New publications to help newsletter editors.Each year, a fresh crop of how-to books, pamphlets, graphic design tools, and newsletters clamor for the attention of newsletters editors around the globe. No matter whether you are a veteran "newsletterer" or are new to the field, whether your interest is internal communication or marketing, keeping up with the burgeoning literature takes time and energy. To help you in your guest to stay current in your field, here is a guide to eight books and booklets -- all published during the first half of 1995 -- which cover topics of interest to newsletter editors. (see sidebar p. 29). What's in store for the rest of 1995 and on into 1996? Look for newly minted books and pamphlets aimed at helping you get your newsletter online, either as a company-wide effort or as an external publication available over the Internet. So far, trade newsletters are your best bet for finding topics devoted to all aspects of on-screen on·screen or on-screen adj. & adv. 1. As shown on a movie, television, or display screen. 2. Within public view; in public. newsletters. A milestone If you publish anything in print, you owe it to yourself -- and to your budget -- to read "Type and Layout" by Colin Wheildon. Until Wheildon's research, wisdom on enhancing readability was anecdotal. The author used a control group of more than 200 readers to test the readability of a variety of print factors such as different headlines, colors and tinted tint n. 1. A shade of a color, especially a pale or delicate variation. 2. A gradation of a color made by adding white to it to lessen its saturation. 3. A slight coloration; a tinge. 4. backgrounds, the use of italics, ragged versus justified edges, condensed con·dense v. con·densed, con·dens·ing, con·dens·es v.tr. 1. To reduce the volume or compass of. 2. To make more concise; abridge or shorten. 3. Physics a. type, type size and optimal page-layout designs. The results of nine years of research are solid quantitative data on exactly which elements improve and which undermine a text's readability. How might Wheildon's research affect your newsletter's design? Say your newsletter reaches 10,000 readers. If you set the body of your text in a classic serif Short horizontal lines added to the tops and bottoms of traditional typefaces, such as Times Roman. Contrast with sans-serif.  face like Garamond, 6,700 of your readers will thoroughly comprehend your message. But if you change to a sans serif face like Helvetica, the number of your readers who thoroughly understand your message will plummet to only 1,200. After spending so much time and money on your newsletter, you don't want it largely wasted because of reader-unfriendly typefaces This is a list of typefaces. SerifHere you can find a graphical version of this table.
"Type and Layout" was first published in Australia in 1984 in a condensed form. Editor Mal Warwick, in publishing this 4th edition (and first American First American may refer to:
Trendy desktop publishing desktop publishing, system for producing printed materials that consists of a personal computer or computer workstation, a high-resolution printer (usually a laser printer), and a computer program that allows the user to select from a variety of type fonts and sizes, Anyone familiar with IDG's "Dummies" books can attest to their information-rich pages, easy-to-follow explanations, and user-friendly layout. IDG IDG International Data Group IDG Integrated Drive Generator IDG Installation Design Guide IDG Internet Discussion Group IDG Inset Dielectric Guide IDG International Dangerous Goods (mail, shipping) recruited Roger C. Parker to write "Desktop Publishing and Design for Dummie," and the result is expert advice rendered accessible. This book is appropriate for a communication manager or newsleter editor looking for Looking for In the context of general equities, this describing a buy interest in which a dealer is asked to offer stock, often involving a capital commitment. Antithesis of in touch with. fresh ideas, for an experienced desktop publisher who wants to upgrade design skills, for a newcomer who wants to learn the basics, or as a training manual for staff. Of special interest to newsletter editors is a 47-page insert by Parker called Newsletters for Dummies. This "book within a book" leads you through all the steps of starting a newsletter, from naming your publication through its final production. Like all "Dummies" books, you'll find helpful icons that alert you to design tips, the technical stuff, things to remember, and what to watch out for. Also helpful: a glossary of 200 design terms, and 10 chapters consisting of 10 tips each on different aspects of design called "Ten Tens: One Hundred Design Tips." If you want to find out what's trendy in design or are thinking about updating your publication's layout, check out "31 Trends in Graphic Design" by Judy Stopke. This glossy 22-page fully illustrated