[BruceW]

Shirley,<P>Congratulations on your new position as editor! Lots of luck in your endevour.<P>First, what do you mean by content limitations?<P>I also use WORD for preparing text. I use Adobe Photoshop for pictures and artwork. <P>All of the editors here can probably give you different ideas about the content they include. Here is an example of different things I try to include in our newsletter:<P>SCHEDULE OF EVENTS- in a prominent, easy to find location. <P>PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE- New message from our region president each month<P>SICKBAY- to remember those members under the weather or in hardship<P>GET YOUR PROGRAMS! - advertises what the program will be at the next region meeting<P>SECRETARY'S MINUTES - rundown of last meeting for those that could not make it.<P>MEMBER NEWS- interesting things that individual members have done, even if it is outside of the club<P>WRITE-UPS OF PAST EVENTS- Articles decribing activities/events the region participated in. I always try to include people's names and cars they drove (people like to see their name in print). Picture help here if possible.<P>RUMMAGE BOX ARTICLES- I try to include some rumamge Box articles when space is available, expecially messages from AACA PResident. However, Region news always takes precidece for space.<P>UPCOMING EVENTS - Details on important events coming up.<P>SPECIAL FEATURES- Such as " What is the Mystery Vehicle?", articles of interest outside the region, quizzes, games, etc.<P>HARFORD KITCHEN- A recipe donated by region member for the cooks in the region. Something different than cars...cars..cars<P>LIGHTER SIDE OF DRIVING- A humerous story or joke to keep things light<P>BRUCE'S GAS STOP- Brief ramblings of the editor (me).. non-conforntational.. no griping.. just intersting thoughts...<P>ON THE ROAD - Articles submitted by members about places they have been, events they participated in such as tours, etc.<P>CLUB INFO: names and contact infor of club officers, website info, etc. Especially for use when copy of newsletter is given out to potential new mwmbers<P>REMINDER - This is the last page and contains things to remember.. such as next meeting, when durs are due, etc.<P>.. and what ever else I can think of and have space for.<P><BR>Getting contributions from members for articles and such is important. It makes them feel a participant and they are proud to show off their work.<P>Also.. exchange newsletter with several other regions/chapters. the number depends on your budget, but they can provide great insight on how others do things.. and also provide great ideas.<P>Also.. take a look at the Editor's Handbook that is presented on the aACA website under Publications. That will give some great tips.<P>This is just a short, partial answer (of what I can think of) to a question with lots of possible answers. Hope this helps tho.<p>[ 02-25-2002: Message edited by: BruceW ]

I'll add my congratulations to on your new job. As an editor for more than 10 years (9 Master Editor Awards) I know what hard work goes into putting it together. <P>Basically I follow exactly what BruceW has said in his reply. Using the same programs etc.<P>If you would like e-mail me with you address and I will gladly send you a copy of our newsletter. My e-mail address is fredsfriend@juno.com<P>Ruth Valentine

I have taken over the newsletter of our chapter, and am trying to turn it into something both interesting and informative. I don't have writing problems, only content and format limitations. <P>At this time, I am writing in MSWord, and it looks as if it will continue that way for the time being. I would appreciate any help from the "more mature" editors regarding how to decide what to include.

[24T42]

Bruce,<P>Do not sell your newsletter short. It is an excellent newsletter and Master's material. There are a number of long running Master's editors retiring this year so just maybe this might be your year.

[BruceW]

Shirley,<P>Like Ruth, I would be happy to share a copy of our newsletter with you if you wish<BR>(good suggestion Ruth.. I didnt think of that in my initial reply). <P>However, I should add there are a number of Master Editor Award winners on this forum. Hopefully they will see your request and respond. Their advice on newsletter publication is probably better than mine.<p>[ 03-05-2002: Message edited by: BruceW ]

[JanK]

There are a number of incredibly talented and creative editors out there, some of them new to the job. As a result, none of the MEA winners should ever take his or her award for granted! We can hope, but there's no guarantees. Each year the bar just keeps getting set higher. As a result, we all get better, and ultimately, the AACA benefits. <P>Here's my contribution to the discussion: Print what your region wants to read; that's the best way to get and keep their support. The Editor's Manual will tell you the components that National and the Publications Committee expect you to include, such as meeting minutes, contact people, Rummage Box articles, calendar of events, etc. But it's the other material that will give your newsletter its own flavor, and those are the items that should reflect the interests of your region. Some editors include technical articles, others include anniversaries and birthdays, some include recipes, others offer jokes, and others focus primarily on the social aspects. There's really no "wrong" way to do it, if you're serving the interests of your region, and keeping them informed.<P>Be aware that the majority of your readers will enjoy the fruits of your labor, but most will never think to tell you. From personal experience, I can tell you you'll probably hear more feedback from the permanently discontented instead! If you enjoy the task, you'll derive personal satisfaction from a job well done. That's the mark of a good editor -- one who strives to put out a consistently good product for the benefit of his or her region. The awards are nice to receive, but that's not what it's really all about.<P>And we're always up for a newsletter exchange. Just say the word!<P>Jan Kamholtz<BR>Editor, The Beam<BR>Wis Region<P>P.S. For several years, I created our newsletter in Word. It wasn't until this year that I switched over to Microsoft Publisher. I didn't find Word that limiting, but then we didn't use a lot of the more advanced layout features.<p>[ 03-05-2002: Message edited by: JanK ]

[fordee9r (Ron Springstead)]

Hey Shirley,<BR>Congratulations and welcome to the forum. [img]images/icons/smile.gif" border="0[/img] I don't know how much I can at to this thread since you've already received some great information from some of AACA's best editors. One thing I'm curious about is how many newsletters do you publish each month and what method of printing them do you use? I only print 65 copies each month and if your chapter is of similar size, maybe I can tell you some things that work for me that don't work for larger Regions. [img]images/icons/wink.gif" border="0[/img]

[Moepar]

Congrats! Don't let this job intimadate you. I know it's scary at first, but for some reason, it can become fun if you allow it too. It certainly has for me.<P>One thing I started with my newsletter is a 'Who Is That?' column, where I use one old photo supplied by a club member of themselves a long time ago (like a teen, child, or early adult), with there first set of wheels (either car, truck, bike, pedal car, etc) or with family car. Two things that this encourages- participation of members, plus members seek each other out if they don't know the person in the column to see just how much they may have changed.<P>Tivia column- you can get good trivia details either from this website & the big three have very good sources of trivia on their websites.<P>Good luck & have fun! If you have fun with it, it will show & be a great newsletter!