ASBPE Boston Blog

Have You Checked Out the ASBPE National Blog Yet?

2008-07-14T08:00:00.002-05:00

ASBPE's National Blog is updated every Monday and Thursday with posts by ASBPE chapter and national board members — and occasional guest bloggers from B2B media companies, consultancies, and the like. Of course you'll find association news there, but most of the commentary deals with issues such as web site do's and don'ts, the financial state of our industry, making yourself marketable in the media world, and reassessing the way you do business. There are also posts to help out with day-to-day work, such as improving your writing and finding good web resources.

If you use an RSS reader, subscribe to the national blog's RSS feed. If not, sign up to get new national blog posts automatically emailed to you. Those of you with Twitter accounts also have the option to keep up with the blog (and other ASBPE news) via ASBPE's new Twitter page.

Twitter isn't the only social networking site where you can find ASBPE.

There's now an ASBPE group on the networking site LinkedIn where you can see the profiles of other B2B media types — and see who's in their networks, too.
There's also an ASBPE Facebook group where you can share links, start discussions, and network with B2B editors.
And we've started a group on the book-review site GoodReads, where you can get recommendations from other B2B editors on the best books for learning about journalism, the web, the business world, and other job-related topics.

Now's as good a time as any to mention that from now on, I'll be using this blog more for strictly local stuff and posting about topics of general interest to all B2B editors over on the national blog. Head over and take a look.

Northeast Region Azbee Award Winners Announced

2008-07-10T16:10:00.009-05:00

A full list of the winners, which awards they won, and how they placed is now online.

See who won in the Northeast Region.

National winners will be announced July 24 in Kansas City as part of the ASBPE National Editorial Conference.

In the meantime, you can see who the national finalists are.

Northeastern Azbee Finalists Announced

2008-07-07T08:00:00.003-05:00

The names of the publications that are finalists in the Northeast Regional competition of the Azbee Awards of Excellence have been published at www.asbpe.org. Categories and names of the winning articles, editors, and designers will not be revealed until after the Boston-area awards banquet on Wednesday, July 16. If you plan to attend the banquet, you must RSVP by Thursday, July 10. Contact Alan Earls at (508) 528-6930 or alan[dot]earls[at]comcast[dot]net.

Before the awards are given out, we'll hear from author and magazine consultant John "Jack" Brady on The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Magazine Editors. Brady has a long career in the magazine industry: He's been editor-in-chief of Writer’s Digest and Boston magazines and founding editor of The Artist’s Magazine and M: The Magazine for Montessori Families. He and his consulting partner Greg Paul have overseen the redesign of hundreds of publications and assisted with the launch of numerous new magazines at their publishing consultancy Brady & Paul Communications. Brady always has something valuable and useful to say, so you won't want to miss his talk and the chance to speak with him in person.

ASBPE Boston/Northeast Region Awards Banquet

Date: Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Time:

6:00 p.m. social hour/cocktails
7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. dinner, followed by speaker and awards

Location:

Papa Razzi
16 Washington Street
Wellesley, MA
parking info

Cost:

• If paid by June 16: $55.00 for ASBPE members; $60.00 for nonmembers. Tables of 8: $400.

• If paid after June 16: $60.00 for ASBPE members; $65.00 for nonmembers. Tables of 8: $425

How to attend: To reserve your place, send payment (credit card or check payable to ASBPE) by July 10 to ASBPE Chapter President Alan Earls:

Alan Earls
222 Pond Street
Franklin, MA 02038

Questions? Call Alan at (508) 528-6930 or email him at alan[dot]earls[at]comcast[dot]net)

Note: As in years past, the New York chapter will be holding a separate banquet for editors in the New York City area. That banquet takes place July 9.

Update, July 9, 2008: The Boston banquet has been canceled. There will be only one Northeastern Region banquet this year, in New York.

Reed DivestmentWatch Blog Shut Down

2008-06-16T15:16:00.004-05:00

For those who didn't here (or see the Folio: blog post from Friday): A site about the Reed sale was shut down. Here are the details from Folio:.