black-and-white booklet takes you through the current rage in basic layouts, discusses trends in typography typography (tīpŏg`rəfē), the art of printing from movable type. The term typographer is today virtually synonymous with a master printer skilled in the techniques of type and paper stock selection, ornamentation, and composition. and in graphics (including manipulated photography and creative photo shapes), what's new in paper, and the latest in colors, metallic ink, and foil stamping Foil stamping, typically a commercial print process, is the application of pigment or metallic foil, a special film-backed material, to paper where a heated die is stamped onto the foil, making it adhere to the surface leaving the design of the die on the paper. . Two new fourth editions offer top-drawer advice for editors Ten years have elapsed e·lapse intr.v. e·lapsed, e·laps·ing, e·laps·es To slip by; pass: Weeks elapsed before we could start renovating. n. since the publication of the third edition of "The Newsletter Editor's Desk Book." THe 1995 fourth edition brings this classic resource for editors into the computer age, replacing references to paste-ups and typewriters with their computer equivalents. Elaine Floyd, author of "Marketing with Newsletters," undertook the revision. "This book deserves to be updated," Floyd said in an interview. "It makes you feel like a journalist by the time you're done reading. That's the spirit I wanted to keep in the book." Floyd also widened the book's original focus on editors of employee newsletters to include editors of nonprofit and promotional newsletters. She further recognized that desktop publishing revolutionized the editor's entire work process. New material in the book, therefore, addresses the editor's role as leader and manager. In addition to the topics listed in the book's subtitle sub·ti·tle n. 1. A secondary, usually explanatory title, as of a literary work. 2. A printed translation of the dialogue of a foreign-language film shown at the bottom of the screen. tr.v. . you'll find information on juggling your scheduling, planning and writing duties as well as helpful tips on managing people. Value-added extras include sample form contracts, a list of typesetting typesetting: see printing. typesetting Setting of type for use in any of various printing processes. Type for printing, using woodblocks, was invented in China in the 11th century, and movable type using metal molds had appeared in Korea by the 13th specifications, copy-editing and proofreading Proofreading traditionally means reading a proof copy of a text in order to detect and correct any errors. Modern proofreading often requires reading copy at earlier stages as well. marks, sample page layouts :For the Wikipedia policy about articles layout, see Wikipedia:Guide to layout. Page layout is the part of graphic design that deals in the arrangement and style treatment of elements (content) on a page. , a 27-page model stylebook style·book n. A book giving rules and examples of usage, punctuation, and typography, used in preparation of copy for publication. , and 10 newly updated pages of resources for newsletter editors. The 1995 edition of "Editing Your Newsletter" is completely updated. Mark Beach based his revisions on feedback from many readers of his book's three earlier incarnations. Revisions also reflect changes in postal regulations and printing technology. "Editing Your Newsletter" is nicely illustrated. A new section on how to create successful infographics is partnered with four before-and-after examples of how to take a traditional chart and turn it into a variety of infographic possibilities. The chapter on photographs includes 12 pages of photos showing the how-toe of taking good photographs, navigating the photofinishing pho·to·fin·ish·ing n. The act or business of developing camera films and printing photographs for customers. pho process, improving and evaluating photographs, and creating the best photo layout in your newsletter. The section on design contains 18 pages of full-color examples of current newsletters and layouts. Other user-friendly features include an appendix on newsletter content backed up with more than 350 story ideas on 100-plus topics. Do you know, for example, how employees rank the information they want to receive from their employers? From a list of 12 topics, employees chose how to improve productivity and quality as number three, while they rated stories about other employees and personal news (births, birthdays) as dead last. Other helpful items include a section on how to involve readers in evaluating your newsletter, an editor's job organizer, and a 12-page glossary. "The 11th Hour Edit: What to Do When Time Is Running Out" by Jeanne Henry helps you submit error-free copy to the printer on deadline. This 24 page booklet is loaded with tips on how to edit under pressure and exactly where to look for those mistakes that, as Henry