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A Newsletter Can Be a Professional Showcase — or a Spotlight
for Embarrassing Mistakes
'Realistic' new handbook shows how to avoid problems
that peg people as amateurs.
Despite the surge in information technology and e-zines,
old-fashioned printed newsletters are still pivotal for groups who want to get
a specialized message across to a targeted audience.  Newsletters can deliver information
that people couldn't get as easily or reliably — or perhaps at all —
any other way.
But a tacky newsletter can do more harm than good — it
puts an unflattering spotlight on the message, and that
reflects badly on the messenger. So why do many newsletters
seem carelessly thrown together?
Linda B. Jorgensen, author of the book
Real-World Newsletters
to Meet Your Unreal Demands, says the biggest problem
is lack of formal journalism and design training: "Nobody
sets out to publish an amateurish-looking newsletter. Many
people become newsletter editors accidentally because they're
the word people in the office, and it's hard to
keep track of all the little pieces that have to be pulled
together when you don't know where to begin."
Two other big problems are time and politics, says Jorgensen,
who has worked with hundreds of editors as a newsletter
editing and news writing trainer. "Most editors have plenty
of other deadlines on top of producing a newsletter, usually
without much help. They also have a lot of different audiences
to please — the boss, reviewers, authors, the designer,
maybe advertisers or sponsors, and last but not least, demanding
or even cynical readers. Everybody's a critic when it comes
to newsletters."
Claire Kincaid, president of EEI Communications, says,
"Putting a professional sheen on a newsletter calls for
competence in writing, editing, and design. Everyone can
learn from Real-World Newsletters how to work with
people to develop articles and fit content into a layout
with less stress. People will find examples all through
this book that they can adapt for their own situations.
We don't want anybody to end up feeling like the little
naked guy on the cover of our book!" Real-World Newsletters
is meant to make editors feel as if they're in a lively
workshop with their peers.
Robin Cormier, EEI's vice president for publications, has
overseen the editing, design, and production of countless
newsletters. She says, "They come in all shapes, sizes,
and flavors, but the most successful newsletters have many
of the same elements in common. Real-World Newsletters
shows editors how to look critically at their newsletters
and watch out for quality control issues that make all the
difference for readers."
Any editor can construct a more dynamic, useful, and enjoyable
newsletter that's a showcase instead of a source of stress
with Real-World Newsletters. Here's what it covers:
- Several workshops' worth of the make-or-break fundamentals
of newsletters are condensed into three main editing,
design, and writing chapters. Checklists throughout, a
glossary of design terms, and a detailed index give extra
help to readers.
- "Real-World Design Gallery" and "Real-World Writing
Gallery" bring concepts down to earth. Examples come from
business, association, professional, freelance, nonprofit,
advocacy, affinity, religious, educational, technical,
regulatory, marketing, and public affairs newsletters.
- Numerous sidebars distill and define both basic and
advanced concepts in the form of advice, ideas, warnings,
research, analysis, war stories, and yet more "how to"
examples.
- An appendix on the future of newsletters assesses computer-assisted
journalism and three basic kinds of online newsletters,
and a bibliography points to other references.
* * *
EEI Press, in Alexandria,
Virginia, is a division of EEI Communications,
the oldest and largest full-service communications firm
on the east coast. EEI Press publishes The
Editorial Eye newsletter and desk references, textbooks,
and self-instructional manuals for editorial professionals
of every stripe, at all stages of their careers, in every
publishing context. EEI Press books have been adopted as
training resources by universities and colleges, as well
as by corporations, government agencies, and publishing
houses.
For more information, contact Merideth Menken at 703-683-0683,
or send e-mail to press@eeicom.com.
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