Stratton's Smart Publishing Winter 2010

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Attention marketers! The U.S. Postal Service is enforcing its mandate on postcards, which must be printed on 100-pound text stock—no lighter—to qualify for machineable services/rates.

See details at www.usps.com.

WINTER 2010 • Vol. 10, No. 1

ideas, strategies, and solutions on the business of publishing

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91% 132 83%

of 34,000 people surveyed have taken action in response to editorial or ad content they’ve read in a digital publication.

million unique U.S. Facebook visitors set a new traffic record for the social networking site in December 2009. of associations that sell e-newsletter advertising charge flat rates versus rates based on hits, impressions, circulation, etc.

trivia TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE:

1 Which company ran the first Web site banner ad?

2 What Beatrix Potter tale is the top-selling children’s book of all time?

3 Which city had the first

newspaper among America’s original 13 colonies?

Answers on page 2.

INSIDE 2 Lessons from 2009 3 Ad sales strategies 4 Design pointers 7 Maximize XML

S trategic R esearch & R e v ie w

10 Facts Research Should Deliver Gather the basic data you can’t live without—and do it often

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specially these days, many organizations are using research data to identify cost savings opportunities in publishing operations or tap new opportunities for electronic media. But paying attention to research basics is equally important.

Continuing to meet the needs of changing audiences and their many preferences is impossible without current information about reader demographics, satisfaction levels, and competitive readership. If you’re relying on research data from several years ago, you may be headed in the wrong direction.

Here are 10 critical areas your research should address: 1. Who readers are and what they do. Gather data on readers’ job titles, areas of specialization, employer/industry, income, company/ organization revenues, size of staff, geographic region, years of professional experience, level of edu-

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See 10 FACTS, page 5

ANGEROSA RESEARCH FOUNDATION

SHRM’s Gary Rubin Named Publishing Trendsetter for 2010 Four “Rising Stars” earn scholarships

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ach year, the Angerosa Research Foundation honors association professionals for trailblazing ideas that advance their organizations and the association publishing field, and also awards scholarships to promising association publishing professionals.

Innovating during a recession is particularly challenging, yet this year’s nominees Gary Rubin continued to push new initiatives despite the obstacles. “We expected we’d see exceptionally creative trendsetting ideas

in this year’s competition,” says Debra Stratton, president of the Angerosa Research Foundation, the nonprofit arm of Stratton Publishing & Marketing Inc. “When resources are limited, dynamic leaders rise to the occasion.”

For their contributions to the field of association publishing, the Angerosa Research Foundation chose Gary Rubin, chief publishing, e-media, and business development officer for the Society for Human Resource Management, as the 2010 Publishing Trendsetter and Glenn Cook, assistant executive director/communications and publications for the National School Boards Association, as See ANGEROSA, page 6

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The New Publishing Mantra: No Fear!

Go boldly into 2010, minding the lessons of 2009

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ost of us are glad to say goodbye to 2009. For publishers and communicators, 2009 was unlike any other; it changed and challenged publishing and media efforts more than any I can remember. As we move into 2010, we need to learn from the lessons of 2009 as we seek innovative approaches to tapping into the new world of media and communications.

Publishers often ask me, “When are things going back to the way they were?” The answer is “never.” But rather than bemoan the changing face of publishing, we need to continue to seek new ways for

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Stratton’s Smart Publishing is designed to provide publishers, editors, marketers, and other business professionals with strategies to meet today’s print and electronic media challenges. The publication is free.

Publisher: Debra J. Stratton dstratton@strattonpublishing.com Contributing Editors: Angela Brady, Marlene Hendrickson, Josephine Rossi, Carrie Wood Design: Janelle Welch Stratton Headquarters 5285 Shawnee Road, Suite 510 Alexandria, VA 22312-2334 Phone: 703.914.9200 Fax: 703.914.6777 pubpros@strattonpublishing.com www.strattonpublishing.com Angerosa Research Foundation info@angerosaresearch.org www.angerosaresearch.org © Copyright 2010, Stratton Publishing & Marketing Inc.

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engaging our audiences, building our brand, and generating revenues to support our organizations, all in an increasingly diverse print/electronic frontier.

2010 is a year to rebalance the mix and create some new initiatives that resonate with our audiences and markets. As you do so, consider some important lessons of 2009: Content v. format.

While content is still king, we must package it in entirely new ways, allowing readers to access editorial in a variety of formats.

