January 2004

Profiles and Features
By Peter P. Jacobi
An in-house trade publication competition shows that these publications are upholding the principles and practice of good journalism.

Poorly Written Articles
By Denise Gable
How do editors handle the potentially difficult situation of articles that don't live up to the publication's standards?

The Creative Process
By Peter P. Jacobi
What can we, as journalistic writers and editors, learn from how artists set about to create? Lessons are contained therein.

New Book:
Editing by Design by Jan V. White. This classic guide focuses on how editor-designer collaboration can achieve maximum creative impact.

February 2004

Captivate Your Audience
By Ann Wylie
Four ways to make your copy more creative.

Designing Better-Looking Carryover Pages
By John Johanek
Think about it -- it's where your readers are probably spending the majority of their time. You owe it to them to make those pages as readable as you can.

Advice from the Experts
By Peter P. Jacobi
Many points that have been mentioned before by the author, but that are nonetheless valuable.

By Denise Gable
How editors cope with this unsavory practice...

New Book:
The Newspaper by Leonard Mogel. This primer on the newspaper business offers a look at large vs. small papers and the effect of new technology on the industry.

March 2004

Writing a Successful and Riveting Profile
By Peter P. Jacobi
Tips on how to create a successful, riveting profile.

The Great Bus Ride
By Dave Anderson
Taking your publication somewhere great is like a bus ride. All you need to do is get the wrong people off the bus, the right people on it, and make sure the right people are sitting in the right seats.

Finding the Right Balance
By Denise Gable
How editors balance readers' needs with the agendas of executive staff and board members.

A Reader's Question: Installing a Budgeting System
An editor looks for guidance in implementing a system for his staff to manage their own budgets.

April 2004

Ten Tips for Better Typography
By John Johanek
The first rule of magazine design is to make sure the copy is readable. Here are ten tips to help your magazine do that better.

How to Overcome Organizational Indifference, Part I
By Linda Keefe
What percentage of your employees comes to work just to get a paycheck or to add the publication's name to their resume? Change their indifference and see the changes that can happen to your publication.

Listening to the Wisdom of Experts
By Peter P. Jacobi
A little advice from the author's friends...

Finding the “Right” Formula
By Denise Gable
How publications find the right balance between regular features, columns, reviews, and articles.

May 2004

The Importance of Substance
By Peter P. Jacobi
Don't ever overlook the potential significance that our writings can have for those in our audience!

How to Overcome Organizational Indifference, Part II
By Linda Keefe
What percentage of your employees comes to work just to get a paycheck or to add the publication's name to their resume? Change their indifference and see the changes that can happen to your publication.

What Do Editors Want to Know?
By Denise Gable
Editors suggest topics for future Editors Only articles...

New Book:
The Elephants of Style by Bill Walsh takes an in-depth look at the basics.

June 2004

Concerns about Email!
By John R. Grahm
Things to consider when dealing with colleagues and readers via email.

Four Design Essentials for the New Magazine
By John Johanek
Hit the ground running with design that gets your new magazine idea off on the right track.

Attracting Readers with Lessons from Poets
By Peter P. Jacobi
The components of good poetry might assist us in the gathering and retention of readers.

How Editors Keep Employees Happy
By Denise Gable
Are your employees burned out? Stressed out? What tactics do editors use to keep valuable employees?

July 2004

If You Don't Make Waves, You'll Drown -- Part I
By Dave Anderson
Five ways for you to make waves -- and extend the performance of your editorial staff.

The Potency of Perspective
By Peter P. Jacobi
Perspective is a powerful and useful tool that can serve many purposes from providing the reader with a point of view, to making your point.

Trends in Vernacular Speech and Published Writing
By Denise Gable
Editors answer the question: "What is your policy when (incorrect) vernacular speech trends show up in your publication?"

Read and Learn
By Peter P. Jacobi
Look for instructive ideas about writing from unexpected sources.

Paul Klebnikov -- In Memoriam

August 2004

Magazine Design and Technology
By John Johanek
Where have all the designers gone? Are computers to blame?

A Short List of Musts
By Peter P. Jacobi
Six writing ingredients to help engage your reader.

If You Don't Make Waves, You'll Drown
By Dave Anderson
More ideas on extending the performance of your editorial staff by making waves.

Redesigning Your Publication
By Denise Gable
Experienced editors share their insights...

A Reader's Question: Is Editorial/Advertising Adjacency Okay?
Tips on resolving this ethical dilemma

September 2004

Start Making Sense
By Ann Wylie
How to remove gobbledygook, buzzwords, businessese, techno babble, jargon, and other gibberish from your copy.

"I Love Words"
By Peter P. Jacobi
We, the professional users of words must love words, our tools, never forgetting to care from and respect them.

Ethics and Editors
By Denise Gable
What ethical issues have publication editors had to deal with lately?

Ways to Engage Your Reader
By Peter P. Jacobi
Give your reader a sense of direction, a perception of motion, and, in the end, a memorable experience.

October 2004

Beware of Copyright Infringement via Email
By Patricia S. Eyres
A legal case offers the lesson that sharing information with your staff must be respectful of the copyrights of others.

Six Basics for Designing a Magazine Launch
By John Johanek
Unless you nail these six design points, your magazine launch could turn into a fizzle.

Learning From Science Writers
By Peter P. Jacobi
Good science writing requires special talents that we, as writers and editors, can take a lesson to in whatever topic -- simple or complex -- that may be our responsibility.

Meeting Deadlines
By Denise Gable
An editor's time is valuable -- how do you budget it?

November 2004

Be Popular. Circulate! Part I
By Cindi Leive
Address to circulators offers helpful perspective for editors, as well.

A Reader's Question: Does My Newsletter have a Future?
How to assess the future prospects for a newsletter that is losing readership.

Writing With Purpose
By Peter P. Jacobi
Examples of laudable writing from The New Yorker.

More on Meeting Deadlines
By Denise Gable
An editor's time is valuable -- how do you budget it?

December 2004

Profiles -- How To Do Them Right - Part I
By Peter P. Jacobi
If you want a profile that is worthy of a reader's notice and concern, you have to cover all the reportorial bases.

Newsletter Design
By John Johanek
Look good, get read, and be remembered. Design can help make the most of timely news content.

Editorial Job Satisfaction
By Denise Gable
How happy are you?

Be Popular. Circulate! Part II
By Cindi Leive
The meaning of covers, insert cards, renewal rates, and content variety. We continue here with excerpts from Cindi Leive's remarks at Curculation Day, sponsored by the Direct Marketing Association.

New Book
UPI Stylebook and Guide to Newswriting.