says, some readers seem to find "like heat-seeking missiles Noun 1. heat-seeking missile - a missile with a guidance system that directs it toward targets emitting infrared radiation (as the emissions of a jet engine) ." Here's help in trimming newsletter costs "101 Ways to Save Money on Newsletters," by Polly Pattison, helps you scrutinize scru·ti·nize tr.v. scru·ti·nized, scru·ti·niz·ing, scru·ti·niz·es To examine or observe with great care; inspect critically. scru your present methods of producing your newsletter, from management and editorial tasks through design, typography and desktop publishing, and all the way through prepress, printing and mailing. Each tip is about one paragraph long. This "quick-hits" format encourages frequent rereading as you keep refining your cost-cutting strategies. Also included: Hints on saving money by sending your newsletter electronically. For example, you can "avoid postage and printing by uploading your newsletter online, sending it through an in-house electronic mail system or using a fax distribution system," Pattison suggests. If you think newsletters don't - or can't - sell advertising, think again. In these budget-conscious times, some newsletters find they must recoup some (or all!) of their costs by selling ads - or face cutbacks, even extinction. Most newsletters already run forms of "soft" advertising in their announcements for fundraisers or charity work, product reviews or press releases, authors Jeanne Henry and Jabet Wheeler point out. The difference' No money is charged, and these announcements do not look like ads. Paid ads, the authors claim, also inform your readers of events. services and products of value to them. "You Can Sell Ads in Your Newsletter" demystifies the whole process of adding paid advertising to your newsletter from estimating costs to finding suitable advertisers (including classifieds), from organizing your sales effort and creating a media kit to introducing your readers to the advertising. Also included: a sample advertising space contract, sample items for your media kit, display ad layout options for your newsletter, and a two-page reader survey. RELATED ARTICLE: FOR KEEPING CURRENT, NEWSLETTERS ARE HARD TO BEAT * Newsletters are your best source for up-to-the-month industry and professional information. For example, The Williams Report devoted an issue to online newsletters; The Editorial Eye published articles on copyrighting and editing online, Step-by-Step Electronic Design wrote on designing for the Web, and Newsletter News & Resources started a series on the Internet. The following list is just a sampling of publications -- plus a few other resources -- available to newsletter editors and desktop publishers. General resources for newsletter editors The Editorial Eye: Focusing on Publications Standards and Practices. 12 pages monthly, U.S. $99/year. Contact: Editorial Experts, 66 Canal Center Plaza, Suite 200, Alexandria, VA 22314-5507. (800) 683-8380. Newsletter News & Resources: Ideas & Inspiration for Editors, Designers & Managers, 8 pages quarterly, U.S. $24.95/year. Contact: Newsletter Resources, 6614 Pernod Ave., St. Louis, MO 62139. (800) 264-6305. Ragged Right In typography, non-uniform text at the right margin, such as the text you're reading. : Typography, Design, and Journalism. A 16-page tabloid published biannually bi·an·nu·al adj. 1. Happening twice each year; semiannual. 2. Occurring every two years; biennial. bi·an . For a free subscription, contact: Tony Sutton, Thomson Newspapers, 65 Queen Street West, Toronto, ON, Canada M5H 2M8. (416) 814-4250. Cold Type: Good Writing from Around the World, A 24-page tabloid published biannually. For a free subscription, contact: Tony Sutton, Thomson newspapers, 65 Queen Street West, Toronto, ON Canada M5H 2M8. (416) 814-4250. Newsletter Trends: Writing, Editing, Designing, Publishing, and Printing Newsletters. 8 pages monthly, Cdn. $97/year. Contact: Sterling Communications, Inc., 1920 Ellesmere Road Ellesmere Road is a major east-west road in the Scarborough part of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Originally the First Concession of Scarborough Township (1850-1967), a hamlet once called Ellesmere (likely named after the English town) was established in the 1840s and gave its name to , Suite 104, Scarbrough, ON, Canada M1h2W7. (416) 512-2218. The Williams Report: Communication Strategies and Ideas for Business Communicators. 12 pages monthly, U.S. $137/year. Contact: Joe Williams Joe Williams may refer to:
Spanish Ciudad de México City (pop., 2000: city, 8,605,239; 2003 metro. area est., 18,660,000), capital of Mexico. Located at an elevation of 7,350 ft (2,240 m), it is officially coterminous with the Federal District, which occupies 571 sq mi , Mexico. Professional association for newsletter editors * Newsletter Publishing Association, 1401 Wilson Blvd. #207, Arlington, VA 22209; (703) 527-2333. Graphic design resources for newsletters edtors The Board Report: For Graphic Artists. 4 pages monthly, U.S. $69/year Contact: P.O. Box 300789, Denver, CO 80203. (303) 839-9058. Electronic Publishing An umbrella term for non-paper publishing, which includes publishing online or on media such as CDs and DVDs. : A New Products Publication Geared Towards Those in Pre-Press and Digital Publishing [originally Type World). 32 pages monthly, U.S. $30/year. Contact: Penn Well Publishing Company, 10 Tara Blvd., 5th Floor, Nashua, NH 03062-2801. (800) 331-4463. Farcus Cartoons, Inc. Farcus is a comic panel about the work place and is featured in over 250 daily newspapers by Universal Press Syndicate Universal Press Syndicate, an Andrews McMeel Universal company, is the world's largest independent syndicate and provides syndication for a number of lifestyle and opinion columns, comics, and various other content. . Editors can purchase individual Farcus cartoons for their newsletters directly from the creator. Ask about the Farcus cartoon package for newsletter editors due out this fall. You can preview Farcus in book stores at the Internet Web Site http://hypernet.on.ca/farcus. Contact: Box 3006, Station C, Ottawa, ON, Canada, K1Y 4J3. (613) 235-5944. E-mail address See Internet address. e-mail address - electronic mail address : 7477.3301@compuserve.com Famous Magazine Cartoons: A collection of cartoons by nine cartoonists from ClickArt that debuted in February 1995. 100 cartoons on disk, U.S. $19.95 (Win & Mac); 500 cartoons on CD, $69.95 (Win & Mac). Contact: T/Maker, 1390 Villa Street, Mountain View, CA 94041 1-(800)-986-2537. Image Club Graphics: A source of typefaces, clip art A set of canned images used to illustrate word processing and desktop publishing documents. , and stock photography. For a free 56-page catalog that also includes a "graphic design tips and tricks magazine" printed in the margins, call (800) 387-09193, or visit their Web site at http://www.adobe.com/imageclub/. Contact: Image Club Graphics, 1902 Eleventh Street, SE, #5, Calgary, AB, Canada T2G T2G Time To Go (chat) 3G2. Newsletter Design: News and Reviews for the Desktop Generation. 12 pages monthly, $125/year (U.S. $99/year for charter memberships). Contact: Newsletter Clearinghouse, P.O. Box 311, Rhinebeck, NY 12572. (914) 876-2081. Step-By-Step Electronic Design: The How-To Newsletter for Electronic Designers. 16 pages monthly, $48/year. Contact: Dynamic Graphics, 6000 North Forest Park Drive, Peoria, IL 61614. (800) 255-8800. Subsidiary offices in Australia, Brazil, England and Mexico. RELATED ARTICLE: References for newsletter editors * "Type and Layout How Typography and Design Can Get Your Message Across -- or Get in the Way" by Colin Wheildon (Strathmoor Press, 1995), 248 pages. U.S. $24.95. (800) 217-7377 * "Ten Tens: One Hundred Design Tips. Desktop Publishing and Design for Dummies" by Roger C. Parker (publisher is IDG Worldwide Books, Inc., a subsidiary of International Data Group, offices throughtout the world), 320 pages. (800) 762-2974. * "31 Trends in Graphic Design: Some That Work and Some That Don't" by July Stopke (Promotional Perspectives, 1994), 24 pages. U.S. $8 + 4.50 S/H S/H Shipping and Handling S/H Second Hand S/H Service History S/H Sample & Hold S/H Stocking and Hardening (313) 994-0007. * The Newsletter Editor's Desk Book: A Concise Review of Journalism Principles Updated to Include the Editor's Role in Desktop Publishing and Publications Management," fourth edition by Marvin Arth, Helen Ashmore, and Elaine Floyd (Newsletter Resources, 1995), 241 pages. U.S. $17.95. (800) 264-6305. * "Editing Your Newsletter: How to Produce an Effective Publication Using Traditional Tools and Computers," fourth edition by Mark Beach (Writer's Digest Writer's Digest, established in 1920, is a United States magazine devoted to both beginning and established writers, offering interviews, market listings, calls for manuscripts, and how-to articles. Books, 1995), 147 pages. U.S. $22.99. (800) 289-0963. * The 11th Hour Edit: What To Do when Time Is Running Out" by Jeanne Henry (Promotional Perspectives, 1994), 24 pages. $6.50 + $4.50 S/H (313) 994-0007. * 101 Ways to Save Money on Newsletters, Also on Flyers, Brochures, Posters, Catalogs, Letterheads This article is about the sign making group. For the heading at the top of a sheet of letter paper, see Letterhead. Letterheads is a group of sign makers and decorative artists dedicated to passing down traditional sign making skills. , Annual Reports & Practically Anything Your Print" by Pollu Pattison (Newsletter Resources, 1995), 20 pages. U.S. $7.95. (800) 264-6305. * "You Can Sell Ads in Your Newsletter: How to Reclaim Part or All of Your Production Expenses and Still Keep Your Readers Happy" by Jeanne Henry and Jabet Wheeler (Promotional Perspectives, 1994), 47 pages. U.S. $8.50 + $4.50 S/H (313) 994-0007. |
|
||||||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion