Combine Writing, Editing and Design in Your Employee Publication

After more than a decade of working in the corporate environment, I have finally accepted that readers need to be enticed by more than the promise of a good read: They need proof. They want a visual two-second test-drive before they decide whether or not to spend precious minutes on a particular page. This is not to say that corporate readers are not discerning or that sloppy copy reads any better when dressed up with elaborate design. The truth is that in any corporate publication, a great article won't be read if the layout is poor. Similarly, a stunning design falls flat if the content doesn't live up to it.

Dower, Sophia. Communication World Bulletin (2007). Articles>Writing>Editing>Newsletters

How to Be an In-House Newshound

The only thing harder than having too much news for your in-house newsletter is having too little. The problem is that great stories seldom fall into your lap. Most of the time, you have to go out and dig for them. Here are a few tried and tested suggestions to help you identify great story ideas within your organization.

Dower, Sophia. Communication World Bulletin (2007). Articles>Writing>Newsletters

Learning the Hard Way: How I Learned to K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple, Stupid)

I used to believe that if you knew a subject well enough and were passionate about it, you could pen a masterpiece. But it was two years of working as an IT journalist (and never really understanding or liking it!) that actually taught me how to write.

Dower, Sophia. Communication World Bulletin (2005). Articles>Writing>Journalism>Technology