The Basics
- Please send your entry to newsletter@lalg.org.uk by the 10th day of the month before. Earlier is very much appreciated as it takes around 50 hours to compile each newsletter.
- Please contact the editor by the 5th of the previous month at the very latest if you are sending something larger than usual, or more complex.
- Put the name of the group or event in the subject line of your email.
- Keep your entry simple and as brief as possible - usually around 50 words for repeat Group entries; up to 150 words for longer or unusual entries. The editor will edit your text to fit the space available.
- If you have any additional info, ask your group's content editor to add it to your group's web page, or email it to website@lalg.org.uk. Then in your newsletter entry say ‘more info at www…’
- Don’t use different fonts, layouts and formatting. The editor won’t use them.
- If you include any pictures, images or logos etc, ensure that you have permission to use them and you are within copyright law.
- Set booking arrangements so that no-one can book before the 1st of the month in which the event is first advertised. Consider how to give LALG members preferential access.
Layout of an entry
Most entries should be laid out as follows:
GROUP NAME
Day Date Month, time e.g. Tuesday 15 September, 7.30pm – 9pm (not Tues or Sept)
Short description of the activity – avoiding abbreviations
Group Contact: name phone number; email
If the group is full, please say so and the editor will add a Full sticker.
The following example shows the preferred layout to be followed.
PATCHWORK GROUP
Thursday 6 September, 11am – 1pm
Premier Inn café, Station Road, Letchworth. LALG members £2, non-members £3. Please bring your own materials.
No need to book. Just turn up.
New members welcome.
Group Contact: Zena Truscott 01462 627253;xyz@example.com
Note
The font and line spacing will automatically be converted to the house style by the editor. The longer lines will automatically be wrapped to fit the newsletter column.
Some extra detail
Put train/ coach times in 24-hour clock, e.g. 16.15 (no am or pm).
Put hyphens in compound words such as ‘4-mile’, ‘non-member’ or ‘non-LALG’
Don’t use hyphens to break words across two lines.
Use the ½ symbol instead of 0.5. If you don’t know how, the editor will correct it.
Try and use the correct accents … e.g. café or Béla Bartók
Use single quotes as ‘here’, unless it is what someone said: “like here”.
Special entries
If you are sending something larger than usual, or more complex, please contact the editor by the 5th of the previous month at the very latest to discuss.
Prepare your special entry in Word, Publisher or a jpeg. PDF will reproduce with less clarity.
In Word -
Select Page Layout; Size; A5 Select Page Layout, Margins; Custom; choose a one-cm margin on all four sides Select Home; Paragraph; Spacing Before; 5pt
Use a minimum of different fonts, sizes, styles, etc. N
