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Nonfiction Nannette Croce Timing Is Everything Getting & Publishing Your Newsletter's Content On Time In my last article, I detailed some of my experiences writing for newsletters and noted how newsletter writing has provided the satisfaction of seeing my name in print, as well as valuable experience that I have used in other non-fiction writing. In this issue, I'll address one of the most basic elements of newsletter writing: timing. Because a large part of newsletter writing revolves around events — fund-raisers, meetings, talks — timing is everything.

Why Do Newsletters Run Late? If information gets out too late, people can't fit it into their schedules. If it's too early, it gets lost in the "to-do" pile. This may sound like a no-brainer but, in reality, a lot of newsletter articles miss the mark. Of course, the worst problem is lateness. It's pointless for a person to read an article about an interesting program the day after registration closes. And you won't get many volunteers for your fund-raiser with only a day or two of notice. However, this happens far too often, for several reasons: 1. Those responsible for providing information often don't get it in on time. 2. The mere mechanics of mass mailings (stapling, labeling, bulking) can be overwhelming. 3. Most newsletters are sent bulk mail, which means there can be large variations in the time people receive them. However, while these may all be valid reasons, there is nothing that will undermine your publication, and annoy your readers, more than continual lateness. So what is the remedy? What Can I Do If I'm The Editor? As the person in charge of my organization's newsletter (i.e., the one who gathered information, wrote the articles, and got the publication out), I learned to be scrupulous about information deadlines. I didn't wait for people to come to me, I went to them...with e-mail. In my e-mails, I would tell them when the next issue was scheduled for mailing, what dates it would cover; and what was the absolute deadline for getting information to me. I also developed a form to be completed; that way I didn't have to re-contact people for missing details. For this system to work, though, you must be ruthless. Accept nothing that arrives past the deadline, otherwise no one will take it seriously. Also, reject anything that does not include the who, what, when, and where — unless they can get it to you by the deadline. Folks will learn quickly when they see that their important event was not written up. (Of course, if the request comes from a major contributor to your organization, you might reconsider using this tactic.) When setting your deadlines, check with your postmaster to determine the maximum amount of time that it could take for people on your mailing list to get their issue (e.g., one week? three weeks?), and be realistic about how long it will take to get the mailing out. Failure to be realistic on this point is probably the single major cause of late newsletters. Always add a couple of more days than you think it will take. Also, if the mechanics of mailing seem to always make your newsletter late, you may want to suggest that your organization decrease the frequency — for example, from monthly to quarterly. It is also sometimes possible to "borrow" help from other organizations that have a stake in getting the news out and, of course, nonprofits can always solicit volunteers. What Can I Do If I'm A Writer? If you are not in charge of the newsletter, but simply contribute articles, and your information is always dated by the time it gets out, consider setting your own deadlines. For example, instead of waiting for the editor to request contributions, send yours ahead of time. Always be diplomatic, explaining that you are trying to make his/her job easier. Or, if the deadline the editor uses — for example, two weeks prior to an event — doesn't seem to work, submit your article two deadlines ahead of schedule. Of course, with newsletter articles, timing cuts both ways. While it's frustrating to your readers to get information late, information received too far in advance is often set aside and forgotten. In my experience, for a local event or program requiring people to sign up in advance, the most effective articles appear as close to the sign-up deadline as possible. That way, readers will need to take action right away. If possible, these articles should appear no more than a month in advance. For events where people will simply "show up," you can allow a little more lead time, but certainly not more than three months. This, again, can be a big problem if you contribute to a newsletter that does not get out on time. If this is the case, submit your article further in advance. Follow up with a short "reminder" blurb in the next issue, and hope for the best. When events are of national or international interest, more lead time is required. Six months to a year is not too much notice to let people make the necessary arrangements. And a person who books an international flight to attend a conference is not likely to forget it. Even so, plan to follow up with one or two articles on different aspects of the event or conference. This will increase interest and pick up anyone who joined or subscribed after the first announcement. Timing of my articles was one of the most difficult things for me to learn when I started newsletter writing. But as with so many other aspects, it was a lesson that could be applied to other writing as well. I never think of submitting a seasonal article, for example, without first checking with the editor on lead time, and I always remember that something of great interest on the day I sit down at my computer to write the query letter may be yesterday's news by the time the editor reads it.

Tips For Better Timing In Your Newsletters Send out a form to collect basic information for articles (preferably via e-mail) and set a strict deadline for its return.   For bulk mailings, check with your post office for the latest possible date people on your mailing list might receive their copy (e.g., people in your state might receive their issues within a couple of days, while people in a neighboring state might receive it within four to six days later than that).   Always overestimate the amount of time it will take for the mechanics of getting the mailing out, and solicit help whenever possible.   If newsletters continually go out late, see if the frequency of mailings can be reduced.   For local events that require advance registration, time your article for no more than a month prior to the registration deadline; for walk-in programs, no more than 2-1/2 to 3 months prior.     About the Author: Nannette Croce, wife, mother, and former career woman, decided to take the plunge and write full-time. She writes both fiction and non-fiction. In addition to her work for T-Zero, she recently was asked to become a regular book reviewer for Montana, The Magazine of Western History. Her short story, "At the Edge of the Woods," won recognition at the Philadelphia Writer's Conference this past June.