June 26 Webinar: The Disruptive Power of Green

2008-06-11T15:59:00.003-05:00

Chances are your readers are rethinking how they do business to minimize their industry’s environmental impact. Companies have become more aware of environmental issues — especially climate change — and that's impacting editorial coverage and priorities, including the allocation of staff resources.

You'll get some good ideas about how to cover these issues by attending ASBPE's next webinar, The Disruptive Power of Green. Among the topics covered:

how other B2B reporters are creatively seeking out stories on the environment, sometimes producing reforms that make business more environmentally friendly.
how to help your audience navigate new environmental laws.
how to help them respond to demand from consumers and business partners for green initiatives.

The discussion will be led by ChemicalWeek’s Robert Westervelt and Ward’s David Zoia, both of whom are breaking new ground in this area.

Webinar Details

Date: Thursday, June 26, 2008

Time: 2:00-3:00 p.m. Eastern time

Where: Your computer. You will need a dial-in number and access code to participate. You will receive the dial-in number and access code in a subsequent e-mail message after you register for this Webinar.

How to register: You can register online for this Webinar at eventcallregistration.com/reg?cid=2927t11. Shortly after you register, you will receive a confirmation of your registration by e-mail that will include the dial-in number and access code.

Charge: $15.00 for all ASBPE members; $35.00 for nonmembers.

Northeast Regional Azbee Awards Banquet is July 16

2008-05-28T15:47:00.014-05:00

Update, July 9, 2008: The Boston banquet has been canceled. There will be only one Northeastern Region banquet this year, in New York City.

Set aside the evening of Wednesday, July 16, for the Northeast Region Azbee Awards of Excellence Banquet.

Before the awards are given out, author and magazine consultant John "Jack" Brady will speak. His topic: The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Magazine Editors.

Brady is an editor, author and magazine consultant. He was editor-in-chief of Writer’s Digest and Boston magazine, and founding editor of The Artist’s Magazine and M: The Magazine for Montessori Families. He served as deputy editorial director at Warner Bros. Records, and as associate editor for the 13-30 Corporation publishing group (later called Whittle Communications). Brady has been a partner in Brady & Paul Communications, a magazineworks and publishing consultancy with offices in New York City, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and Newburyport, Mass., since 1984.

With magazine designer Greg Paul, he has overseen the redesign and repositioning of hundreds of publications and assisted with the launch of numerous new magazines. Brady is the author of the five books, including The Craft of Interviewing (Random House), widely used in journalism programs. His most recent book is The Interviewer’s Handbook: A Guerilla Guide for Reporters and Writers (The Writers Books), published in May 2004.

ASBPE Boston/Northeast Region Awards Banquet

Date: Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Time:

6:00 p.m. social hour/cocktails
7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. dinner, followed by speaker and awards

Location:

Papa Razzi
16 Washington Street
Wellesley, MA
parking info

Cost:

• If paid by June 16: $55.00 for ASBPE members; $60.00 for nonmembers. Tables of 8: $400.

• If paid after June 16: $60.00 for ASBPE members; $65.00 for nonmembers. Tables of 8: $425

How to attend: To reserve your place, send payment (credit card or check payable to ASBPE) by July 10 to ASBPE Chapter President Alan Earls:

Alan Earls
222 Pond Street
Franklin, MA 02038

Questions? Call Alan at (508) 528-6930 or email him at alan[dot]earls[at]comcast[dot]net)

Note: As in years past, the New York chapter will be holding a separate banquet July 9 for editors in the New York City area.

National Conference Schedule Is Here - Register Now

2008-05-19T23:59:00.008-05:00

Gather with other B2B editors at the ASBPE National Conference July 24‒25, 2008 at the InterContinental Hotel, Kansas City, Missouri.

The conference will kick off the night before with a special reception with the trustees of the new ASBPE Foundation on the evening of Wednesday, July 23. Conference attendees are welcome to join the festivities and discuss ASBPE’s future goals. And of course, the Azbee National Awards banquet will take place on the evening of July 24.

