Vocabulary question

I am en engineer and writing a book which is for both engineers and non engineers.
Can I say "non engineers"? If not how?
That is my question
For example in the book cover can I write like this : "For both engineers and non engineers"?
Or inside the book ".... non engineers can skip this section...." for example
If I can write like this, do I need dash sign in between non and engineer?

 

It's fiction, right?

Readers like technical topics. It's just a specific audience. Take a look at hard science fiction like The Expanse and The Martian, techno-thrillers like Tom Clancy and Daniel Suarez's stuff, and other profession-based fiction like John Grisham's legal thrillers and all detective fiction. Don't try to sub-divide your book. Just know who you're writing for. Talk technical details but don't get lost in it.

 

Hyphenated or one word as far as I know.

 

The "and non" can be replaced with "and for non". Or else logical multiplication of opposites creates empty set.

I'd reword it like "for engineers and for artsy people". It will mean it is not for all the people. It is only either for those who are engineers and/or artsy inclusive. But not for those who are neither. The missing piece is information, who are those non-engineers who can possibly relate themself to the story ? After you answer the question. Start searching for synonyms for "artsy". What is their self identification. Not external nickname from the point of view of engineers.

For example. If it is edutainment genre:
For engineers and for artists
For engineers and (for) amateurs
For engineers and (for) hobbyists
For engineers and for those who hate engineering
For engineers and friends
For engineers and deep thinkers
For engineers and kids inside them
For engineers and those who skipped the class
For engineers and curious
For engineers and innocent bystanders
For engineers and those who want to know what happened

 

I think I'd use the word "non-engineer" since "nonengineer" is too much of a visual stumble.

Don't sell your readership short. Coincidentally, on another thread I just mentioned Stephen Jay Gould, a paleontologist who wrote over a dozen books on scientific subjects, based on essays he wrote for Nature and other magazines. He wrote for non-scientists, but never dumbed anything down. You had to engage a few brain cells to follow him, but he was worth the effort. I suggest you seek his books out and read them as a model for what you're trying to do. Best wishes on your success!

 

I like this game. I am engineer in real life. I never thought what is my posture as professional.

For engineers and everyone
For engineers and Engineers
Or
"Everyone was engineer"
"Everyone is engineer"
For engineer in you (lame)
Ok. I am done. Interesting topic

 

Couldn't you just use "For those interested in...(insert your subject)"

Or

"A study of (subject) not limited to only engineers."

Or

"For all interested in (subject)."

I don't know, but if it's for both engineers vested in the topic and everyone else, I would elect towards talking to everyone as lumped together. Tone down the technical language enough that an interested audience isn't lost, but keep it at a strong enough stance in the subject to keep those more vested from dumping it as beginner level.

I have also seen when some of the more densely technical portions are done successfully by placing them in appendices. "For a more detailed explanation of (such and such) please refer to (given location). This will separate the groups without breaking and won't insult those less advanced.

 

Wow, I had never heard of this site! This is so useful! Thank you! Anyway to get this posted to the resource section of the site?

 

"For Engineers by trade or by hobby" could work in places just for variety, though you might use that one sparingly and only in a playful tone. It might otherwise annoy people who worked hard for a degree and don't believe there is such a thing as an amateur engineer. I also like "hobbyists and future engineers" instead of "non-engineers," again, for variety. You'd still need the term "non-engineers," obviously.

I'm also with @JLT. Don't dumb it down for the lay. If want to warn non-engineers that a section is potentially boringly technical to the non-technically inclined, you can preface it with something to the effect of, "For those disinterested in the math, you can skip this section." You're very likely to have readers without engineering degrees who still understand the math and enough of the technical aspects to be at least mildly insulted by "non-engineers can skip this section." In fact, I would guess that to be a larger part of your target audience than those who never made it through algebra in high school and know very little about physics. You want to keep as wide an audience as you can. Though I imagine you probably have plans to make enough of these types of inclusive statements in your introduction to smooth out most of that already. Still. It's something to keep in mind.

 

I wish that combining words and creating terms in English worked as easily as it does in German. I'm given to understand that any two or more words stuck together to make a single term automatically become a new compound word regardless of whether it's been used before or not, no spaces, no punctuation necessary. Doesn't that sound nice?

 

It's not real German until you combine at least three words. For example: Sturkampfflugzeug means diving combat aircraft. Any other air force it would be a dive bomber. Oh well.

 

I’d go for the word ‘layman’ rather than non-engineer. If you must go for the latter then definitely hyphen it.