Killer Newsletters

From Cover to Cover

Joni M. Brady, MSN, RN, CAPA

Matthew D. Byrne, MS, RN, CPAN

2006 ASPAN Component Development Institute

Outline

I. Editor as Administrator

II. Writing an Influential President’s Message

III. Effective Membership Communication

IV. Using Layouts and Design to Enhance Communication

V. Web Translation

VI. Editorial Pearls of Wisdom / Discussion

Objectives

Upon completion of this session participants will be able to:

• Discuss editorial and organizational strategies to produce an effective publication

• List the basic layout elements essential to all newsletters

• Identify elements of style and design that help to draw readers in and give the newsletter a professional look

• Draw parallels between Web site and newsletter layout, style, and design

Editor as Administrator

“A goal without a plan is just a wish.”

~ Antoine de Saint-Exupery (French writer, 1900 - 1944)

(http://www.quotationspage.com/quotes/Antoine_de_Saint-Exupery/)

Planning for Success

• New editor training and mentorship

• Define goals

• Establish objectives

– organizational goals

• Identify audience

• Determine quality

– paper, color, printing

• Budget development

Mankoff, B (Ed.) (2000). The New Yorker Book of Literary Cartoons. New York: Pocket Books.

Staying Organized

• Editorial calendar

– Identify regular features/columnists

– Set up a documentation system to track edition inclusions

• Avoiding deadline dilemmas

– Send early reminders and pad deadline dates

– Excel file example

Item/Committee Title WriterSubmit Req Sent Due

Date Rcvd

Advertisement Sloan Kettering / 3.25x4.75" Elsevier     30-Jun

Pres Message Safety Focus Pam Windle 23-Jun 7/1/2006 27-Jun

ABPANC Certification Page Bonnie Niebuhr     7/1/2006

Region Update Region 5 (vacation delay) Chris Price     7/4/2006

Component/Seminars Education Offerings/Back Page Carol Hyman/Jane/Joni     x

GA Bump from July/Nse. Advocates Maureen McLauglin     20-Jun

M/M PANAW dates are February 5-11 announce teaser /Jane Lind     5 July

M/MBenes of membership/Recruitment Cheryl Coleman (Jane Lind)     2-Jul

M/M Call Nomination Outstanding Ach. Barb Struthers     1-Jun

M/MRetirement & ASPAN Membership      Evelyn Medecyki     1-Jun

Ed Comm. Ed Comm. programs coverage Kathy DeLesky     29-Jun

Clin Pctce Comm. Clin Practce on the Web site Terry Clifford     2-Jul

Safety Comm. Safety Update Dina Krenzischek     9-Jul

ASPAN News PDE Update (late meeting delay) PDE SWT/Terry&Denise     14-Jul

Staffing SWT Update/ picture (mtg. delay) Myrna M/Ellen Sullivan     6-Jul

ASPAN News Vallire Induction FAAN Jan Odom-Forren     30-Jun

ASPAN News Bline Online/WTS Deadline Call Joni     x

ASPAN News Pam/picture PNAA Award Joni     x

ASPAN News safety focus Call for Abstracts Ellen Sullivan     3-Jul

BARNA Wrap-up International Collaboration Meg Beturne     14-Jul

• Working with a production firm vs. a “Party of One”

• Production strategies to accomplish desired productSeptember/October 2006 Edition   20 Pages

Item/Committee File Name Estimated Pgs.

Elsevier Advert - Sloan Kettering / 3.25x4.75" Elsevier Ad_Mem_BH_201650_CRC 0.5

Pres Message Windle_PrezAddressSeptOct06_ed 2

The Directors’ Connection (recurring) Region 5 Price_REGIONAL DIRECTOR July 2006_ed 1

ASPAN News ASPAN News_Sept2006_ed 2

Ed Comm DeLeskey_Education_SepOct_2006_ed 0.75

ASPAN/Components Educational Offerings Back Page_JulyAug06_Component ASPAN Educational Offerings.doc 1