The conference proper will consist of a day of Web-focused sessions on Thursday, July 24 and print sessions on July 25. Session topics include:

How to juggle increasing digital and print duties
How to do a podcast
How to do video
How to rebuild poorly written articles from industry experts

Baseball fans will have the opportunity to catch a Kansas City Royals game on the evening of Friday, July 25, and see whether they'll have recovered from yesterday's no-hitter against the Sox.

Download the conference registration brochure with a full schedule (832K PDF).

Update, 5/21/08: You can register for the conference online, too. Online registration is now open.

Web Expertise Doesn't Trump Subject Knowledge, Says Lifetime Acheivement Awardee

2008-05-06T12:02:00.004-05:00

From editorial consultant and past ASBPE Lifetime Achievement Award winner Howard Rauch, a counterpoint to the article mentioned in yesterday's post.

Article on IDG and Web-Only Publishing

2008-05-05T13:11:00.005-05:00

IDG is dropping the print versions of more and more of its publications. Those print pubs that remain are adopting an "online-first" publishing model. In case you didn't see it yet, this article on the topic from The New York Times is worth a read. It talks about IDG's strategy and plans and the pitfalls of chasing page-view stats.

Answers to Questions About CIO/LinkedIn Deal

2008-04-22T12:13:00.004-05:00

In this blog post from Sunday, CIO editor in chief Abbie Lundberg answers most of the ethical questions put forth in this blog and others about the web site's use of pop-up windows in the text of articles.

CIO's In-Text Links: Ethical or Not?

2008-04-15T10:35:00.014-05:00

Via a post on Paul Conley's blog, I learned that Framingham, Mass.-based CIO is putting ~~what appear to be paid~~ links in story text (example). Correction, 6:26 p.m.: CIO editor in chief Abbie Lundberg says that no money changed hands. ~~I don't know for sure what the business arrangement is for these links, and~~ according to CIO's own letter to its readers the links are part of a larger offering of social networking tools involving LinkedIn. ~~But still, judging by that letter and this story from Reuters, it seems apparent that this is at least in part a commercial deal~~.

Conley considers these links to be unethical, just like the IntelliTXT in-text ads that have appeared on eWeek's site and others. He bases part of his argument on the assumption that the links were not approved by editors, though, and CIO's editor in chief says she did give her approval.

My initial thoughts on this -- and note that what I write here does not reflect an official ASBPE stance on the issue -- were that these links perhaps were a bit different from other paid links. At least they show potentially useful information and not just ad copy. My main objection was how annoying it was to have the links right in the story text. Are CIO's readers keen on networking as to warrant putting social networking information on every company name within the story? And that LinkedIn logo is a bit irritating, sort of like reading copy with a ™ trademark symbol next to every mention of a company's name. Also, there's the question of whether the links should be clearly labeled with the word "advertisement." As Paul notes, BusinessWeek's implementation of a similar feature puts the links in a separate sidebar. I don't know that that makes it more ethical, since there's no notation indicating whether the LinkedIn pop-up is part of a business deal and what role Hewlett Packard plays. But it's at least less obtrusive and more in line with how similar links (the social networking links to Digg and Del.icio.us) are handled.

The comments people have left on CIO's site so far (even discounting Paul Conley's comment) show a mixed response. Granted, since so far most of the comments are anonymous, there's no way of knowing if all the comments were left by actual CIOs and not, say, editorial consultants or competitors of LinkedIn. Still, as one commenter to the CIO announcement put it:

I'm not so sure I like this new feature … it's a bit distracting and adds an amateurish feel to the articles. … [the links] will only distract me from the content on your site. You might want to rethink this one … [second set of ellipses is mine]

~~It would be great if this were a tool created by CIO editorial and tech staff on their own initiative, using an open application programming interface (API). But it's not.~~ [See correction above -- this does not apply.] In fact, according to the Reuters report, LinkedIn must approve all applications created using its API. ~~In other words, the links are not strictly based on editorial judgement, as called for in ASBPE's code of ethics.~~ [Again, per Abbie Lundberg's correction, the stricken sentence does not seem to apply to the CIO situation.] And if you're trying to help the reader network, why not include other networking sites like Facebook, Friendster, Naymz, and Plaxo?

