What if you could get your members to contribute good, quality content for your publications? Information, education and a sense of community could help.
Members look for these three things in an association, and a robust publishing program also responds to all three needs. Members need to be much more than simply the target audience of your publications, they also need to be an integral part of the process according to panelists Teresa Brinati, director of publishing, Archival Outlook, Society of American Archivists; and Patricia Fitzgerald, director of editorial services, School Nutrition, School Nutrition Association.
You're probably wondering, "Where could they contribute?" Members may immediately think of a bylined article when they consider providing content for your publications, but content is much more than that. Letters to the editor, book reviews, blog entries and comments, and photography are just a few additional examples.
But boundaries must be set up to manage those relationships when members are providing content. Editorial policies, submission guidelines and contributor agreements will help spell out the mutual values, tips and responsibilities on both sides of the relationship.
Patricia encouraged conference attendees to cultivate experts within your association. You can do so by establishing a board to assist in identifying priorities and vetting content, leveraging technologies to keep that board vested in the process, issuing a "call for experts" when needed, and using "content advisors" to guide new contributors into their role and familiarize them with your guidelines.
"The most powerful tool we have is our own voice," Teresa said. "Asking someone to participate in any way at all is great."
Both for your association and your publication.
Members look for these three things in an association, and a robust publishing program also responds to all three needs. Members need to be much more than simply the target audience of your publications, they also need to be an integral part of the process according to panelists Teresa Brinati, director of publishing, Archival Outlook, Society of American Archivists; and Patricia Fitzgerald, director of editorial services, School Nutrition, School Nutrition Association.You're probably wondering, "Where could they contribute?" Members may immediately think of a bylined article when they consider providing content for your publications, but content is much more than that. Letters to the editor, book reviews, blog entries and comments, and photography are just a few additional examples.
But boundaries must be set up to manage those relationships when members are providing content. Editorial policies, submission guidelines and contributor agreements will help spell out the mutual values, tips and responsibilities on both sides of the relationship.
Patricia encouraged conference attendees to cultivate experts within your association. You can do so by establishing a board to assist in identifying priorities and vetting content, leveraging technologies to keep that board vested in the process, issuing a "call for experts" when needed, and using "content advisors" to guide new contributors into their role and familiarize them with your guidelines.
"The most powerful tool we have is our own voice," Teresa said. "Asking someone to participate in any way at all is great."
Both for your association and your publication.
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