Delivering content to iPhones and other mobile devices is just one area we can expect to grow; the iPad will be another option that has the potential to restructure the way we deliver content wherever and whenever readers want it.

Lean is the norm.

Most of the deep cuts in staff, operations, production, and distribution have already been made. The lesson is to continue to question all our assumptions and processes as we go forward so we don’t get too comfortable.

If you haven’t turned your publications on their head to question every aspect of operations, it’s time to do so. Last year, we saw the demise of some flagship association publications. Now those organizations are struggling with how to communicate their value proposition to members when their most tangible benefit is gone. Don’t become a victim yourself. Ensure optimal operations. And be agile and adaptive.

Electronic media is mainstream. Print is not dead and won’t be for some time, if ever; however, audiences expect a variety of delivery options. Get creative and explore new media opportunities that have been stuck on the back burner. We’re working with several of our custom publishing clients, for instance, to celebrate industry anniversaries with multiple media options, integrating print, digital, online, smartphones, and video.

Be flexible but tough on pricing. Pricing pressure will continue so it’s important

to substantiate the value of your media offerings with hard data, and resist the pressure to discount all your sales assets. Price cuts will come back to haunt you. Specialized niche publications provide the insights and added value these tough times require. So price accordingly.

Listen, listen, listen.

Staying close to our readers, our markets, our advertisers, and prospects to understand their needs and identify potential new avenues for delivery is more important than ever.

Respond, but know when to lead, too.

Engaging our audiences helps us respond to their needs, but

municating. It keeps you on your game and keeps audiences interested.

Adapt the ideas of innovators. Associations are doing exciting work in the areas of publishing and communications. In fact, the for-profit world only needs to look here for ideas. Just consider our 2010 Publishing Trendsetters (see page 1) to see that innovation is alive and well in association publishing. Gary Rubin of SHRM and Glenn Cook of NSBA have addressed the challenges of delivering content and shown creative twists you can consider in your organization.

The American Bar

Let’s go boldly into 2010, engaging our audiences in ways we’ve never considered and showing the rest of the media industry just how it’s done. readers may not always be able to anticipate what is needed tomorrow. That goes for content as well as delivery options.

As innovators, we need to introduce them to new options, from digital magazines to customized virtual communities, and from Kindles to iPads. Some of these moves require risks and a leap of faith that readers, and advertisers, will follow. The explosion of social media has already shown us this. While a relatively small percentage of members are social media users, we know this audience is expanding. We need to be there.

Don’t get too comfortable. If we’ve learned nothing else from 2009, we know that “long-range planning” is, for the most part, an old-fashioned notion. We have to be agile and ready to change, to move. Flexibility is essential, and that’s not always easy in the association environment.

Be willing to dive in.

While you don’t have to make big, bold moves, you need to continually question what you do and test new ways of com-

Association exploded the myth of staid lawyers with its yearlong profile series of “Legal Rebels” in the ABA Journal this past year, proving the term is definitely not an oxymoron.

And our recipients of the Rising Star Scholarship exemplify the excitement and potential of emerging leaders in association communication. These are tomorrow’s trendsetters.

So as we move into 2010, here’s to all of the unsung heroes laboring to bring creative new ideas to their media offerings, and to those who are challenging the old ways of thinking and taking risks in a lean environment.

Let’s go boldly into 2010, engaging our audiences in ways we’ve never considered and showing the rest of the media industry just how it’s done.

E-mail me with your own strategies for 2010.

dstratton@strattonpublishing.com

Trivia Answers from the front page: 1. AT&T ran the first banner ad in October 1994 on a Wired magazine site. 2. The Tale of Peter Rabbit 3. Boston

Summer 2002

A d S a l es S trategies

Shake Your Money Maker Use quantitative research to show off your competitive edge

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redibility. You know you’ve got it. Readers and members know you’ve got it. But do advertisers? Make 2010 the year you educate prospective buyers and (strategically) flaunt your assets.

Association publishers are particularly well-positioned to bounce back from advertising freefall by promoting their position as “the” industry resource.

Unlike for-profit rivals, most association publication readers are highly involved industry decision makers—advertisers’ target demographic. These readers rely on the association’s resources and industry expertise to deliver insightful content they can’t find elsewhere.

