SUCCESSFUL CLASS NEWSLETTER EDITING
By Pat Barry

So... the excitement of your nomination as Class Editor, the pride in your election, the acclamation of your acceptance, and the conclusion of the Annual Meeting are now only fond, but faint, memories. You are now faced with reality of ... your first deadline! What to do, what to do?

As Editor of the Flying Scot Sailing Association’s official publication, Scots n’ Water, I too shared your feelings when I faced my first issue. But, like you, I survived that first deadline and 23 afterwards. Along the way I learned many things about successful news­letter publication, by observation of other successful class newsletters and by the best teacher of all, trial and error. I think I learned my lessons well as Scots n’ Water has become recognized by US SAILING and Sailing World magazine as one of the best class news­letters.

While I may not be able to offer much to get you through the first issue besides run the story of the National Championship, the results, and the Annual Meeting with l-o-t-s of pictures (they take up space!), I think I can offer you ideas that will help to make your publication as good as it can possibly be.

I would like to divide this article into several distinct areas which should encompass the concerns and problems you may face, sooner or later. These are:

• Developing a vision
            • Soliciting articles
            • Editing
            • Paying the bills

Your task is, I believe, vital to the success of your class. There is no officer who does as much to inform members and promote the class as does the editor. For the vast majority of your members, the class magazine IS the class. With that in mind, let’s look at how your magazine and thus your class can be as effective as possible.

 Developing a Vision

I believe the absolutely most important thing you must do as editor is determine what your newsletter’s purpose is. In some classes, this is fairly easy. The class, say, is well known for racing.  If most of the members are involved in racing, it is easy to target the articles toward them. If, on the other hand, you know that the class members rarely race and instead usually pleasure sail their boats, then you should target the publication toward them.

The reality, of course, is that there are some members of each type in each class. But how many? How do they use their boats? I wondered just the same thing and decided to find out. I designed a questionnaire and printed it in one issue of the magazine. Though the compilation of the results was time-consuming, I found it very useful.

In our class, I learned that while many members did race their boats, the number of hard core racers was less than I anticipated. The majority of members raced some and day sailed some. I also learned that a fair number actually did some weekend camping and cruising. I also learned who sailed the boat, some things about their skill level, and their ages.

With all this in mind, I developed a vision of what I wanted the publication to do for its members. It should communicate class policies and actions, promote class activities, cover all the different ways the boat is used, instruct, and recognize members and their accomplishment. My main vision was to pull the members together; to unify.

I next determined that it would take many different ways to do all of this with our members and settled on the idea of regular columns that would be rotated every few issues so that each issue would have something for just about everyone.

After the major national meetings at Midwinters and Nationals, I ran highlights of the minutes. (The actual minutes are often deadly boring and can be ob­tained from class officers or governors, if really de­sired.) I was also sure to run the budget updates so that class members knew how their money was being spent. And of course, any reports from the Class Measurer were important and run as submitted.

In order to increase class communication I instituted a number of columns. These included the Member Profile of an officer or member who helps the class, the Governor’s Report, which reported and promoted a district’s activities, and The Fleet Review, which highlighted a particular fleet in the association. These were good publicity, were well received by members, and promoted class unity as well as disseminating in­formation.

The lifeblood of any association is its fleets. Fleet Building columns gave tips on increasing fleet activity, especially important to dying fleets.

We know that the racing members want instruction to improve their finishes, but don’t forget the non-racers. I ran columns for the beginners titled Instructionally Speaking, which stressed the basics of transporting, rigging, and sailing the boat. These were definitely non-race oriented. For the racers I ran the tradition­al From the Experts type of column. These featured articles on rigging, speed, and tactics. For everyone I ran a column called Gadgets and Gilhickies, which looked at different ways to do things with rigging and equipment.

When they were available, I ran daysailing/cruising articles. You would be amazed at how people adapt their boat and use it! You often hear about these people through the ‘grapevine,’ so listen carefully. Many of these sailors may perceive your newsletter as too race-oriented to submit – they may not even belong to the association – but when sought out, they are usually very flattered and happy that you would want their story. The more you appeal to the non-racer, the more your base of support grows as they begin to spread the word and join your association. Encourage these sailors! They will help you support your class activities. And you may be surprised at how much the racers enjoy the articles, since that is a way they don’t use their boats.

