National Coordinators And Enthusiast’s Meeting Targu Mures 2012 Small Working Group Fitting EMSA into a Magazine EUROMEDS
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What to consider when preparing a Magazine or a Newsletter??? 1. Your audience Think about what you readers might find interesting/understandable. It is a very dangerous trap to write about what is interesting just for you or for very experienced Association’s members. Try to put yourself in other people’s shoes. What THEY would like to find out about? 2. Ask 5 important questions Who, What, When, Where and Why / How? Make sure your article or announcement provides answers to all. 3. Research your information Provide the source, if possible. 4. Write about individuals People like reading about themselves – use it to draw some attention to you materials. Use people’s names and cities they come from. Remember also to provide many pictures for you magazine. There is no better bait than adding some images of people that could stir some discussion (within reasonable limits, of course). Also make sure that the pictures are not too embarrassing for the people who are going to watch them…
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5. Make it readable Short, concise phrases. Be careful with too long sentences – it is difficult to follow the initial idea in them. They are not only confusing for readers but also easy to make mistake in for the author. 6. Use interesting headlines The list of 27 TOP WORDS that draw Reader’s attention http://www.streetdirectory.com/travel_guide/160457/advertising/ 27_of_the_most_effective_headline_words_of_all_time.html Warning! Do not try to ‘add too much drama’ to your material by making things up in your headline/title. The readers might feel deceived if a very expressive title creates an image too different from what the article really is about. An example (internet short movie) entitled:
A Lioness Wanted to Attack a Baby! And the real story was this…. http://sensacje.wp.tv/i,Lew-chcial-zaatakowacdziecko,mid,1007076,index.html#m1007076 7. Proofread Check. Re-check. And then… check your text once more. Do it NOT only the minute you’d finished writing. Wait one or two days (if only you have time) and then re-read the whole article you prepared. Still, it is very possible that other people will catch some more mistakes in you text. Don’t be afraid to ask your friends for help and suggestions! Feedback is a gift thanks to which you can only benefit and improve your style. 3
* EUROMEDS 2012 * Did you enjoy writing articles for you highschool newspaper ? Do you tend to carry something to write with you at all times? Would you like to see how good you are in catching mistakes and doing corrections of texts? You want to be heard by the whole EMSA blue world? Join us in preparing another issue of EUROMEDS, i.e. EMSA Newsletter and Magazine !!! This is how the last issue looked like…. http://issuu.com/emsaeurope/docs/euro medsfebruary And the EUROMEDS 2012 will be waaaay better… WE NEED YOUR INPUT! Interested in working with the EMSA European Board on EUROMEDS? Write to ethics@emsa-europe.eu TODAY or TONIGHT (depending on the time you’re reading this ;) and shape EMSA editorial future. 4