ASBPE will likely issue an official statement on this matter; if that happens, I'll update this post to add a link to that statement.

Update, 4/16/08: ASBPE President Steven Roll has commented on the issue over at the ASBPE National blog.

Update, 4/22/08: Abbie Lundberg clarifies most of the issues raised in here a post on CIO's Difference Engine blog.

March 26: Pulitzer's Gold Book Discussion

2008-03-25T13:28:00.006-05:00

Tomorrow, March 26, join former ASBPE national (and New England) president Roy Harris and other Boston-area journalists for a discussion of Roy's new book Pulitzer's Gold — a history of the public service awards of print journalism's biggest prize. You'll also get a preview of the next round of Pulitzer awards, to be announced in early April.

A preview of the book on Poynter Online reports on the selection of The Boston Globe for the prize in 2003 for its coverage of the Catholic church's sexual abuse scandal, which was "anything but automatic" — despite the fact that Father Andrew M. Greeley wrote that without the Globe accounts "the abuse would have gone right on." Although the importance and scale of the story made it an obvious contender, the Globe still had to prove that the quality of its reporting matched that of previous recipients like The New York Times and The Washington Post. Meanwhile, at The New York Times, whose parent company also owns the Globe, then-executive editor Howell Raines reportedly was miffed by the Globe's scoop and made every effort to outdo the Boston paper's coverage.

This casual book-club style event is cosponsored by ASBPE and the Medill Journalism School alumni group, of which Roy is a member.

Date: Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Time: 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.

Location:

Borders - Braintree store
255 Grossman Drive
Braintree, MA
driving directions
map

If possible, please RSVP to David Wallace at dwallace@deadlines.net. Walk-ins are welcome.

Thoughts on the Reed Business Information Sale

2008-03-25T11:43:00.004-05:00

This will interest Waltham-based Reed employees (or anyone wondering about the job pool for B2B editors in New England): On the ASBPE National blog, former Purchasing staffer Tom Temin reflects on what made Reed/Cahners successful, and what might be next for the company now that Elsevier is divesting itself of that division.

March 21: Taking Your Webcasts to the Next Level

2008-03-10T14:41:00.005-05:00

Webcasts can boost readership and ad dollars and raise brand awareness, learn how B2B publications are gaining a competitive edge through webinars.

Find out what it takes to successfully produce compelling — and profitable — webinars for your trade magazine. Join the American Society of Business Publication Editors for a webinar on Friday, March 21, to get the inside scoop from top experts at Nielsen Business Media and InXpo.

Learn how to:

pick a compelling topic and present it for maximum impact.
involve print and online staff editors in content development and presentation of webinars.
manage the "church-state" divide and address common ethical issues when conducting webinars.
package and market online events for potential viewers and sponsors.
leverage webinars for related editorial content, including virtual trade shows, podcasts and e-newsletters.

Meeting Details

When: Friday, March 21, from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. EDT.

Where: Your computer. A web conference dial-in number and access code is required, and will be provided to registrants in a subsequent e-mail.

How to attend: To reserve your place, submit a completed reservation form (80K) by March 17th to b2beditor@gmail.com or 201-221-8655 (fax). Questions may be directed to Steve Roll at 703-341-5926.

Charge: This webinar is $10.00 for all ASBPE members and $35.00 for nonmembers.

About the Presenters

Kristin Beaulieu is the Vice President of Client Services at InXpo, a leading provider of virtual online communities and tradeshows. She works with leading publishers such as Nielsen, The Wall Street Journal, CMP, IDG, Ziff Davis Enterprise and others to strategize their event businesses.