Here are some tips for maximizing your advantage: nE nsure advertisers know your reputation and credibility can deliver customers. Use your media kits and

other marketing pieces to firmly establish your publication’s rank atop the competition with specific information that speaks to its brand value as well as readers’ buying power. Without that knowledge, many advertisers will

default their spending to your large, controlled-circulation rivals. nS olicit strategic, qualitative research that delivers the data needed to sell your strengths. Include ques-

tions that get at the depth of your readership and market penetration, as well as the relevance, quality, and authority of your content. Include

Any publication can say it’s the best, but having the data to substantiate that claim is what ultimately matters. questions about how buying decisions are made and the role your magazine plays in the process. nA ssess and quantify the professional value of your publication against your market competitors. Is your

publication the best source of information on issues relating to the industry? Which professional publications do

readers regard as the most valuable to their work? Gather and compare media kits, too, and review several consecutive issues. Does your publication have a clear niche? Certainly scope out page counts, rates, and ad-to-editorial ratios, but don’t forget to look at valueadded offerings and an electronic presence. This can lead to insights for refinements

to your publication and sale promotions.

Any publication can say it’s the best, but having the data to substantiate that claim is what ultimately matters. As advertisers continue to scrutinize every last marketing dollar, knowing that their message will reach an influential and targeted audience can certainly influence their spending decisions.

What’s New at Stratton n Share With Colleagues Join us at the Association Media & Publishing Annual Meeting, June 14-16, in Washington, D.C., where we’ll be exhibiting and sharing the latest in our research study plans and media updates. This is a great chance to learn what’s happening in association media, honor the winners of the Excel Awards, and catch up with colleagues in the industry.

Racing for Cancer Cure Put your New Year’s resolutions for getting in shape to good use. Join us June 5 on the Mall in Washington, D.C., for the Susan G. Komen Global Race for the Cure. Become a member of Stratton’s team, Angela’s Pacers, and help us raise funds and awareness. For details, go to www.strattonpublishing.com.

tronic mix is properly balanced, and questioning how much you should delve into social media, this session is for you. For more information, visit greatideasconference.org.

Angela’s Pacers 2009 Team

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n On the Road President Debra Stratton will present “It’s All in the Mix: Determining the Right Communications Lineup” at the ASAE Great Ideas Conference, March 7-9, 2010, Colorado Springs. Along with co-presenter Monica Joda Baruth, American Water Works

Association, Stratton will provide tips, tactics, and insights on what’s involved in conducting a Communication Audit of your organization’s print and electronic communications. If you are struggling with assessing your communications efforts and wondering if your messages are on target and if your print/elec-

n Consultation Projects Stratton has been busy working on a number of research and consulting projects, providing in-depth and comprehensive review and strategic plans for our clients. Among the studies we have been undertaking: • Member and Nonmember Perception Study for a major educational organization. The data analysis and final report includes a strategy for refining membership benefit offerings, targeting new markets for membership expansion, further

See WHAT’S NEW, page 4

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Avoiding Design Headaches Prep and planning are key to a smooth and streamlined production process

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hen designing any print piece—a direct mail postcard, e-newsletter, magazine, etc.—make sure you get the right start. Are you maximizing cost savings by designing a piece that is standard for printing presses? Standard sizes are standard for a reason. If you decide to do something with a bleed, consider making the finished size a bit smaller so it fits into a standard size with the bleed. Maintain a close relationship with outside publishing experts who always have their ears to the ground for cost-saving strategies.

In the meantime, here are some valuable everyday tips for editors and designers: Spell it all out in writing. Before the designer hits the Mac, make sure to get a design brief or some other document that spells out the cost of everything, estimated time to complete the job, and the actual job specs. Good communication between both par-

ties can save time and money and help catch mistakes or differences of opinion before the clock starts ticking.

Provide all content in final, approved form.

Multiple rounds of edits can really add expense to the job.

Plus, the initial layout you loved may have to be altered to make room for text additions or deletions, so it’s best to do all of

Good communication between both parties can save time and money and help catch mistakes before the clock starts ticking your editing in Word before you pass it off to design. If you’re providing the design with illustrations or photos, make sure they’re the right resolution to avoid back and forth time.

Want more design and production tips? Check out the Stratton Tip of the Week archive at www.strattonpublishing.com/toc.html. Send your comments and questions to pubpros@strattonpublishing.com or become a Stratton Publishing fan on Facebook and post your comments there!

What’s New at Stratton testing e-membership options, and enhancing the online experience.

