NEWSLETTER EDITOR

The newsletter editor is responsible for editing the newsletter and submitting it to the printer. PC skills are essential, as is knowledge of some appropriate layout or typesetting software (like Quark Express, PageMaker, Microsoft Publisher, etc.). 

In recognition of how much time this position requires, our desire for both stability in this position and timeliness in your receiving each newsletter issue, our Board of Directors has decided to make this a paid position. The successful applicant for editor must commit to a minimum of one year on the job (six issues), and will be paid $150 for each issue, i.e. a total of $900 per year. S/he must be a VSC member. 

The editor should:

1. Make sure all articles, columns, and photographs are submitted to news ==AT== vsc.org in a timely manner.  Send out reminders to regular authors well ahead of deadline, contacting again if needed. The editor must set final deadline for each issue and stick to it even if a regular contributor has not responded. This is necessary so that newsletter will not be late getting to members.

2. Decide which articles to run and which ones to postpone or drop entirely. Edit articles for space (frequently needed to make articles "fit" available space).

3. Proof all articles carefully to catch typographical errors and to make sure all days and dates match.

4. Typeset the newsletter using software of your choice. Proofread again when newsletter is completely typeset to make sure nothing was inadvertently dropped, headers have been updated, etc.

5. Submit a proof to the President or executive committee.

6. Submit the newsletter to the printer either via hard or soft copy (currently we use Sir Speedy and submit the newsletter on a CD). Determine, with the executive committee or President, how many copies to print.

The newsletter editor's job only comes up once every two months but could take a day or two. In the past, this job has been divided up in various ways, e. g. one person collecting the articles and proofing and another doing typesetting, but for several years one person has done the bulk of the work. The job of putting the labels on the newsletters and getting them to the post office is a separate job, the Circulation Manager, for which the editor is NOT responsible.