The Easy Step by Step Guide to Writing Newsletters and Articles (Easy Step by Step Guides)

112 Pages·2002·3.25 MB·English

by  Pamela Brooks

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Easy Step by Step Guide
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skoorB alemaP
Pamela Brooks
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First published in 2002 by Rowmark Ltd
Unit 36 Broadmarsh Innovation Centre
retsehcihC ,dtL scihpargorpeR MPR yb niatirB taerG ni detnirP
Havant
ku.oc.secivresgnihsilbupecnaleerf.www
Hampshire
scnaL ,llacsnirB ,secivreS gnihsilbuP ecnaleerF yb tesepyT
PO9 1HS
ISBN 0–9539856–4–4
.koob siht ni edam stnemetats no secnatsmucric
© Pamela Brooks 2002
ralucitrap ni gniyler fo tluser a sa derrucni esnepxe ro ssol
rof detpecca eb nac ytilibail on dna ecnadiug lareneg rof htiaf
The right of Pamela Brooks to be identified as the author of this doog ni tuo tes si koob siht ni deniatnoc lairetam ehT :etoN
work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copy-
right, Designs and Patents Act 1988. .noitucesorp lanimirc
dna segamad rof mialc livic a htob ni tluser yam krow thgirypoc
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be repro- a ot noitaler ni tca desirohtuanu na fo gniod ehT :gninraW
duced in any material form (including photocopying or storing
it in any medium by electronic means and whether or not .rehsilbup eht ot desserdda eb dluohs
transiently or incidentally to some other use of publication) noitacilbup siht fo trap yna ecudorper ot noissimrep nettirw
without the written permission of the copyright owner except s’renwo thgirypoc eht rof snoitacilppA .EH9 P1W ,nodnoL
in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright, Designs and ,daoR truoC mahnettoT 09 ,dtL ycnegA gnisneciL thgirypoC
Patents Act 1988 or under the terms of a licence issued by the eht yb deussi ecnecil a fo smret eht rednu ro 8891 tcA stnetaP
Copyright Licensing Agency Ltd, 90 Tottenham Court Road, dna sngiseD ,thgirypoC eht fo snoisivorp eht htiw ecnadrocca ni
London, W1P 9HE. Applications for the copyright owner’s tpecxe renwo thgirypoc eht fo noissimrep nettirw eht tuohtiw
written permission to reproduce any part of this publication )noitacilbup fo esu rehto emos ot yllatnedicni ro yltneisnart
should be addressed to the publisher. ton ro rehtehw dna snaem cinortcele yb muidem yna ni ti
gnirots ro gniypocotohp gnidulcni( mrof lairetam yna ni decud
Warning: The doing of an unauthorised act in relation to a -orper eb yam noitacilbup siht fo trap oN .devreser sthgir llA
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criminal prosecution. .8891 tcA stnetaP dna sngiseD ,thgir
-ypoC eht htiw ecnadrocca ni reh yb detressa neeb sah krow
Note: The material contained in this book is set out in good siht fo rohtua eht sa deifitnedi eb ot skoorB alemaP fo thgir ehT
faith for general guidance and no liability can be accepted for
loss or expense incurred as a result of relying in particular
2002 skoorB alemaP ©
circumstances on statements made in this book.
4–4–6589359–0 NBSI
SH1 9OP
Typeset by Freelance Publishing Services, Brinscall, Lancs
erihspmaH
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tnavaH
Printed in Great Britain by RPM Reprographics Ltd, Chichester
ertneC noitavonnI hsramdaorB 63 tinU
dtL kramwoR yb 2002 ni dehsilbup tsriF
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33 smrof gninoissimmoC
23 uoy sehcaorppa rotide na nehW
23 esahc ot nehW
52 egakcap snoissimbus ruoY
42 rotide na gnihcaorppA
32 spag eht gniyfitnedI (cid:17)(cid:18)(cid:5)(cid:4)(cid:11)(cid:5)(cid:4)(cid:12)
02 tekram ruoy gniyfitnedI
91 denoissimmoc elcitra na gnitteG 2
71 yrammus nI About the author page ix
61 erutuf eht ot eye nA Introduction 1
21 gnilleps dna rammarG How to use this guide 2
11 egaugnal tuoba drow kciuq A What you will learn from this guide 3
01 H na dna s’W eviF ehT 1 The basics 5
9 ?tnaw ecneidua ruoy seod tahW Good communication 5
7 ecneidua tegrat ruoy gniyfitnedI Identifying your target audience 7
5 noitacinummoc dooG What does your audience want? 9
5 scisab ehT 1 The Five W’s and an H 10
3 ediug siht morf nrael lliw uoy tahW A quick word about language 11
2 ediug siht esu ot woH Grammar and spelling 12
1 noitcudortnI An eye to the future 16
xi egap rohtua eht tuobA In summary 17
2 Getting an article commissioned 19
(cid:12)(cid:4)(cid:5)(cid:11)(cid:4)(cid:5)(cid:18)(cid:17) Identifying your market 20
Identifying the gaps 23
Approaching an editor 24
Your submissions package 25
When to chase 32
When an editor approaches you 32
Commissioning forms 33
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Dealing with rejection 34
Recycling 34
85 yrammus nI
In summary 35
75 esabatad stcatnoC
3 Writing articles 37
75 ?yawyna ,ti si elcitra esohW
Types of article 37
35 seuqinhcet gniweivretnI
Features within a feature 38
25 strepxe dnif ot erehW
Angles 39
25 strepxE
Headlines 41
15 seiduts esac dnif ot erehW
Crossheads 41
15 seiduts esaC
Opening paragraph 42 15 strepxe dna seiduts esaC 4

