January 2003

One Picture is Worth a Thousand Words?
By Peter P. Jacobi
Everyone loves good photography -- but you can say more with words.

Delegated Responsibility
By Denise Gable
How do you know if staff members are ready for it?

Five Training Blunders
By Nanette Miner
Learn how to avoid them.

A Little List
By Peter P. Jacobi
A little list of do's and don'ts for writers and editors.

New Book:
Getting into Character by Brandilyn Collins.
Billed as a book that presents "seven secrets a novelist can learn from actors".

February 2003

Managing Virtual Teams
By Linda Ruth and Thea Selby
Ten rules to help editors make their virtual teams successful.

Ten Tips to Hiring a Designer
By John Johanek
You'll need to do more than just read a resume to determine if the designer you're interested in has the qualities your magazine needs.

Good Writing in Bad Times
By Peter P. Jacobi
Reflecting upon the effective writing pieces that came out of the 9/11 tragedy.

Missed Deadlines
By Denise Gable
How do editors deal with writers who miss deadlines?

March 2003

Know Your Facts
By Peter P. Jacobi
Hard facts, along with great writing, form a union for which every writer and editor should strive.

The Collision on the Web Between Readers and Marketing
By Cia Romano
A strategy editors can use to keep advertising from chasing visitors away from their websites.

More Missed Deadlines
By Denise Gable
The saga continues...

Structural Options
By Peter P. Jacobi
Tell a story. Use the narrative in your next article instead of the overused inverted pyramid structure. You'll keep your reader interested longer!

April 2003

Six Tips for Creating Better Feature Layouts
By John Johanek
Take a look at the design of your magazine from a reader's standpoint and you'll find there's plenty of room for improvement.

How Usable is Your Website?
By Cia Romano
Do your subscribers and online readers easily find what they are looking for? Some advice on what and what not should be on your website...

Building a Case
By Peter P. Jacobi
In the best of journalism, facts and language must merge to build a case, point for point, detail by detail. This is an example of how two reporters made their argument through the best of research or reporting and careful follow-up in written form.

What Does Your Website Look Like?
By Denise Gable
Here's what others say about their websites and what they contain...

May 2003

Lessons from "Editing the Magazine"
By Peter P. Jacobi
A manual that is just as helpful to the novice editor as it is to the veteran.

How Usable is Your Website? (Part II)
By Cia Romano
Here's how to put your website to the test!

How Do You Stay On Top of News?
By Denise Gable
In this day of fast-breaking news, how do publications keep readers interested in news that is considered “old” to news-hungry consumers?

Building a Case with Writing that Pleases the Reader
By Peter P. Jacobi
Here are more successful examples from award-winning writers, specifically critics and essayists, who must add artistry to their persuasiveness. Learn from them how to add enthusiasm, color, and vitality to your writing.

New Book:
Practical Proofreading by Matthew Willen.
A guide to the special skills that are required to become an effective proofreader. The book serves as a handy refresher for seasoned editors, as well as a comprehensive how-to for the beginning editor.

June 2003

The Truth About Success Online
By Karen Stevenson and Bill Litfin
How can you measure the success of your online magazine or content-based site? True success often goes far beyond the bottom line and revenue.

Five Ways to Grab Your Readers' Attention
By John Johanek
Turn those page-flipping scanners into magazine readers by making your page layouts more noticeable.

Tips from Book Authors
By Peter P. Jacobi
These books give helpful tips and wisdoms that you, the journalistic reader should find beneficial. Actually, they are the same tips that the author of this article has been preaching for years!

Special Treatment for Advertisers?
By Denise Gable
In these days of tough economic times, does your publication offer special coverage in return for advertising dollars?

July 2003

Creative Nonfiction
By Peter P. Jacobi
Writing in which writers contemplate their craft.

Circulation 101, Part 1
By Gene Sittenfeld
A quick course for editors seeking insight into the circulation side of things.

How to Determine Writers' Fees
By Denise Gable
Every publication has a different method of establishing what they pay their writers. How much do they differ from each other, and how are they established?

Attractive Writing from Nonprofit Publications
By Peter P. Jacobi
Well-planned, information-brimming, detailed articles that are far from flimsy. These writers successfully strengthen the views of people already convinced and alter the views of those not yet in the fold.

New Book:
Best of Newspaper Design, 21st Edition, by the Society for News Design.
Newspaper design techniques are showcased in 1000 color images from an international competition held annually. Text is in English and Spanish.

August 2003

The Lost Art of Designing in Black and White
By John Johanek
When color isn't an option, good design doesn't need to fall by the wayside. Just be sure to make the most of what you have to work with.

Editorial Management Issues
By Denise Gable
Responses from editors on a few common topics of concern...

Circulation 101, Part II
By Gene Sittenfeld
The basics for successful single-copy sales, and how we learn what works in getting the public to buy our publications.

More Writing from Nonprofit Publications
By Peter P. Jacobi
Additional high quality examples of writing from nonprofit publications.

September 2003

The T-R-A-N-S Theme
By Peter P. Jacobi
A five-letter theme that can illuminate the universe of any writer.

A Costly Mistake
By Patricia Eyres
Common performance review distortions could lead to litigation.

Beyond the Inverted Pyramid
By Ann Wylie
Ten tips for organizing your next story.

More Editorial Management Issues
By Denise Gable
Additional comments on a theme we started last issue.

October 2003

What Makes a Magazine's Design "Cutting Edge"?
By John Johanek
Why do some magazines look dated the day they come off press while others look like a newsflash?

Protecting Your Computer from Security Threats
By Anson Lee
Submissions from authors, letters to the editor, feedback from readers -- all are now potential threats!

America's Best Newspaper Writing
By Peter P. Jacobi
A collection of the best newspaper writing compiled by two scholars and practitioners of the writing craft.

Editorial Calendars
By Denise Gable
An important job of an editor is the planning of the publication's calendar. How do you go about it?

November 2003

The Editor's Alphabet of Words
By Peter P. Jacobi
These words, ranging from A to Z, are meant to serve as reminders about an editor's duties.

Designing To Be With-It
By Jan V. White
How self-indulgence designing can wreak havoc on the significance of your publication's image.

More on Editorial Calendars
By Denise Gable
Additional editors speak up on this topic.

New Book:
Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary.
Comes with a CD ROM, a concise handbook of style, and a one-year subscription to the publisher's website where you can find live audio pronunciations.

December 2003

Cover Design and the New Magazine
By John Johanek
Enhance the chances of success for getting your magazine idea into print by making some wise cover design decisions at the very start.

Are You Presenting Yourself Effectively?
By Eleta Jones
Don't expect other people to know automatically what you can do as an editorial professional.

The Writer and Editor in You
By Peter P. Jacobi
Gain insights from two books to help you as an editor -- and you as a writer.

Letters to the Editor
By Denise Gable
How publications decide which ones to use and which ones to toss.