Long the staple of class publications, race results should be run regularly. You don’t want them to dominate the publication unless yours is truly dedicated only to racers, but the articles run should emphasize the camaraderie that regattas usually bring. Those always elusive pictures really help increase interest. I also found that when the winners’ list included both skipper and crew, people seemed to notice them more. I organized the results into two different columns. The Fleet’s In ran the bulk of the short stories and results, with the occasional picture interspersed for color and interest. When a major event was run or when I re­ceived a well-written regatta report with pictures, I ran them in the Regatta Spotlight section. The stories and results build unity and interest. Run them regularly, but don’t let them become the entire publication, or you risk losing the non-racers.

Like yours, our publication ran a for-sale service for members; we called it Caveat Emptor (let the buyer beware). It was open only to class members.

The key to appealing to members – and building a bigger class in the process – is to balance the publication. I would strive to have something for everyone in each issue. It may not always be possible, but with some planning, it is more feasible than you think.

 Soliciting Articles

Without question, soliciting and receiving articles – on time! – is the hardest task you face. In talking with other newsletter editors, I find it to be a universal problem. I don’t think I can solve your problem completely, but I can offer some suggestions to keep you sane.

Once you have determined what your vision of the newsletter is, I would make lists of articles you would like in each category you plan to run. When you contact someone to write an article, it is always easier if you have something specific in mind; something you know the person could write. Asking the member what they would like to write will usually elicit a nothing.

Having identified specific articles you want, you next need to look to people for their help. This will not be easy. You can offer no money (usually) and most sailors are pretty successful people, thus they are busy in their careers, let alone their families. But everyone does have their own button that, when pushed, produces results. Pride in the accomplishment, responsibility to the class, and helping others, combined with new-found status and respect, are buttons that work with most people.

Remember that these people are busy; time is of the essence. I found that giving people a fair amount of notice – usually two months, maybe more – was helpful because they had time to settle into the idea of writing an article and then roll ideas around.

Give the writer time, but be somewhat doggedly per­sistent in pursuing the article’s completion. Drop the writer a note/email a few weeks after s/he has agreed, giving thanks for his/her efforts. Perhaps a few weeks later you could call and see how the article is coming. Perhaps you could have ready some ideas they might want to consider including (but suggest, don’t order!). A few weeks later you may again drop a postcard or email telling the writer how much you and the class members are looking forward to reading the article. Finally, about a week before it is due, I would call the writer to verify that the article will reach you on time. That way, even if they have let it slide until then, they have time to recover and get it to you. Further, in the worst-case scenario, you will know before deadline if the article just isn’t going to happen.

What if you try all this and the article still doesn’t come? Hopefully you have not scheduled the article for this immediate issue. I usually planned to run it one issue after the deadline date. But if you were planning on it, you have a few options. First, you could write it yourself. Second, you could substitute something you do have. Third, you could just run a smaller issue that month.

I wouldn’t let the writer off the hook yet, though, especially if you really want the article later and it is not time-sensitive in some way. I found that using humor often worked. I would write a short letter giving multiple choice reasons why the article was not in yet. The reasons were usually pretty crazy!  I would then encourage the writer to continue with the project and let him know that I still really wanted to run it. The humorous approach seemed to work. In four years I only had two articles never appear. You may have to follow up repeatedly, but you will usually get the article.

We ran a column called The Starting Line, for regatta notices.  In order to obtain these I usually contacted the district governor or class member whom I knew was usually associated with the event. Using a postcard/email works for this. If you know that a regatta is usually run the same weekend each year, go ahead and list it. Put as the contact either an active club member or area officer that you know, or last year’s chairperson. If the information is wrong, they’ll let you know! Then you can correct it in the next issue.