• Communication Audit for physicians’ organization. The study focuses on the right mix of journals, magazines, e-newsletters, Web sites, social media, and more and provides insights into how to adjust offerings and possibly integrate multiple publications to maximize value.

• Consultation and research for the relaunch of publication

(Resolutions should be 300 dpi for print and 72 dpi for Web.) Get inspiration, not duplication. Don’t copy designs you love, but use them as inspiration or a starting point for color, fonts, and the way shapes work together. If you supply your designer with a few things that inspire you, you will save time and the expense of spinning your wheels in a direction you didn’t want to explore.

Keep a file of inspiring items so you have them at the ready the next time a project comes up.

Be consistent, but creative. Use templates from previously designed pieces as a guide. If you’re producing an ad campaign or creating a postcard marketing campaign, use as much from the previous design as possible. Keep basic elements the same, and change

up the larger elements to add flair. Keep color palettes in the same family. This also helps with branding and maintains a consistent look with all of your communications.

Keep the look clean and classic.

Overcrowding the design with trendy elements will date your magazines, direct mail pieces, etc., and reduce the shelf life of all your pieces.

Recycle artwork— in a good way. Use a crop of a larger royalty-free illustration or photo you’ve already purchased. Savvy designers can alter the colors or combine two or more previously used images. Purchase less expensive stock photography from istockphoto.com, or take advantage of online stock photo subscriptions.

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for healthcare organization.

We’ve been working with a longtime client to help reposition its newspaper into a magazine, based on earlier reader and advertiser data we collected. The new publications and companion Web site will launch in the second half of 2010.

• Reader Insight Study for medical society. We are gathering feedback from readers to assess the value and usefulness of the magazine and its online site and

testing interest in expanded digital offerings, including distribution via smartphones and other apps. n Conference Web Site Launch In January, Stratton launched the 2010 conference Web site for the Assisted Living Federation of America (ALFA), Alexandria, VA. Stratton provided design, coding, and project management services for the site, www. alfa.org/conference. Features and highlights of the site include online registration and trade

show booth reservations, weekly schedule-at-a-glance updates, digital edition of the onsite conference program (launches in May), conference sponsorship marketing, and much more. Stratton also created conference logos and marketing materials for ALFA’s 2010 conference in Phoenix.

10 Facts

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cation, special certifications, gender, and age. Not only will this help you tailor content, but you can use it to sell the clout and prestige of your readership to advertisers.

2. How well publications are read. How much of each issue does your audience read? Also, learn whether they save issues or pass them along to others.

Look for at least three quarters of respondents reading half or more of each issue based on our Stratton research stats from “Association Publishing Readership Benchmarks.”

3. What actions they take after reading. If a publication isn’t prompting readers to take action—like adopt a new strategy at work— then it isn’t engaging them. A minimum of one in five readers should have modified a process or adopted a procedure they read about in the publication.

And anywhere from 60 to 75 percent should have clipped, copied, or saved an article.

4. Whether publications are valuable and useful. Research can reveal readers’ perceptions of a publication’s quality, relevance of content, scientific/technical soundness, credibility of information, and much more. Seek a goal of 85 percent rating your publication “extremely useful/useful.” By also determining if your publication is a “must read” and relevant, you’ll know if they consider it

5 Ways to Really Screw Up a Research Study Bad timing. Consider when research studies will land in ❶

readers’ mailboxes. They can’t return a survey if they aren’t in the office or if it falls during their busiest time of year (such as tax time for financial advisors).

❷ D atabase limitations. Poor sample selection may be the single greatest deterrent to a statistically valid survey. If the sample is pulled incorrectly, survey results may not reflect the true composition of the membership base.

❸ N o incentive to respond.

Readers need motivation to fill out and return survey questionnaires. Non-monetary and lowcost incentives may work better than a dollar bill.

❹ L ack of a clear research objective. Go into the project

knowing what you need to accomplish. Trying to accommodate the research needs of advertising, marketing, and meeting staff who want to piggyback their questions on a survey will only give you a watered down study.

❺ P oor survey design. When instructions are difficult to follow or

questions require too much thought to answer, respondents may skip a question altogether—or give up and toss the questionnaire aside. A well-crafted survey includes questions that are simple to understand and answer.

more effort and better allocation of resources, they are, in fact, do-able.

6. What should go. The best way to update a tired editorial lineup is to ask readers

Continuing to meet the needs of changing audiences and their many preferences is impossible without current information about reader demographics, satisfaction levels, and competitive readership. indispensable. Aim for a goal of 75 percent considering your publication a “must read.”

