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I'm published, AGAIN. How about you?


Richard B the EMT

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I have written a number of articles for paramedic publications. I think that sometimes the idea of being "published" can seem like a bit of an intimidating prospect at first. It really is something that most of us who can communicate coherently on this forum are completely capable of doing though. I'm certainly no brilliant writer, but my ramblings can still make it to publication.

If you have an interest publishing, think of what you want to say and jot down some initial ideas, then get on Google to make sure no one has said the same thing, and then start working on it. Look at submitting it to a non-peer reviewed publication like EMS World in the USA (or Canadian Paramedicine in Canada or Response in Australia). EMS World also has the ability to publish articles as online-only, which is a good stepping stone if you've got something that is worthy of being shared but maybe wasn't quite able to make it into the print edition. If you're not sure whether your idea is something that would be worthy of publication, many of the editors are happy to read a brief outline of what you plan on writing before you spend the time on it to let you know whether that is the type of thing they would consider publishing.

If anyone has any urge to try this and want any type of assistance, send me a PM. It can be a really enjoyable process to put something together for publication and then it is a nice feeling to see it in print and an even better feeling to hear from random people who have read your article and enjoyed it.

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I co-authored two published scientific research articles in my field of engineering, where I was mentioned. Some others I didn't make it to the author's list for some reason.

In EMS, it is a bit twisted: since I was responsible for public relation of my volunteer unit and on county level a while back my articles were published without much change in text but mostly with the signature of the paper's journalists. A text mostly written by me on Wikipedia made it in the statewide disaster response operation book, almost unchanged - and without notifying me or mentioning Wikipedia (thus, infringing Wikipedia license agreements). And just recently I found out some book used an old online script of mine to teach things, without asking me (although my name clearly was mentioned in the script and the given license didn't allow usage of this kind - maybe I should sue?).

So, often enough I was published but didn't get the fame for it. :D

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  • 2 weeks later...

No, but if you ever find your way to Beloit, KS and go to the Mitchell County EMS station there in town, you'll find a star of life painted on the wall in the training room by yours truly. =)

Alas, the closest thing I have to being published is all the nonsense my big mouth has let loose across the internet.

Funny because I've got one painted by yours truly in Centralia, KS (Nemaha County~ Seneca EMS st. 2)

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First of all, Congratulations Richard B for getting your writing out there and published!

I have a little experience being published too. All my stories are EMS or trauma surgery related and focus primarily on the humorous side of emergency medicine.

I'll list where I've been published to hopefully give anyone here, who's writing articles or stories and looking to be published, idea's on places to submit their work.

I started seriously submitting stories in 2008. Since then I've had a dozen stories published in the Placebo Journal (no longer in print but is an E-zine now) It was the MAD magazine of medicine.

I've also had stories published in Our USA Magazine, Parenting Humor, HumorPress, 614 Magazine, one story in a British book-"Final Chapters: Writing About The End of Life."

I also have three stories being published in a medical humor anthology called "My Funny Major Medical" coming out the end of this month on amazon.

Last year I published my first eBook titled, Emergency Laughter: It Wasn't Funny When It Happened, But it is Now! on Amazon.com US & UK, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords and KOBO. I'm amazed that it's spent time as the #1 bestselling EMS ebook in the U.S. and UK.

I've been interviewed, and the book has been reviewed or mentioned on EMS World and EMSWorld.com/reading room, Medical Author Chat with Greg Freise, Greg's other site EverydayEMSTips.com, FireGeezer.com and the Midwest Book Review.

My second EMS humor ebook will be coming out the end of this month.

I would be more than happy to talk with anyone here at EMT City about the in's and out's of publishing an ebook, writing in general, how to get your name out there and start building your platform as a writer. If I can help other EMS writers in any way, just give me a shout. medicalhumor@earthlink.net

If anyone here has purchased and read any of my stories, THANK YOU so much.

Keep writing and submitting! Mike Cyra

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Mike, would you agree with my assessment, oft repeated, that anyone in any aspect of the emergency services (LEO, Fire Fighter, EMT/Paramedic), after a year on the job, just describing what we do, in our various capacities, in book form, first person, the general public would still be saying, "No way that could happen, the way described"?

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Hey Richard,

Oh yea, you're right. People just don't know how crazy it is. When we say truth is stranger than fiction, it's no joke. You can't make this stuff up!

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