Guest Author - Pamela Blackmon

Look at any publication whether print or online and you’ll notice several common elements in all of its issues.

Here's a list:
Nameplate: This section identifies the publication, including the following:

• Publication Name
  
• Logo or graphic
  
• Subtitle or motto
  
• Volume Number
  
• Issue Number
  
• Publication date
  

The Volume Number typically starts with “1” and covers all of the issues of your publication for a specific time period, usually one year. The number changes each time you publish a new issue, whether weekly, monthly, or quarterly. So, the first issue of your publication would be Volume 1, Issue 1. After a full year of issues, the Volume Number would change to 2 and you would start over with Issue or Number 1.

Body: The body of your ezine or e-newsletter consists of the articles and other content included within the newsletter itself, excluding the headlines and any decorative text.

Table of Contents: This is a list of articles and/or special sections within the publication. It appears on the front page and lists the headlines and page number for each article.

Masthead: Mastheads typically contain subscription, advertising and copyright information.

The copyright notice includes the symbol (a circle with a “c” in it) © or the word itself followed by the year the publication was first published. It also includes the copyright owner’s name. Here’s an example taken from the U.S. Copyright Office:

© 2006 John Doe

Although a masthead can be found on any page, it's usually placed on Page 2 of the newsletter and could additionally include the names of contributors and staff writers.

A term borrowed from the newspaper and magazine industry, a masthead can also be found in the “Contact Us” or “About Us” section of online publications. Regardless of publication type, however, mastheads typically contain the publisher’s name, address, phone number and, increasingly their email address and/or website information.

Byline: This is the name of the person writing a specific article or section for your publication, usually placed between the headline and the article text. It may be italicized as straight copy or be a link. The byline may contain the writer’s position at the publication. Biographical bylines often appear at the end of the article with a brief blurb about the writer. A picture may accompany the byline, which can also be a link to a web page detailing additional information about the writer.

Here’s an example of a typical byline:

By Jane Doe

Page Number: Page numbers can be placed at the top, bottom, or side of a page. The first page is usually not numbered.

End Signs: A symbol or character signaling the end of an article. In a plain text newsletter, you can use something as simple as ###. End signs can be customized to reflect the general theme of the newsletter or something as simple as a circle or a star. Whatever you use, be consistent.

Pull Quotes: This is a snippet of text pulled from an article and placed prominently on the page in a larger typeface to attract attention. It’s often used in long articles.

Headline: This is the title of your article. It’s one of the first things your reader scans when opening your newsletter. You may also include a subhead, a mini-headline introduced in the body of long articles to break up the text.