teams designing a wide range of advanced real-time embedded systems. The circulation consists of 50,000 design engineers and first-line engineering managers at EOEMs in North America and Europe. The publication is published jointly by Wind River Systems and CMP Media LLC. Access to the editorial sections is open to all WindLink Partners depending on the space available.

There are several editorial opportunities in EDJ: news, product announcements, technical articles, and the Q&A section. The news and product announcement sections are staff-written, based on press releases sent to the editorial staff. Technical articles are both contributed and staff-written. The Q&A section is compiled by EDJ's editorial staff from material solicited from WindLink Partners and Wind River. Because EDJ is published for Wind River Systems, contributions are open only to Wind River and WindLink Partners. Priority is given to the issue's sponsors and advertisers.

EDJ News and Product Announcements
EDJ contains separate sections for news and new product announcements. These sections are staff-written, based on material submitted by WindLink Partners. News consists of announcements of events, the creation of new business relationships, key technical or business employee announcements, and brief teasers about a new type of product or a major new version. Product announcements are single-paragraph articles, preferably with a graphic (photo, screen shot, or logo).

Q&As
The Q&A section comprises brief or relatively brief (less than one magazine page) technical tips or tricks and short technical problem-and-solution items concerning the development of embedded systems. The information may be either generic or product-specific, but should contain no marketing material.

EDJ Technical Articles
The magazine's primary purpose is to educate readers using a "problem and solution" format. This editorial stance is proven to generate high readership in a magazine audience primarily consisting of engineering professionals. Consequently, the primary focus of EDJ's articles should be on how to overcome problems encountered frequently in the design of advanced real-time embedded systems. For example, technical articles might cover how to design and use Web servers in embedded systems or how to ensure critical real-time task execution through rate-monotonic scheduling. Also, developers are always looking for tips from gurus and experienced users. Tips might cover such topics as compiler switches for enhancing real-time language performance, RTOS features to use in specific situations, or mixed-language use in embedded systems development.

Case histories might also be good candidates for an article, but only if they highlight the technical aspects of one or more problems and their solution. Articles may also focus on the use of a particular product if the article takes the reader far beyond information published in the product's user manual; such articles should include a specific example or application. We also publish tutorial-type articles on appropriate topics. If you'd like to write an article for the magazine, please contact Stan Runyon, at testman2@earthlink.net, to discuss the topic and approach or submit an abstract. The next step is to submit a detailed outline. The third step, if the proposal or abstract and outline are approved, is to write the article to our specifications.

2003 Feature Article Deadlines

What to Avoid
Avoid blatant product pitches, rabbits out of the hat (add our new product and everything works like magic), success stories substantially lacking in technical content, and "dry labs" (unproven technical approaches or designs). Please do not submit articles to EDJ that have already been published. Also, please do not submit articles to more than one publication at once.

Style Guidelines
Don't worry too much about style. Use a conversational tone and communicate one to one as though you were verbally explaining the subject while sitting across the table from the reader. Write simply; EDJ's articles should not take an academic tone. Write succinctly; readers are always pressed for time. Stay on topic and have a specific goal in mind for your article. You can even let the author's personality peek through.

The technical nature of the articles in EDJ makes the subject matter difficult without adding the complexity of pompous university thesisıstyle English. If in doubt, consult Strunk and White's excellent book on the subject, The Elements of Style (a mere 85 pages or so of clean, clear instruction). In the end, all articles will be edited for style and length by EDJ's staff. If you would like help writing an article, please contact EDJ's chief editor.

Submission Guidelines
All articles should be submitted electronically to the chief editor either via e-mail or on a PC-compatible floppy or CD-ROM (please, no Macintosh disks, TAR tapes, or other weird and unusual magnetic media). Acceptable file formats for text files include MS Word, ASCII text, or RTF files. Most word processors can produce at least one of these file formats.

Articles should include two to four graphic elements: figures (block diagrams, flowcharts, screen shots, etc.), tables, stand-alone code listings, and boxed text (sidebars). We redraw all diagrams and charts. Please do not embed graphics or tables in the middle of article submissions. Put graphics in one or more separate high-resolution files; we can handle a wide range of binary graphic image formats, but not PDF or BMP files. Put tables at the end of the text file.

Selection Guidelines
Articles are selected on technical merit and reader interest as judged by the editors. After that's done, priority is then given to the issue's sponsors and advertisers.