5. Whether publications meet editorial objectives. A publication may have high-reaching and on-target objectives, but if it isn’t meeting them, you need to know. Maybe the objectives aren’t realistic, or maybe with

Readers need motivation to fill out and return survey questionnaires.

what they want and what they don’t. Feedback on department readership, in particular, provides the intelligence editors need to refine, recast, or eliminate specific content. You know that guy who’s been writing the same column for 20 years? Here’s your chance … .

7. What’s missing. Your publication may have a big,

gaping editorial hole that you don’t even know exists. Asking readers what else they’d like to read about in a publication often reveals surprising answers.

8. Whether the design works. A poor design can prevent readers from ever opening a professional publication, but getting reliable information about design is tricky in reader studies because readers lack the expertise to really assess design. Typically, readers assign scores in the range of 80-90 percent rating design characteristics “excellent/good.” Scores below 80 percent can indicate a problem.

Scores regarding a publication’s ease of reading and navigation can also reveal the presence of a design problem.

9. Whether they have any buying power. It’s important to know readers’ level of purchasing authority (recommend, review, make final

decision, etc.) so you can talk that up with advertisers. If you have space in the survey instrument, you can go a step further and ask about their plans to purchase specific products and services in the next 12 months.

10. What else they read. Pretending the competition doesn’t exist is a big mistake. By gathering intelligence on what other publications they’re reading, you can better identify your editorial niche and competition for readership.

Undetected problems only get worse. If you haven’t conducted research in the past two years, call in the experts and get the data and strategies you need to streamline your publishing operations, make smart decisions about launching new electronic and social media platforms, or even make the small changes that can make a big difference to your readers.

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2010 Awardees

Strat ton’s

Gary Rubin Chief Publishing, E-Media, and Business Development Officer/ Group Publisher Society for Human Resource Management 2010 Publishing Trendsetter

Angerosa

Glenn Cook Editor-in-Chief, American School Board Journal, Assistant Executive Director/Communications and Publications National School Boards Association Trendsetter Award of Merit

Jeffrey Lee Staff Writer National Apartment Association Rising Star Scholarship Recipient

Cecily Walters Assistant Editor School Nutrition Association Rising Star Scholarship Recipient

Donovan Kuehn Director of Operations and Outreach NAADAC, the Association for Addiction Professionals Rising Star Scholarship Recipient

Emily Allen Communications/ Publications Manager International Association of Administrative Professionals Rising Star Scholarship Recipient

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the Trendsetter Award of Merit recipient.

For 2009, the Publishing Trendsetter was Greg Fine, vice president of marketing and communications for the Association for Corporate Growth, and the Award of Merit winner was John Delavan of the Association of Legal Administrators.

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The 2010 Trendsetter has a long history of innovation in the field. Rubin is one of the pioneers of social media in associations, having launched HR Talk, a social networking board, which now boasts more than

Rubin is one of the pioneers of social media in associations.

100,000 unique visitors per month. In the past year, Rubin and his staff took HR Talk one step further by creating the organization’s own social networking portal, SHRM Connect, and building it from the ground up.

“We considered following the usual path of creating groups on one of the well-known social

networking sites, but we didn’t feel that their generic approach best met our members’ needs,” says Rubin.

In another exciting move, SHRM is about to launch a new virtual conference initiative, which will integrate many of the capacities the organization has built over the past few years, including video production, e-learning, Webcasts, multimedia editorial integration and social networking. Rubin expects this initiative to be a significant source of new revenue. Perhaps most notably, content will be the foundation for a totally new business of selling annual subscription-based packages of content and services for non-HR professionals who run companies too small for a fulltime HR professional.

“We feel the work we are doing is on the cutting edge of content delivery,” says Rubin.

Luring New Audiences Cook, this year’s Award of Merit winner, has been particularly concerned with developing programs with solid ROI. “As our publication staff shrinks and the responsibilities increase, we must be concerned about our time being diluted to the point that we are ineffective,” he says.

