Back
to the New River Press Home PageSUBMISSION
GUIDELINES
FOR MAC NEWS
& VIEWS
Official
quarterly publication of the Middle Atlantic Council, Painting and Decorating
Contractors of America
Articles
PDCA members in the Middle Atlantic Council are encouraged to submit articles of 300 words or less of interest to painting and decorating contractors in the council area (New Jersey, North Carolina, Delaware, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, West Virginia, Maryland, Virginia, northern Georgia and the District of Columbia). Possible topics:
• Tips from your own experience on painting, wallcovering, dealing with customers, and other aspects of the trade.
• Funny anecdotes or horror stories that illustrate why painting and decorating contractors need ongoing education in the technical and business aspects of their trades.
• Official chapter spokespersons should send articles, or at least basic information/announcements, on all chapter meetings and special events as soon as possible after they occur.
When writing articles, please avoid:
• Touting particular products: The manufacturer or distributor is welcome to buy an ad in MAC NEWS & VIEWS.
• Getting off the track: It’s the news that’s important, not the “local color.”
In any article or announcement, always include:
• Complete names (with middle initials, if possible), number of people, dates, times and places (including the addresses) of meetings, special events or relevant happenings.
• As many names of the people involved (properly spelled) as possible.
A few notes on writing style
STYLE: "Style" is the guideline that tells you what to capitalize, where to punctuate, etc. In order to present articles in a clear, concise and news-like manner, MAC NEWS & VIEWS uses a slightly modified Associated Press writing and editing style. While amateur writers can't be expected to know or conform to this style, your managing editor at New River Press will adjust stories accordingly. A clear and consistent style is crucial to a publication's professionalism.
FORMAL NAMES: MAC NEWS & VIEWS strives to be businesslike and professional. This is to encourage potential members, lawmakers, regulators and others to take the Middle Atlantic Council seriously. To help present this image and so as not to appear "cliquish," we use full names (with middle initials) on first reference, then courtesy titles (Mr., Mrs., Ms.), rather than given names, when referring to people. This also helps avoid confusion over identities for people who are not familiar with the names we mention.
EDITORIALIZING: (THIS APPLIES TO NEWS ARTICLES, CHAPTER REPORTS ETC., NOT TO EDITORIALS, "TRICKS OF THE TRADE" OR HOW-TO ARTICLES WRITTEN IN THE FIRST PERSON, i.e. 'I' instead of 'he or she.') "Editorializing" is the statement of personal opinions in text without attributing them to someone else. "Everyone got a lot out of the seminar," "These products perform impressively," or "A good time was had by all" are editorializing. Editorializing is a very bad idea for several reasons: It sounds trite and clichéd, it doesn't tell the reader anything substantial about what happened, and it makes the publication sound like a nursing-home newsletter rather than a professional trade-association magazine.
Believe it or not, editorializing also can put the Middle Atlantic Council on the wrong side of what's known as "association liability." That's because when it's in MAC NEWS & VIEWS without being attributed to somebody by quotation marks, then the Middle Atlantic Council is saying it. That's what happened to a home-builders association a few years ago when they unwittingly touted a particular product that didn't work properly: They were named in a lawsuit.
So go ahead and say: "Everything was great," but get somebody else to say it and put it in quotation marks. That gets you off the legal hook.
VOICE: "Voice" is the form in which you write verbs. There's active voice and passive voice. "I made mistakes," is active voice. "Mistakes were made," is passive voice and an actual quote from a press conference by President George Bush Sr.. NEVER use passive voice! It's tedious for the reader, wastes space and by its very nature withholds information. Always use active voice and tell the whole story!
STATE ABBREVIATIONS: A few years ago, the U.S. Postal Service introduced new, two-letter state abbreviations meant ONLY for addressing envelopes so that its new electronic scanning system could read them. For some reason, the whole country has embraced these abbreviations with unholy gusto. They now appear everywhere in business publications and communications. Not only are these abbreviations confusing and downright ugly in text, they were never meant to replace the traditional state abbreviations in everyday usage. So instead of NJ, PA, MD, DC, DE, WV and VA, make them N.J., Pa., Md., D.C., Del., W.V. and Va.
Photographs
An article without a photo is like a house without paint! Whenever possible, send photographs to accompany articles. Please:
• Try not to send photos without people in them.
• Nobody expects you to be Ansel Adams, but try to compose a decent picture, with your subject close at the center, not 100 feet away. Avoid slanted photos, the backs of people’s heads, and photos with no subject.
• Write on the back of the photo the subject, the date, the place and the names (from left to right, properly spelled). Use an attached sheet of paper if necessary.
• Submit photos that are clear and sharp and at least 4"x6" if possible. Do not send Polaroids! They don't reproduce well.
SCANNED OR DIGITAL
PHOTOS: If you scan a photo, try to do so at 300 dpi (dots per inch).
This is the resolution we need for the publication. Bear in mind that if you use
a digital camera, it probably will take the photo at only 72 dpi. This is easy
for e-mailing but it will have to be "resampled" by the managing
editor and may lose quality.
Reprints
If you see something in another publication that you
think we should reprint, and if you’re reasonably certain that most of our
readers haven’t seen it already, send it along. But be aware that such
material is almost always copyrighted and we have to get written permission to
reprint it.
Calendar of Events
This is the day-to-day signpost for members of the
Middle Atlantic Council and the chapters. If you think an event should be
included in the calendar, submit it and we will print it at the editor’s
discretion. Events submitted by official PDCA, Middle Atlantic Council or
chapter spokespersons will, of course, get priority.
“Whiskers”
Remember that “nothing is deader than yesterday’s
news.” Unless there is a special reason to do so, we will not print event
coverage or photos of events that are more than four months old. They have
“whiskers.”
Longer articles
For articles longer than 300 words, you will need the
editor’s approval.
Suggestions
We're always looking for suggestions for additional
features for the publication, members who stand out and should be
“profiled,” ideas for features stories or technical articles.
Deadlines
Try to submit material on meetings and events three to
four months in advance. That will help people plan ahead. All articles and
photos should be submitted by the first of the month prior to the month before
the publication’s cover date. In other words, for the FALL issue, submit
material by September 1st. For the WINTER issue, submit
material by December 1st.
A Note on Editing
Some people may be afraid to submit material because
they aren’t good writers. Others may get offended if an editor removes a comma
from their text. Be aware that our managing editor is a prize-winning journalist
with over 20 years of experience and the author of five books. As long as you
follow the guidelines above, he’ll try to make your text sing. If you’re a
Hemingway in the making, bear with it: Your article still must follow Associated
Press style, and good editing will make your material even better.
Where to Send Material/How to Get Advice
Articles, photos, calendar of events items and suggestions should be sent to Anita Dallas, Editor, at Middle Atlantic Council, PDCA, 4211 Peakview Ct., Fairfax, VA 22033. If you have questions, call her at (877) 622-7322, e-mail: adallas@cox.net. For advice on writing your article or taking your photo, call our managing editor, Paul F. Eno, at New River Press toll-free at (800) 244-1257; email: mac@newriverpress.com.
All submissions must be computer printed, e-mailed or at least typewritten. No hand-written material, please, as this all has to be hand keyed.
No payment is made for material published, but full credit and bylines will be given.
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