Publishing a Newsletter:
Issues and Decisions
© Pat McAlexander, 2013
Editor, OLLI@UGA’s OLLI Times, 2010-present
Purposes of newsletters?
Inform — about organization’s business
(transparency), events (past, present), members
Entertain—with above, plus photos, creative
writing
“Connect” the organization
Publicize the organization to others
Make money—ads, motivate members to
give (Development Fund, Leave a Legacy)
Some newsletters represented here:
Your organization and location?
Title of your newsletter?
How often published?
Approximate length?
Formatting process?
Our OLLI@UGA
newsletter (facts,
evolution):
We publish six issues a
year, usually September,
November, late January,
March, April or May, and
June.
SIZE/LENGTH? Our paper has to have a number
of pages divisible by 4 . It has gradually grown
from 8 pages to 12, 16, 20, once even 24 as
we’ve added more photos, stories, and most
recently, advertisements.
One person called it the “OLLI magazine.”
People said, “We need a name for
the newsletter.”
I tried to think of one—one that would
tie in with our motto: “Having the Time
of Our Lives with OLLI@UGA.”
Formatting
Our newsletter material is sent in
a Word document, along with
separate photos via Picasa email,
to a formatter in the UGA College
of Education. He puts our material
into newsletter form.
Example:
MARCH 2012
5,243 words, 26 pics
Troy, This should be 12 pages! Front page pictures: put at least one on top half of newspaper. Please at least start
the 2 stories below on page 1.
Page 1:
Picture of group on stairs. Caption: OLLI artists met with Joanne Roth and Jeani Goodwin to plan the Art Fair.
Front row l. to r.: John Weber, Margaret Agner, Cam Bridges, Jeani. Back row: Elizabeth Barton, Joanne, Chip McDonald
(photo by Pat McAlexander)
picture of coleus—i.e. leaves. If possible, use as inset within story of art fair. Can be small.
Caption: Margaret Agner’s silk print “Coleus”
OLLI ART FAIR AND PLANT SWAP ON “LUCKY” FRIDAY, APRIL 13
On Friday, April 13, 1:00-4:00 p.m. at Central Presbyterian, OLLI is holding its First Annual Art Fair, which Joanne Roth,
who initiated the idea, is whimsically calling “Drawing More Than Flies.” At the same time there will be a
"Need More Plants - Garden Plant Swap" on the church grounds. OLLI members are invited to participate in these free
events as artists/craftspersons or as gardeners. The events will be open to the public.
How is your newsletter
printed and disseminated?
The UGA College of Education prints
The OLLI Times for us.
A copy is mailed (U.S. Mail) to every
OLLI@UGA member—now over 1,000.
How is your newsletter funded?
We pay for paper, mailing: $5849 last
year (included a “special” short 7th
Fund Development issue)
+
The UGA College of Education does
the formatting and printing.
Newsletter administrative structure:
Who makes decisions about your newsletter?
Editor
Executive Director of organization
President of organization
Committee(s)
Other?
OLLI Times: First three
How to schedule publication dates for
timeliness?
OLLI Times
Setting up the schedule for publication:
Material due by --- but earlier better
Material to formatter/printer by--(1-2 days later)
Mailing week ---up to 2 weeks later
Problem: how to get “fast-breaking”
stories out on time. Example: story about
the nominees for organization’s officers
What type of content (besides news of
future events) to include in a newsletter?
Or: What NOT to include?
Our editorial policy:
“news about OLLI, its members, and
OLLI events”
Placement of content—any
special practices here?
For example, what goes on
the first page?
PAGE ONE --Decisions to be made:
Eye-catching news (like to have a photo)
Important upcoming events
Important past events
Select in relation to what’s available for that issue…..
Important Function: TO GET MEMBERS TO READ IT.
Page 2:
President’s Note
List of organization’s
officers and committee members
Publishing info (deadlines etc.)
INSIDE: Sections on the organization’s
EVENTS (past, future) if not on page 1
(sometimes just separate articles )
CLASSES
TRAVEL
SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS (SIGS)
Fund-raising articles/appeals
Feature articles on interesting members
5) Creative writing by members
What kind of “creative writing” to include?
Memoirs—often have historical significance
Poems
Other?
5) “OLLI Briefs”
6) Filler boxes
Box--
Editing and proofreading:
Who does it?
Edit for:
Content/quality
Length (cutting??)
Organization
Factual accuracy
Clarity
Proofread for:
Correct grammar
Correct mechanics
Correct names/spelling
Consistent style (plural
of word OLLI=members)
Examples for proofing/editing:
Applications for vendors is not being
accepted at City Hall and online.
As a quote-unquote health conscious
person, I am excited about Farm 255.
Caption for a photo:
Bill X and his wife, Jane Y, at the Christmas
party
7) PHOTOS—Sources of photos?
Functions of photos?
Make layout of paper look good
Interest/entertain/inform members
Call attention to particular articles
Illustrate the nature of the organization
*Make subjects look good (no unflattering photos)
*When possible, give photo credits
Good group
photo
Formatting photos
Writing captions—note length,
parallel structure; sometimes
humor
Photos
cropped to
same
size
Caption
Problem
for
Formatter
(two lines
Vs
One line
Collage
(using
Picasa)
PHOTOS: How do you choose photos?
Does the subject matter fill a purpose?
Quality?
Will they look good as black and white?
Some feature photos I chose for The OLLI Times
(and how some looked in print):
Advertisements
and their placement :
Do you have ads in your newsletter?
Full
Page-$10,000
money
or
in-kind
Half
Page—
$5,000
Money
or
in-kind
Quarter
Page-$2,500
money
or
In-kind
a problem
with this
layout?
Effects of the increasing availability
of online material?
Hard copy newsletters
vs
Online newsletters, websites, social media
Some claimed advantages of hard copy
newsletters vs online sources
Many members prefer hard copies,
so more members read them
Thus more attractive to advertisers
More effective in promoting the
organization
Most accessible record of organization’s
history
Disadvantages of hard copy newsletters
Timeliness more difficult
Pictures not in color (yet) for some
EXPENSE!!
OLLI@UGA members seem to like and read
the OLLI Times, as shown by the song
sung at a dinner group’s meeting to
the tune of “Cover of the Rolling Stone”
(see next slide)
THE END