editorial
DO
• Establish a publishing mission, that is formulate the type of information that your organization is singularly qualified to provide to your target audience. Hint: start by identifying the various market segments within your target audience. If you are unable to define specifically information that will benefit or interest your target audience, a printed publication may be a waste of time and effort for your organization.

• Develop an editorial wellspring from your publishing mission. The editorial wellspring is a series of feature story categories that are capable of producing a virtually endless supply of quality stories that will be of interest to your readers. For example, a hospital publication might include categories such as doctor profiles, profiles of specific disciplines (e.g., maternity, ER, heart), relationship stories (i.e., stories that capture the bond between patient and hospital staff), hospital initiatives (e.g., research endeavors, building plans).

• Construct an editorial plan that attracts multiple reader segments in every edition. Hook as many readers as possible by using a number of features to target a number of readership segments. For example, a hospital publication might use one feature to target the elderly, one to target pregnant mothers, another to target families. Taken as a whole, the editorial plan for the year should be viewed from the same perspective — have we reached the major readership segments equally?

• Include relatively long stories. Long stories serve the readers who have the time and inclination to delve deeply into a subject and offer your organization an excellent opportunity to display its expertise, influence, and leadership. Even readers who choose not to read the longer articles will be impressed with your organization's ability to provide detailed information

• Write stories to address the readers' interests. Once you've determined your publishing mission and identified the target audience (and its major market segments), be certain the entire publicaiton is focused on the reader's needs and concerns. That means shifting your perspective. Instead of promoting what the organization has accomplished, concentrate on how the organization can help the reader. This "helping the reader" perspective should manifest itself throughout the publication, from every paragraph of the stories to headlines, subheads, callouts (pull quotes), and cutlines (captions).

DON'T
• Forget that the reader is king. Since you (or your superior) has the authority to direct the editorial content of your publication, there may be a temptation to forget who really rules the roost. It is not the top executives of the organization; it is the reader. Without the reader's involvement, your publication becomes worthless and a waste of time and money. For that reason, all editorial ideas must pass this test — will the story interest and benefit the reader?

• Place a "Letter from the President" on page one unless the CEO is an extremely dynamic leader (e.g., Herb Kelleher). Why? First and foremost because presidential letters do not attract readers. Second, because valuable information often lies buried deep inside the heart of the letter, where no reader is likely to tread.

Try to persuade the executive that they can exert more influence by being quoted in news stories than they can by writing a letter in the publication. The news stories will attract more readership and will communicate the messages more effectively than a letter.

If you are pressed to include a letter from the president, write a headline that sells the readers on the important message(s) within. Also, if more than one subject area is covered, use subheads to help the reader skip to the relevant passages.