[Nfb-editors] Questions for all newsletter editors

[Bridgit Pollpeter]

Judy,

I'm editor for Slate & Style, NFB Writers' Division magazine. Our intent
is literary, so different from most Federation publications, but we have
a decent readership inside and outside the organization.

Last year, we dropped our hard-copy format since it cost and email does
not, and email is a form of print for those reading print, but it's also
accessible for those screenreader users. We do offer Braille
hard-copies, but we have a division member who does this at no cost to
the division. We have discussed the eventuality, though, that if we ever
lose this service, we may drop the Braille format too since the cost
would be too much.

It will depend on what your affiliate is willing to pay for. With the
accessibility of Newsline and electronic formats, some no longer
consider hard-copy formats necessary. When Nebraska had a newsletter, I
was editor for it, and we only offered the newsletter via email and
Newsline. We were discussing offering Braille, but the cost would have
been great. I know many Federation publications no longer offer
hard-copy formats, following suit like many publications in general
nowadays. It's an individual decision every NFB publication has to
consider.

As for how we keep and maintain readership and distribution lists, we
use MS Excel. My distribution guy has created an Excel spreadsheet that
has name, contact info, dues info and format choice for the magazine. He
created formulas so if I want to just look at readers who chose email,
it will only give me that info, and vice, versus. We can also Separate
people by those who are current with dues and those who are not.

Hope this helps.

Bridgit
Message: 1
Date: Mon, 20 Jan 2014 17:01:07 -0500
From: "Judy Rasmussen" <judyras at sprynet.com>
To: <nfb-editors at nfbnet.org>
Subject: [Nfb-editors] Question for all newsletter editors
Message-ID: <002101cf162b$1f7a3060$5e6e9120$@com>
Content-Type: text/plain;	charset="us-ascii"


Hi all,
This is Judy Rasmussen, from Maryland.  I am the editor of our affiliate
newsletter, the Spectator.  Our affiliate is trying to find ways to cut
down
our printing costs.   I am writing to inquire how your affiliate sends
out
newsletters, i.e., large print, e-mail only, braille, or some other
means? The newsletter is on Newsline, but obviously this will not reach
professionals in the field, sighted donors, etc.  If you send your
newsletter via e-mail only, how do you maintain your mailing list? Do
you use a particular database? We will be discussing this issue at our
all day board meeting on February 1, so any responses I receive before
that date would be much appreciated.  Thank you for your time, and I
look forward to hearing from you. 
Judy Rasmussen, Kensington, Maryland