Before you can successfully publish a newsletter, you should become familiar with its "parts." This overview will cover detailed descriptions of each element of a newsletter. Subsequent lessons will then focus on each of them individually.
There’s no better place to start than the beginning. What is the first thing you notice about a newsletter? Usually, it is the nameplate or logotype. This is the name of your newsletter set in a distinctive typeface or design. It helps to give your readers a familiarity with your publication.
Once a reader gets past the nameplate, the next most visible elements are the headlines. The head, heading or headline is a display line(s) found at the top of the printed matter. In most cases, it is usually typeset larger and bolder than the text copy below it. Well-written headlines will attract readers.
Underneath the headlines, usually set in text-size type, you will find a byline. It is important to note that whenever someone else contributes an article to your newsletter, they should be given credit for their piece; by using a byline, the person who wrote the article also assumes responsibility for what is written. Most of the time when an article is printed without a byline, readers will assume the article speaks for the entire group publishing the newsletter. Also, a newsletter without bylines, will seem cold and unfriendly. Once in awhile, you will see a secondary headline on the line above the main headline. This is called a kicker.
In every issue of a publication, there is an area stating the title, editor, publisher, ad rates, contact names/numbers/emails, and any other information regarding ownership and/or subscriptions. This is the masthead. It is often confused with the nameplate. Also included in your masthead, is your mission statement. Your mission statement can be summed up in as little as two words as shown in an article at LocalBusiness.com referring to Pepsi -- "Beat Coke!" or it can be a short paragraph.
If a newsletter consists of more than one page, you may see running heads. A running head is a title repeated at the top of the each page of the newsletter. It usually contains such information as the name of the publication, a description of the page itself, and/or a page number.
To make your newsletter visually appealing, use artwork and clip art.
And last, but certainly not least, is the text. Text refers to the main body of the page and usually takes up the largest percentage of space in your newsletter. It does NOT include other elements such as titles, headings, references, indexes, etc.
EXERCISE:
After reading Part 2, you should be able to pick up any newsletter and identify each of its parts. For this assignment, submit the name of a publication you have read and give a written description using a minimum of one sentence deciding whether or not it has each of these elements. Please send to Ezines@bellaonline.com and we'll publish some of your examples. Thank you!
Don't miss Part 1 in this series, Starting a Newsletter - Why Publish a Newsletter
And Part 3: Starting a Newsletter - Naming Your Newsletter
Part 4: Starting a Newsletter - Hit 'Em Hard with Headlines
Part 5: Starting a Newsletter - Making a Commitment