Cook’s “big idea” involves reach out to potential vendors,” the organization’s Webinar prosays Cook. gram. NSBA had hosted three Webinars with disappointing Rising Stars attendance, yet Cook and his Four promising association pubstaff saw the value of reaching lishing professionals received out and engaging audiences in $1,000 educational scholarships an in-depth way, and perceived a as part of the Foundation’s revenue opporRising Star Join Us at the tunity. “We Scholarship Association TRENDS knew that our program: Emily 2010 Salute to Association content and Allen, commuExcellence Luncheon and Awards Ceremony the data you nications/publiFebruary 23, capture through cations manag11 a.m. to 2 p.m. er, International the Webinar Capital Hilton, Association of registration proWashington, DC For information on attending, Administrative cess could be of visit www.AssociationTrends.

Professionals; great value to com/2010Salute.

Donovan potential sponKuehn, direcsors and advertisers,” he says. tor of operations and outreach, So they came up with a new NAADAC, the Association for strategy to increase participaAddiction Professionals; Jeffrey tion, generate sponsorship, and Lee, staff writer, National introduce new audiences to Apartment Association; and NSBA content. By partnering Cecily Walters, assistant editor, with other education associations School Nutrition Association. to hold Webinars of interest to The program provides emergboth groups, NSBA hit upon ing leaders tuition assistance to a model that works. NSBA has ensure they are able to particiheld two Webinars with the pate in seminars, conferences, and conventions that expand American School Counselor Association and another with the their industry knowledge and support their organizations.

Association of School Business All 2010 winners will be honOfficials. “While the revenue ored at the Association TRENDS stream is still hit or miss, it’s awards luncheon, February 23 in providing the advertising sales team with more opportunities to Washington, D.C.

Angerosa Foundation to Launch Nondues Revenue Study

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he economic challenges of the past year sent many association publishers scrambling to find new sources of nondues revenue, whether print and electronic media, Webcasts/Webinars, buyers’ guides, etc. To identify the various sources, establish revenue benchmarks, and develop best practices, the Angerosa Research Foundation

will field a new industry research study on trends and benchmarks in nondues revenue generation.

The study will identify and track ongoing and newly launched revenue sources available to associations via their publications, media, and other sources; identify efforts in key areas; and examine ad sales policies, pricing strate-

gies, and other standards related to ad sales and nondues revenue generation.

The foundation plans to launch the study in the second quarter of 2010 and publish the report later in the year. If you are interested in participating or learning more about the study, contact the foundation at angerosaresearch@ strattonpublishing.com.

The foundation has published studies on trends in e-media.

Visit www.angerosaresearch.org.

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Maximizing the ‘X’ in XML

Detailed and platform-friendly tagging can give content an extra push

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ust when association publishers and editors were feeling warm, fuzzy, and comfortable with HTML—many of them committing simple codes to memory for weekly e-newsletters and the like—enter XML. Seemingly a sort of HTML system on steroids, it sent many an editor into a panic.

But fear not, say publishing experts, XML (Extensible Markup Language) may look daunting to non-techies when all the code is exposed, but it’s really just a more flexible and inclusive way to represent information across various platforms. After all, “extensible” simply means “capable of being extended.” So think of the “X” in XML as an entity that can extend the reach of your content. For example: • Because XML more accurately tags content, it can facilitate the distribution of podcasts and other audio and video content online.

• XML is compatible with the Digital Object Identifier (DOI) System, which identifies content objects—like magazine content—in the digital environment. Using DOIs makes it easier for associations to manage intellectual property in networked environments.

• Using XML tags works well with other program languages, such as Java, PHP, and Perl, making it friendlier to existing online platforms. Reach out to your Web designers and IT for their input.

• XML is a good friend of bloggers, mostly because their RSS feeds are in a form of XML. Bloggers often provide external feeds that link back to their original materials—something that makes advertisers take note.

Emerging Technology How prevalent is XML in the association publishing world right now? It’s hard to say, but just a show of hands at a recent gathering of the Coalition of Education Association Publications (CEAP) suggests that it’s not that many. However, one association that can now

consider itself an XML veteran is the Ecological Society of America (ESA), Washington, DC. Peter Mooreside, assistant editor of the ESA’s Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment journal, admits he doesn’t feel like an XML pro—but says it’s easier to behave like one when you’ve got at least one XML expert on staff. And if you don’t, it may be a good idea to have a plan B in place.

“Having at least one designated ‘XML genius’— ideally, a current staff member at the office—is crucial, especially in the early days,” Mooreside says.

“If you’re under deadline when a problem comes up, such a resource could be invaluable. Alternatively, perhaps preparing an alternate workflow (as a backup, in case of emergencies) would provide some additional peace of mind.”