Many regatta chairs will want their event run, but they will fail to follow through with the all-important regatta report. One way you can get around that problem is to make a postcard for each regatta event. Put the date of the event on the corner somewhere. Then, the Monday following the event, drop the card in the mail. Tell the chair you are sure the event went well and that you know s/he wants to honor the winners and promote next year’s event, too. This should prompt the chairperson to write the report. If not, and it’s a really important event, give him a call in a few weeks and get the information over the phone. You can write the story if it is that important. Finally, be sure to give credit to the writer – even if he told it over the phone – to promote other writers’ participation in the future.

Soliciting articles is hard. Getting pictures is harder still! Since most of the people involved in an event or regatta are on the water sailing, finding someone to take pictures is tough. I usually tried to encourage regatta organizers to find a photographer and schedule that as part of their regatta plans. Most chairs are so busy that they forget to arrange for pictures – if someone happens to snap some, they often don’t even know it! There is always a friend or family member who doesn’t want to sail but would find the view from the water fascinating. Encourage the regatta chair to locate a person and locate a boat for them to be on as much as they want. It is usually best to have the boat movable, not fixed. Mark set and rescue boats work well, since they are often stable and they move with the race. Besides, those operating the service boats are often shorthanded and would appreciate another’s assistance.

Still, getting the pictures is very tough. You might try some contests. Give away a T-shirt or bumper sticker when people send pictures. You can probably think of some way to encourage and reward pictures. You will need to!

As I said before, this is unquestionably the hardest part of the editor’s job. If you don’t plan for the problems and anticipate solutions, it will burn you out within a year. It will eventually probably be the reason you decide to pass on the torch, but some of my ideas helped me last four years; I hope they help keep you on board longer, too!

 Editing the Work

Though your official title is editor, actually editing work may be one of the easier parts of the job!

If you are fortunate, you have a writing background of some sort. If not, I would suggest that you surround yourself with people and information that will be helpful. Some editors I know do not actually edit the work received; they farm it out to a family member, neighbor, club, or association member who does have a writing background. In these cases, be sure to credit the person, either at article’s end or by giving them the title of Assistant Editor in your publication.

If you do not have such a resource, some ready written advice will be very helpful. You’ll already have a dictionary, but you could use a good book of commonly misspelled words at your fingertips for quick reference. Use your computer’s spell-checker! A thesaurus would be valuable because it will help you add variety to the writer’s words. Perrin’s Writer’s Guide and Index to English, or something similar, would be very helpful in clarifying many of the mechanics of grammar, punctuation, capitalization, and style that often perplex both writer and editor. You need not have a lot of these, but one nearby will be very useful to you.

With books in hand, you still must face the job of editing. The easiest part of the job is correcting mistakes in writing mechanics. Do that first.

You then must decide where the work needs to be amplified, reduced, or eliminated. I would suggest that you read the work over once or twice to get a feel for what the author is trying to convey.  Then, paragraph by paragraph, go through the work and ask yourself questions: Is this clear? Would the reader understand this? Do we need to expand on the idea? Define something? Could it be said more colorfully? Is it redundant? Is it truly necessary? (That’s a question only really important if space is a limitation.)

Mark sections that need work. At that point, I would put the work away for a day or two. A few days later, pull it out again and re-read it. Perhaps you will agree with your suggested changes; perhaps not. But you will look at it with fresher eyes.

How do you edit without offending the writer? In some cases, you need not worry because the writer will send you the material with a note encouraging you to edit as necessary, or make it better, or do with it as you see fit. If so, I would re-type it the way you think the work should look and, if time permits, send a copy to the writer as a courtesy. If the writer does not indicate he is looking forward to your editing work, then I would send a copy of the original, with suggested changes noted, back to the writer for his final work. Be sure to emphasize how much you like the work and that yours are only suggested changes. Also be sure to give the writer a date by which you need the final copy back and pursue it so that you get it. If you get the final copy back with few changes you will then have to decide whether to run it or not.

The best suggestion I could offer is to communicate frequently and positively with your writers about their work. Little things make a big difference. For example, when I submitted work to publications I usually never even knew if it was received. Thus I began a practice of sending a short postcard or email to the writer upon receipt of the work in which I also thanked him, indicated when the work might run, and when I would be back in touch.  Writers really appreciate this!