26th NC/Anaheim Nunes_NCSWT_ed 1

Clin Pctce Comm Clifford_Intro Clinical Practice Committee_ed 1

Certification Page ABPANC_Niebuhr_SepOct06_ed 1

Membership Coleman_M_M_Sep06_ed 1

Governmental Affairs McLaughlin_GA_breathline_ed.doc 1

Safety SWT Krenzischek_ASPAN SAFETY STRATEGIC PLAN July 2006_ed 1.25

International Collaboration Beturne_BARNA_Diversity in Action_ed 1

PDE Update Clifford_Perianesthesia Data Elements_ed/ REVISED FILE sent 8 AUG 0.5

Staffing SWT MamarilSullivan_StaffingSWT_ed 1.5

From the Editor Tina, after first pass is formatted I will add an inclusion to page 3 ? 0.5

Page 2 Masthead Update Masthead Page 2 N/A

Staying Organized

• Dissemination methods

• Copyrights and permission

Writing an Influential President’s Message

• Encompasses organization’s strategic plan

• Primary goal of communiqué

– educate membership

– motivate and inspire participation

– recruit membership into service

“This is easy…”

“This is… AGGGHHHHH!!!”

Effective Membership Communication

• Newsletter content supports organization’s strategic plan

• Readability

• Edit and review process is critical

• Good grammar and sentence structure

• Catchy titles, teasers, callouts

• NO TYPOS!

IMPACTIMPACT

“We learn by example and by direct experience because there are real limits to the adequacy of verbal instruction.”

~ Malcolm Gladwell

(Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking, 2005)

(http://www.quotationspage.com/quotes/Malcolm_Gladwell/)

Layout and Design

• Don’t go back and change your entire newsletter!

• Suggestions, ideas & my mistakes/lessons

• Novice versus expert…something for everyone

• Clean, professional look enhances (not replaces) clear, powerful communication!

Visual & Layout Basics

• Where the eyes go

• Use of white space

• Use of contrasts

• Color

• Count your columns

Style

• Not a license to kill!

• Makes your newsletter and your personal style distinctive

• Consistency creates readability

• Relates to multiple aspects of the newsletter including:

Borders, headers, fonts, color, layout, columns, headlines…

The Cover

• Most important story and page!!!• Strongest story with broad appeal• Volume/Issue #• Index• Consistent and clean logo • Should set the tone for layout, design,

fonts & tone throughout• Color

Headlines

• Left versus Centered

• Down-style or adjust font rather than color or sensationalize

• Avoid over-stacking

• Follow grammar rules

• Draw a reader in but don’t mislead

Body of Text

• Justified versus Ragged

• Using bold to accentuate first paragraph

• Use of paragraph breaks

• Clean and aligned

All the style tricks in the world can’t cover up a poorly written or unedited feature…

yet…a poorly styled/designed newsletter can detract

from a well-written article!

IMPACT Pages 2 & 3

• Very similar style to cover

• Masthead provides professional styling and expectations

• Cover or Page 2 for president’s message?

• Recurring content such as the information presented

Clip Art

• IMPACT page 4

• Avoid unless it is pertinent

• Can easily distract or look amateurish

• Complement not compete

Photos• IMPACT page 4

• Can’t touch up a terrible photo

• Check grayscale first

• Zoom, crop & add borders

• Stage the shot & use the “mugshot”

• Captions are essential

• See PAGES website (http://www.pagesmag.com/newsletter.html)

Color PhotoGrayscale

Matt the high school

graduate???

Fonts Matter…

Lupton, E. (2004).Thinking with type. New York, NY: Princeton Architectural Press.

A serif is the little extra stroke found at the end of main vertical and horizontal strokes on some letterforms. Serif type makes reading more efficient and is best used for body text:

Goudy Old Style/Garamond/High Tower Text

San Serif type has a strong geometric form and is appropriate for headlines, charts, and tables:

Verdana / Tahoma / Frutiger Linotype

Newsletters and the Web• Almost all of the same rules apply!!!!

• Keep content current

• Follow your newsletter

• Parallel, expand and complement print

• Accommodate and communicate with your audience

• Shop around

• Have an expert advisor or consultant

• Make sure someone oversees all pubs!

Editorial Pearls of Wisdom

• Build an edition template

• Schedule/ rotate features

• Build into BOD responsibilities

• Solicit far in advance

• Verbal contract with those who submit

• Never, ever completely trust spell check

• You can never be too anal about proofreading!!!

Discussion ~ Questions?

Mankoff, B (Ed.) (2000). The New Yorker Book of Literary Cartoons. New York: Pocket Books.