Tuesday, June 05, 2007

OHNO Newsletter Proposal

Coming up to the 21st Century

Over the last couple of years our newsletter has been improving, not only in terms of quality of production but also distribution techniques and circulation.

The block-captain approach has been a huge success. We’re gaining more every time we turn around. Not only that, but the block-captains we have are becoming more energetic and enthusiastic about delivering the newsletter; expanding their area of operation to adjacent blocks. Maybe it’s just that time of year and they enjoy a stroll looking at the flowers and lawns of the houses in this grand old neighborhood.

In the last issue, we’ve expanded our production by over 33%; going from 300 copies to 420.

Furthermore, at the last Board of Directors meeting, many of the issues on the agenda and in the rambling discussions brought up the idea of adding more information to the newsletter.

Whatever it is or will be, it is improving another aspect of the newsletter; cost of production.

Considering we don’t get a bundle of money from our rich Uncle Sam to help us with this, I think we need to consider what we might do to meet the increased demands….

For several years, before we moved back to Pueblo, Susan and I were the editors of the magazine for a group up in Denver. It had 12 pages. It was done in gray-scale on 3 sheets of 11x17, printed 4 pages per sheet and stapled together. We did 700-800 copies per month. Distribution was by US Postal Service using the Periodical rate. It cost several hundred dollars per month. But that organization could afford it, as the membership dues were $45 annually.

But still, we tried to cut costs in order to save the group money.

One of the techniques we were pushing was to do distribution by e-mail of a PDF version of the magazine.

The process was for people to volunteer to receive the magazine that way. Then, if they wanted a hard-copy, they could print it out on their own computer. The big advantage to the group is obvious. The advantage to the subscriber was they got a full-color version and they got it before the USPS could deliver a hard copy. In some places around the Denver metroplex, this was a blessing, as the USPS might not deliver a bulk mail item for over a week.

Whereas we do not rely on the USPS, the delivery time is not so much an issue.

The idea that I am contemplating, and would appreciate your input on, is to start two versions of the newsletter; one hard-copy and one PDF via e-mail.

The former would be something akin to what we are doing now. Or maybe even going back to two pages of grayscale. The material in it would be rather restricted; meeting notice, agenda for said meeting, minutes of previous meetings, etc.

The latter, the PDF version, would be full color and as many pages we needed to cover all the topical material we had. After all, it’s all electronic. No paper lost. Complete flexibility.

The cost of production savings are obvious. The expansibility is obvious. The full color with numerous pictures is obvious.

The downside is getting people to shift from the old-media mode to the new-media mode. We are, after all, creatures of habit.

Please give me your thoughts on this matter by making a comment about this idea. Just click on the Comment link below and start typing in the box at the bottom of the Comment page. You don’t even have to use your real name….

We also entertain alternative ideas.

Less...