Author Archives: Jason Warshof Magnificent Publications Inc.
Wiki Exits the Stone Age
January 25, 2009
About a year ago, the Capital PC Users Group conducted a very good presentation on wikis—namely, the do-it-yourself, non-hosted type. We tried them, we gritted our teeth, we tried them again.
Now, in a flash, that era appears to be over. Can it be?
For almost a year, we’ve been using free wiki software to store and [...]
What Do Your Readers Really Want?
December 5, 2008
What better time to introduce a new product or service than when people really care about value? Like now, for instance.
This is the point that Andrew Razeghi makes in his article “Innovating Through Recession.” Razeghi, who teaches at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern, asserts that innovations are not only more necessary and valuable [...]
Things to Know Before You Create a Wiki
April 20, 2008
If you want to store and organize a large quantity of information for multiple users, like the components of a draft policy guide, a great low-cost way is to set up a wiki. You’ve already used one if you’ve ever accessed Wikipedia.
People will tell you that you can download free open source software and have [...]
Want Devoted Readers? Tell Uplifting Stories
January 27, 2008
We’ve written about two ingredients of effective newsletters, hard news and genuinely useful information. Here’s a third: emotional appeals that lift the spirits.
In a recent Webinar about putting more zing into newsletters, Kivi Leroux of NonprofitMarketingGuide.com encouraged publications managers to look for stories about overcoming adversity and going on to achieve a triumph.
I saw a [...]
Grab Readers’ Attention With Fridge-Worthy Content
January 16, 2008
I just clicked on the homepage for Yahoo! mail. The lead story was “5 hot concept cars.” I’m in the car market, so I printed it out and stuck it on my refrigerator with a magnet.
The same cozy scenario plays out thousands of times every day. Walter Mossberg’s favorite PDA, recipes for 10 low-calorie blueberry [...]
A Policy Writer’s Guide to Using Data
January 9, 2008
Writers on social policy frequently open stories with an alarming statistic. “The number of impoverished rural children with diabetes has jumped by a gazillion percent in the last decade.”
The approach may be well-intentioned, but it can distract readers with a depressingly bleak picture when the true goal is to get them thinking about viable policy [...]
Agree on Costs in Advance, and Save Editorial Energy
January 2, 2008
In a recent post, I offered insight into the mindset of copy editors. Today’s advice is on setting a budget for copy editing and proofreading assignments.
First of all, make sure both you—the publications manager—and the copy editor or proofreader are clear on terminology:
Copy editing — Making a final manuscript draft conform to predetermined rules of [...]
Make Every Editing Hour Count
December 11, 2007
Even today, book copy editors mark up manuscripts with colored pencil. Editors and authors add their comments to the draft with different-colored pencils so that the edited hard copy often resembles an Expressionist scrawl by the time it is sent to the compositor to be typeset.
Not all publications still use such an archaic editing process, [...]
Posted in Writing and Editing Leave a comment
Taking Better Photos: Tips for Amateurs
November 27, 2007
Selecting a usable photograph from volunteers’ submissions can be a time-consuming affair. But publications managers can follow a few guidelines to encourage competence from their contributors—and stave off the stress that comes with pleading yet again for a “high-res version, please, if possible, before close of business.”
1. In most cases, action shots are preferable to [...]
Posted in Design Leave a comment
One Word, 15,000 Pictures