December 05, 2002
Article

Sample of SitePoint's Scribe Newsletter for Contributors

SUMMARY: No summary available
Subject: SitePoint Scribe #8 - Calling for Christmas Content
Date: Fri, 15 Nov 2002 16:53:27 +1100

The SitePoint Scribe #8 Copyright (c) SitePoint
November 15th, 2002
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An email newsletter for the SitePoint Author Community,
written by Georgina Laidlaw editor@sitepoint.com
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EDITOR'S MESSAGE

Down here in Melbourne, we're in the thick of the Spring
Racing Carnival...

The city streets are cluttered with race-meet attendees
on their way to the pub - be-hatted, stiletto-ed women
trailing men in suits and sunglasses. And last week saw
the running of the Melbourne Cup, reputedly "The Race
That Stops A Nation". This is my excuse for the rash of
corny race-related tie-ins through this edition of the
Scribe.

This month, we discuss the value *your* experience can
deliver to readers. We explore the implications of the
(startling!) revelation that reader time is valuable. And
we meet a brand new author who (along with 10 others!)
has just made it into the SitePoint form guide for
November.

Don't miss the Hot Topics - remember: there's a bounty
on each and every one!

Giddyup!
Georgina
Editor
editor@sitepoint.com
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IN THIS ISSUE

- WHAT'S NEW?
- ARTICLE OF THE MONTH - Guide to a Signed Contract
- AUTHOR IN FOCUS - Nathan McKinlay
- FEEDBACK OF THE MONTH - to Interview with Jakob Neilsen
- HOT ARTICLE TOPICS
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WHAT's NEW?

It's nearly Christmas - and time to submit those articles
you want published over the festive season.

The suggestion that Christmas is quiet on the Internet
is a fallacy - I promise! December 2001 and January 2002
boomed on SitePoint.com, as we reached some of the
highest session counts for the year. So if you think
everyone's taking holidays while you are, think again.

The beauty of the Internet is that it ticks over without
us. Come back from your Christmas break to record traffic
levels on your Website, and rave reviews for your work at
SitePoint.com

Get your submissions for Christmas in to
editor@sitepoint.com asap!

And if gift shopping is already wreaking havoc on your
bank balance, remember: SitePoint's always good for some
extra spending money! Write an article on a topic for
which there's a bounty (see Hot Topics below), and you
could just find your wallet lined with the spoils.

Feel free to email editor@sitepoint.com if you have
any questions.
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ARTICLE OF THE MONTH - Guide to a Signed Contract

Brendon Sinclair is well known among the SitePoint
Forums as the guru of freelance and small Web design
business advice, so we thought we'd spread his expertise
over a few articles on SitePoint.com...

...and what a hit his most recent submission was! 98
ratings (and an average score of 9.3) later, Brendon's
article was lauded as "providing a 'real world' example
of a true success" and being "awesomely practical". It
also sparked a lively discussion in the SitePoint Forums.

Why was it so useful? Because at heart, his article was
down-to-earth. It spoke to the reader on their own level,
and shunned pretension in favour of experiential
anecdotes and real life proof.

The one thing that came across loud and clear in
Bredon's article was that he'd been there, done that -
and it had worked!

This is what SitePoint readers love - inside advice from
you, the resident expert. They're dying to hear about
your latest successes; they want to learn from your near
misses. Ideas that are second nature to you will be
revelations to others - so don't be afraid to tell your
own stories. Email editor@sitepoint.com if you'd like
to discuss you ideas before you put them on paper...
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AUTHOR IN FOCUS - Nathan McKinlay

Hailing from Sydney, Australia, where he works in
hosting, Internet and networking, Nathan McKinlay is
one of the newest additions to the SitePoint authors'
stable.

"I've always had a love of writing, and plan to write
a novel one day" Nathan says. "So when I found SitePoint
I always wondered what it would be like to have an
article up there."

...and now he does! Nathan's "Reseller Hosting
Demystified" was published on Tuesday, and as Nathan
explains, one day later "WebmasterBase.com was already
creeping steadily up my referrer list."

Nathan's also active in the SitePoint Forums, and has
enjoyed the benefits of this strong community. "I ran
a design competition on the Forums, which created a lot
on interest not only in my site, but also in the way the
contest was run. The prize money wasn't that high but
the thread certainly got huge reader interest."

So what dos Nathan do when he's not working, writing, or
dreaming of his first novel? "When I can, I try to get
some sleep, and I take my very active 2 year old
Weimaraner dog for walks. I like to veg out in front of
the TV at times, but there's nothing exciting on
anymore, so I generally end up back behind the
computer."

We hope this means we can enjoy more of Nathan's work
before too long... welcome, Nathan!
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FEEDBACK OF THE MONTH - Interview With Jakob Neilsen

Jakob Neilsen might not be the most popular figure among
the Web development community - in fact, when we publish
content about him, we're instantly swamped with feedback
that oscillates between undying support and bitter
loathing!

It was unusual, then, to find among such empassioned
commentary a snippet of feedback that gives a real clue
as to what SitePoint readers are looking for across the
board:

"This was a good starting point... I liked the useful
examples and found it worth my time."

That last sentence is gold. Readers' time *is* valuable,
and they're happiest when authors don't waste it!

Avoid wordy content, provide a logical structure, and
ensure your article is following an obvious direction
- these are just some of the implications of the
feedback.

It also reinforces the importance of delivering real
value - links, downloadable files, worksheets - and the
clear communication of a practical message.

So, once you've proofread your article and you're ready
to submit, read it once more. When you get to the end,
ask yourself if it was worth your time. If the answer
is "yes", you'll know you're on a winner!
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HOT ARTICLE TOPICS

You know the rules: submit an exclusive article or pitch
to editor@sitepoint.com on one of these topics, and you
could win the bounty - currently around US$125 per
article!

The odds? Well... let's just say they're better than the
Melbourne Cup!

- J# - Java in .NET
- .NET Web Services
- Client Side .NET
- Getting Started with Fireworks
- Advanced Flash Techniques
- Getting Started with Dreamweaver
- Advanced JavaScript
- Web Services and Related XML Standards

Submit or send your questions to editor@sitepoint.com
today.
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The SitePoint Scribe is (c) 2002 SitePoint Pty.
Ltd. All Rights Reserved. No part of this Newsletter may
be reproduced in whole or in part without written
permission.

All questions and suggestions to editor@sitepoint.com

To unsubscribe, simply reply to this email and type the
word UNSUBSCRIBE in the subject line.

[Reproduced here with permission from SitePoint Pty.]

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