Kristin was formerly the Vice President of Digital Events for the Consumer Small Business Division of Ziff Davis Media. She managed two online event divisions for Ziff Davis: eSeminars and PCMagCast. eSeminars was launched in 2000 and grew steadily to become a highly profitable division of Ziff Davis with year-over-year exponential growth in revenue and events. In January 2006, PCMagCast was launched as the dedicated online event division of PCMagazine.

PCMagCast received both Gold and Bronze 2006 Folio: Fame Awards for "Best Online Events of the Year" for its "Security and Mobility Virtual Tradeshow" and the webcast, "Selecting and Setting up an HDTV Set". Additionally eSeminars received the 2005 Folio Fame Gold Award for "Best Online Event" for its Security Solutions Tradeshow "Protect Yourself Against Attacks."

Elliot Markowitz is Editorial Director of Nielsen Business Media Webcasts and Virtual Events and is responsible for the content of all web seminars across Nielsen's publications and brands. He is also Editorial Director of Nielsen's Small Business Resource Center and Mediajobmarket.com.

Previously, Markowitz was Editorial Director of Ziff Davis Media eSeminars, where he helped build the company's eSeminar business and launched its award-winning Virtual Tradeshow concept. Markowitz is an 18-year publishing veteran and before Ziff Davis, he was Editor of Hotel Business magazine and HotelJournal. Before that he was Editor-in-Chief of CRM Magazine and the destinationCRM.com website and related live events. Before CRM Magazine, he was Business Editor at TechTV, responsible for helping to manage the TV station's website as well as conducting live on-air interviews with key industry executives.

Markowitz also spent 11 years with CMP Media's award-winning weekly newspaper Computer Reseller News (CRN), where he held many key editorial positions including News Editor, Business Editor, and Senior Executive Editor. In 1999 he was named Editor of CRN, responsible for the entire editorial operation of the newspaper and in charge of coordinating its redesign and re-launch in June 2000. While at CRN Markowitz initiated many key alliances including the Industry Hall of Fame event in Las Vegas and the annual CRN/Raymond James Conference. Early in his career Markowitz was a news reporter on Long Island for the Massapequa Post.

He holds a B.A. in Journalism from Hofstra University and is a graduate of the Stanford Professional Publishing Course.

Two Deadlines Approach for International B2B Competitions

2008-02-27T12:38:00.005-05:00

Think you're creative? You have two days to prove it by entering the TABPI Design Challenge, sponsored by Trade Association Business Publications International. The challenge is to design a cover for a hypothetical issue of an imaginary magazine, Concrete Times. The reward is $250 for the overall winner. The challenge is open to all B2B art directors and designers.

The TABPI Design challenge deadline is this Friday, Feb. 29.

Also looming is the deadline for TABPI's Tabbie Awards. This international awards competition is open to trade, association and business magazines published at least four times per year, completely or partially in English. Magazines must accept paid advertising. This year TABPI has added a new web category, Online Feature. (Online entries don't need an associated print publication, but they must be b2b-oriented and accept advertising.)

Entries for the Tabbies must be submitted by Wednesday, March 5.

Azbee Awards: Deadline Extended to Feb. 22

2008-02-15T17:39:00.002-05:00

Deadline changed due to technical difficulties.

Because the new online entry system has been so popular, our server has been overloaded by awards entry on this deadline day. The results has been that many entrants are encountering error messages when they try to submit their entries online.

ASBPE is tehrefore extending the deadline another week, to Feb. 22. This weekend we’ll be taking action to help prevent further server problems.

An Intervention for Journalists Lacking Web Skills

2008-01-24T15:07:00.000-05:00

Four resources to bring you into the 21st century.

You're hearing everywhere about how you need web skills to keep your job. Ad nauseam, in fact. You really don't need one more person to tell you that you'd better start teaching yourself. But the problem is, where and when do you learn all these skills? And which ones do you learn first?

It's time to join a 12-step program to break your addiction to Luddism. And it happens that you're in luck.

