Map your content

Regardless of who will be contributing, always start the process with a brainstorm session - working toward a “map” of the content you want to include. Note each article and graphic component separately, and include who is assigned to write it, recruit it (if relevant), and edit it – and what their deadlines are. It is best to do this in some sort of spreadsheet format that can be updated as you go.

It is important to establish a tradition of content mapping early in your production cycle, especially if you are producing a newsletter with multiple sections. Even a one-off poster or brochure will benefit from a scaled-down version of this process. Content mapping will help you to task master and also know how each component fits into your overall goal. Makes notes for:

• Each article or image name
• Who will do the writing/reporting
• Who will liaise with others for external contributions
• Who will edit
• Deadlines for each item

If the article or photograph falls into a content cluster in this issue, or is part of an ongoing section or column, note this also. As you go, other options or angles may emerge for grouping your content thematically, and your content map can help you identify these themes and work with them early on.

Right, now you have a strategy, a format, a process for bringing in good material and a production plan – let’s look at how we start to put it all together.