Strategic Decisions Is XML right for your organization? Like any change to publishing operations, look before you leap. Conduct a thorough assessment of your current workflow and results, and then look at these findings in the context of your organization’s goals going forward. If you’re not sure where to start or what to examine, it may be well worth calling in a consultant. ESA works with outside vendors through its printer for the bulk of its XML work.

“For editors who have yet to take the great leap forward, I’d encourage a common-sense approach,” Mooreside adds. “Investigate the available options beforehand, asking staff from various publications about their experience. I think that it’s a similar process to designing a new database—a lot of forethought is required at the beginning to ensure that the end users will eventually have what they need.”

Read more about XML on the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) site, www.w3.org/standards/xml/core, or send your XML questions to pubpros@strattonpublishing.com.

calendar

quick clicks

Upcoming industry events Modern Ethics www.asbpe.org New for 2010, the American Society of Business Publication Editors has added ethics advice for association editors to its “Guide to Preferred Editorial Practices.” These new best practices address balancing objectivity with association goals, ghost writing, content review by association staff, and more.

Download a free copy of the entire guide online.

Reference Resource http://printwiki.org Part of the PrintWiki Project, this open-source database includes a dictionary/encyclopedia of printing and graphic communication terms as well as an industry news forum. Members of the School of Print Media at the Rochester Institute of Technology and an advisory board maintain and periodically update the site.

ASAE & The Center 2010 Great Ideas Conference

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March 7-9, The Broadmoor Colorado Springs, CO www.greatideasconference.org 2010 Publishing Business Conference & Expo

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March 8-10, New York Marriott Marquis New York City www.publishingbusiness.com Mediabistro 2010 Think Mobile Conference

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April 7-8, Comix New York City www.mediabistro.com/thinkmobile Council of Science Editors 2010 Annual Meeting

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May 14-18, Hyatt Regency Atlanta Atlanta www.councilscienceeditors.org/ events/annualmeeting10/

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American Orthotic and Prosthetic Association Publication: O&P Almanac Specs: Monthly, 4-color, 52-68 pages

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mong the newest members of Stratton’s custom publishing portfolio is a publication that serves an innovative and dedicated audience of healthcare professionals and manufacturers who are changing the lives of disabled individuals around the world: O&P Almanac, the flagship magazine of the American Orthotic and Prosthetic Association, Alexandria, VA. About a year ago, Stratton began working with AOPA to provide editorial management of the monthly O&P Almanac, first refining the mission statement to focus on the business information needs of readers and working with the magazine’s designer to ensure a stronger editorial environment.

“The partnership has allowed us to refocus our commitment to providing professionals the practical advice and information they need to improve their businesses and better serve patients,” says Don DeBolt, AOPA’s chief operating officer.

Because it serves a well-heeled audience of seasoned professionals, O&P Almanac is constantly challenged to go beyond the news to report on what it means to members and their practices. Content now includes more business and legislative news, clinical and educational information, patient-care trends, and other information for

improving member practices. A bimonthly facility profile was added that highlights real-life problems facing facility managers.

But members also look to the publication for AOPA news and updates. To ensure they get the information they need without the magazine appearing to be a house organ, we consolidated member news columns into a single section with a permanent position in the magazine and a stronger brand.

“Before, association-focused content was scattered throughout the magazine,” says Editor Josephine Rossi. “Now, with the most critical information in a single, well-designed easy-to-digest department, readers know where to go to find out the latest news from the association.”

Conference coverage also was streamlined into more user-friendly and relevant formats, including features on presentation topics, contributed articles from speakers and interviews with special guests, as well as sidebars and photos.

Given the evolving state of healthcare in the United States, O&P Almanac is constantly challenged to keep pace with ongoing legislative issues and the changing priorities of the O&P community. To that end, we assembled a diverse advisory group of working practitioners and AOPA Board members to keep the industry’s pulse and help guide content development. Additionally, we conducted a virtual focus group of AOPA members and readers to gather feedback on content and to ensure the magazine is meeting their informational needs.

Both the focus group and feedback from the advisory board revealed the need for O&P Almanac to continue to take an authoritative stance in the industry with in-depth coverage on issues such as Medicare regulations, healthcare reform, business management, and facility profitability. The feedback also pointed to the need for more at-a-glance sidebars of article takeaways, as well as a deeper pool of sources to include a well-rounded perspective.

“These refinements and enhancements continue to make the magazine compelling and valuable to readers,” DeBolt notes.

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