In his blog, Howard Owen, director of digital publishing for GateHouse Media, lays out an 11-step program for non-wired journalists to get wired, and he offers a $100 Amazon gift certificate to one such journalist who completes this program in 2008. (OK, so it's one step short, but you can always make up your own 12th step.)

It's a good plan. It's simple and very doable, and it covers the bases with almost all the important skills. (Maybe you could throw in podcasting as that final step.) Owens gives suggestions on how and where to get started, too. Reading and following his advice should take the intimidation factor out of learning web skills no matter how technophobic you are.

Owen's post led directly to the launch of a second resource to help journalists get wired.

It's called -- well, WiredJournalists.com. It's the brainchild of Owens; Ryan Sholin, director of community site publishing for GateHouse Media; and Zac Echola, a content producer at Forum Communications Co.

A post on Sholin's blog announces the site launch. The post includes this excerpt from the WiredJournalists.com Mission Statement, but it addresses the fear factor so well that I have to reproduce it here:

Our goal is to help journalists who have few resources on hand other than their own desire to make a difference and help journalism grow into its new 21st Century role.

You don’t need the best equipment, the biggest budget or even management support to accomplish worthy goals. The only requirement is a willingness to learn and a mind open to new ways of thinking about journalism.

We are here to help each other learn basic skills and learn how new technology and new societal expectations for media are changing journalism.

At WiredJournalists.com we are all teachers and we are all students. We help each other and learn together. Those who know more should help those who know less. Those with questions should never be afraid to ask them.

That sounds like just what I'm looking for. I immediately signed up.

A third resource I just learned about is a Jan. 31 webinar hosted by NewsU and Poynter. It's called Multimedia Tools: Your 2008 Shopping List. From the course description:

Ready to build, or beef up, your multimedia newsroom? You know you'll need digital cameras, audio recorders, lights and lots more. In this one-hour Webinar, you'll learn which tools you need to efficiently (and cost-effectively) produce digital video, audio and still photos. You've got your money for 2008, now we'll help you spend it wisely. This Webinar will cover:
How to identify your multimedia needs and the equipment that works best

Which features are most important in still cameras, audio recorders and video cameras

Which equipment can improve the workflow in your multimedia production

What you can expect to spend on equipment

As a bonus, you'll be able to download our suggested shopping list and customize it for your newsroom.

It's not free, but the cost is reasonable at $30.

Last, I've been thinking for some time about the panel discussion on blogging I participated in at the 2006 ASBPE National Editorial Conference, and how surprised I was at how surprised some of the audience was when they found out how easy it was to get started blogging. So I decided to post my presentation from the panel on SlideShare. A few of the details in it are outdated, but for the most part the information is good, and it should serve to get you started on Owens' first step.

| View | Upload your own

Feel free to email me with questions, or post them in a comment.

Note: I learned about the first two items on the above list through a Folio: article on using the web in your job search, which I in turn found through a post about uncooperative sources on the ASBPE Cleveland blog. Both are well worth reading.

Update, 1/24/08, 11:35 a.m.: Paul Conley just pointed out to me that WiredJournalists.com has a group specifically for B2B editors -- so if you register for the site, be sure to join the World of B2B group.

Azbee Deadline Changed; Get Entry Questions Answered at Free Webinar Jan. 18

2008-01-11T12:27:00.001-05:00

~~ASBPE has moved the Azbee Awards of Excellence entry deadline from Feb. 1 to Feb. 15.~~

2/15/08 update: The deadline has been extended once more, to Feb. 22, due to server problems caused by the high volume of entries today.

Also, ASBPE is offering a free webinar to familiarize people with the new online entry process on Jan. 18 at 1:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. To sign up, email b2beditor@gmail.com.

Other resources that can help you out with your awards entries include a free tip sheet, "Secrets to Winning Azbee Awards" (96K PDF; available to everyone) and a slide presentation from the "Editorial Winners Tell All" webinar in December (the slides are for members only, but still free).