Layout and Design

Once the material for the issue is all there, you again need to have a vision, this time of how you would like the issue to look. What you put first will be what is seen as most important, so run accordingly. It is also good practice to run your regular columns in about the same spot every issue so that people will know roughly where to find them.

Generally class news, letters from officers, and letters to the editor work well in the front of the magazine. A short regular column or two could follow next with the feature article(s) in the center of the issue. A few regular columns could follow with regatta notices and results toward the end.

Whatever your format, develop one that readers will get used to so they know what to anticipate and where they will find it.

If space allows, I like an uncluttered layout with a fair amount of white space. This focuses the attention on the article or picture more effectively.

Finally, pictures really help to make any newsletter. They may be of boats sailing or people enjoying, but pictures add tremendous interest to any issue. If possible, a picture every page or two is desirable. You may vary the size and location on the page to suit your needs and add further interest.

If you are in charge of the actual physical layout of the publication before it goes to the printer, I suggest you talk with them about how specifically to do it. They should be very helpful and can provide instruction should you need it. If you have a computer for word processing – a very useful tool – you may be able to purchase a program for desktop publishing. This could save you both time and money and may be the way for you to produce a first-rate looking publication for much less money.

 Paying for the Publication

As I said earlier, I believe that for most members your publication is the association. My bias, then, is to provide as high a quality publication as you can possibly afford. It will bring pride to the current members and be a very positive tool for prospective boat owners and members. (Knowing this, we send our builders a set number of copies each production run that they may use for promotion at shows and provide to owners when they pick up their used or new boat. It really builds the membership!)

A short monthly publication would be the most timely, but would be expensive and drive you crazy. Bi-monthly works very well. You can double the pages for a better looking publication, yet still save money on layout, printing, and mailing. If funds are tight, I would suggest a quarterly publication. It is frequent enough to keep members’ attention, but is less of a headache to you and less costly to the association. Another interesting idea is what the J/24 class does.  They put out a gorgeous 100+ page color issue twice a year. In the interim six months they count on the district governors to send out a less formal newsletter-type publication once or twice. It is a nice balance and seems to serve the class well.

Your class will probably not be able to underwrite the full production cost, however. Thus you will need advertising dollars. Draw up a list of any boatbuilders, sailmakers, or equipment suppliers who do business with your members. Depending on the class, your list may be extensive, as it is in the Thistle class, or short, as it is in very strict one-designs like Lasers and Sunfish.

With list in hand, draft a very positive letter to the advertiser stressing the benefits to them of advertising with your publication.  Give them as much information as possible: number of members, geographical spread, ages, nature of their sailing, etc. When the Etchells class surveyed their members, they found that they had a very upscale membership list. This fact was not lost in their letters to advertisers. Companies, of course, want to see a potential for return on their investment. Show them how that will happen if they advertise with you.

Next, you may want to survey other classes, particularly those similar in nature or size to yours, to determine their ad rates. This will give a good idea of what you should charge. In pricing the ad, offer different sizes and special locations, like the back cover or the inside front cover and charge accordingly. It is a good idea to discount the rate somewhat for an extended run of ads and if they pay when they send in the ad.

Finally, draw up a standard form that specifies the cost, number of issues, and size of the ad that will be run and have the company sign it.

As with the members, frequent communication with the advertisers helps. Be sure that they receive one or two complimentary copies each run. Send them a personal letter once a year thanking them for their support of your class. Let them know when something good happens to your class. Keep in touch and keep it positive.

In Summary

By now you’re probably wondering why you let yourself be talked into this, right? Well, it is a big job. There is no doubt of that. But it is a very, very fulfilling and satisfying job. You will meet wonderful people, get out to places you normally wouldn’t, and have experiences you will long remember.

Like anything, editing is a complex process. By breaking the job down into parts it is accomplishable. It’s time to stop reading now and get writing. You’ve got a deadline!

 Pat Barry was editor of Scots n’ Water, the Flying Scot Class newsletter, from September 1983 to June 1987.


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