Body copy 43
84 yrammus nI
Closing paragraph 45
64 saedi teg ot erehW
Using contact points 45
64 tpircsunam ruoy fo noitatneserP
Presentation of your manuscript 46
54 stniop tcatnoc gnisU
Where to get ideas 46
54 hpargarap gnisolC
In summary 48
34 ypoc ydoB
4 Case studies and experts 51
24 hpargarap gninepO
Case studies 51
14 sdaehssorC
Where to find case studies 51
14 senildaeH
Experts 52
93 selgnA
Where to find experts 52
83 erutaef a nihtiw serutaeF
Interviewing techniques 53
73 elcitra fo sepyT
Whose article is it, anyway? 57 73 selcitra gnitirW 3
Contacts database 57
53 yrammus nI
In summary 58
43 gnilcyceR
43 noitcejer htiw gnilaeD
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5 Producing newsletters 61
Where does your newsletter fit in? 62
48 yrammus nI Aims of your newsletter 62
48 kcabdeef gnitteG Your audience 63
38 selcitra eht gnitirW The content 63
28 sdaehssorc dna senildaeH Production issues 65
18 snoitubirtnoc gnitidE The printer 66
18 srotubirtnoc gnifeirB House style 67
08 srotubirtnoc teg ot woH Typeface 68
97 ?selcitra eht etirw ot gniog s’ohW Grid layout 69
77 eludehcs eht gninnalP Illustrations 72
77 boj s’rotide ehT Nameplates 73
77 srettelswen gnitide dna gnitirW 6 Mastheads 73
In summary 74
47 yrammus nI
37 sdaehtsaM 6 Writing and editing newsletters 77
37 setalpemaN The editor’s job 77
27 snoitartsullI Planning the schedule 77
96 tuoyal dirG Who’s going to write the articles? 79
86 ecafepyT How to get contributors 80
76 elyts esuoH Briefing contributors 81
66 retnirp ehT Editing contributions 81
56 seussi noitcudorP Headlines and crossheads 82
36 tnetnoc ehT Writing the articles 83
36 ecneidua ruoY Getting feedback 84
26 rettelswen ruoy fo smiA In summary 84
26 ?ni tif rettelswen ruoy seod erehW
16 srettelswen gnicudorP 5
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7 Writing for web sites and ezines 87
E-media and traditional media – the differences 87
Before you start writing 88
The text on your home page 88
Text on your site 89
Response mechanisms 92
In summary 92
Glossary 95
Useful addresses 97
Useful internet sites 98
Other step by step guides 99
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89 setis tenretni lufesU
79 sesserdda lufesU
59 yrassolG
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29 smsinahcem esnopseR
98 etis ruoy no txeT
88 egap emoh ruoy no txet ehT
88 gnitirw trats uoy erofeB
78 secnereffid eht – aidem lanoitidart dna aidem-E
78 senize dna setis bew rof gnitirW 7
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Following a degree in English, Pamela Brooks spent
ten years as a communications specialist for a blue-
chip financial services company. She completed the
Chartered Institute of Marketing diploma with distinc-
tion in the communications paper, then switched to
working as a freelance writer following the birth of
her first child in 1997.
.sserp s’nemow dna
htlaeh ,gnitnerap eht rof ylevisnetxe nettirw sah dna She has also produced newsletters for a local charity
ytirahc lacol a rof srettelswen decudorp osla sah ehS and has written extensively for the parenting, health
and women’s press.
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ot dehctiws neht ,repap snoitacinummoc eht ni noit
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eht detelpmoc ehS .ynapmoc secivres laicnanif pihc
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tneps skoorB alemaP ,hsilgnE ni eerged a gniwolloF
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