Secrets of Winning Editorial Awards

2008-01-04T13:39:00.003-05:00

With the Azbee Awards of Excellence coming up, I thought people would probably be interested in knowing about two resources that can help their chances of bringing home a plaque, or even a Magazine- or Web-Site-of-the-Year trophy. Fostering an award-winning culture, or even paying special attention to the entry statement, can have an impact on whether your submissions are successful or not. Most of these tips apply to any awards competition, not just the Azbees.

First, there's the new ASBPE Tip Sheet, "Secrets to Winning Azbee Awards."

Tip Sheets, compilations of practical advice from national and chapter ASBPE meetings and other sources, are a new benefit for ASBPE members. But this first Tip Sheet is available to everyone.
ASBPE members can get a slide presentation from our recent webinar, "Editorial Winners Tell All."

This webinar featured advice from multi-award-winners Don Tennant (VP/editorial director of Computerworld and InfoWorld) and Boyce Thompson (editorial director of Hanley Wood's Builder, Multifamily, and Technology magazine groups). Thompson's detailed slides from the webinar are available to members.

Update, 1/11/08: ~~The deadline for submitting Azbee entries has been changed to Feb. 15.~~ Also, we'll be offering a free webinar on the new online entry process on Jan. 18 at 1:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. To register, email b2beditor@gmail.com.

Update, 2/15/08: Due to online entry-submission problems caused by high server traffic today, ASBPE is moving the deadline one week later, to Feb. 22. Over the weekend we'll be taking steps to help prevent further problems.

Awards Entry, Scholarship Nomination Forms Available

2007-12-19T16:17:00.000-05:00

Update, 1/11/08: The deadline for submitting awards entries is now Feb. 15

You can now download a PDF of the Azbee Awards of Excellence Brochure.

Although you can still enter the old-fashioned way, by mailing in magazine pages and/or a paper entry form, for the first time this year you will be able to enter most categories completely online; doing so will save you $10 per entry. ~~The electronic entry form isn't available yet, but should be in the next week or so; I'll update you when it is.~~ Update, 1/11/08: The online entry form is now up and running. ASBPE is offering a free webinar to familiarize people with the new online entry process on Jan. 18 at 1:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. To sign up, email b2beditor@gmail.com.

The PDF awards brochure also includes a nomination blank for our Young Leaders Scholarship, which pays the registration fees and hotel costs for editors who are 30 or younger to attend ASBPE's National Editorial Conference -- which this year takes place July 24-25 in Kansas City. It's a great reward -- and a great learning experience -- for hard-working young editors on your staff. Update, 1/17/08: To download just the YLS application, without the contest entry form (much faster download), click here (file is a 600KB PDF).

Free ASBPE Webinar: How to Select Your Editorial and Design Award Entries

2007-12-06T14:32:00.001-05:00

With the deadline for entries in ASBPE's Azbee Awards of Excellence looming, it's a good time to start thinking about what you should enter.

On Dec. 14, ASBPE is hosting a webinar with two multiple-award winners, IDG's Don Tennant (vice president and editorial director of Computerworld and InfoWorld) and Hanley-Wood's Boyce Thompson. They'll talk about how the awards have affected them and their publications, why they chose the articles they entered, how to build award potential into the articles you write or edit, and how you can apply the standards of editorial competitions to your work on a daily basis.

This webinar is free to ASBPE members and nonmembers alike.

Azbee Award Webinar details.

Update, 1/11/08: ~~The awards entry deadline is Feb. 15, 2008.~~ ASBPE is hosting another free webinar -- this one's an overview of the new online entry process. It takes place Jan. 18 at 1:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. To sign up, email b2beditor@gmail.com.

Update, 2/15/08: The entry deadline has been changed to Feb. 22, 2008. Because of the volume of people using the online submission system today, many were receiving server error messages. Over the weekend we'll be moving the system to a new server, and we're extending the deadline to make sure all those who had trouble today are able to get their entries in.

Site for Learning Multimedia Skills

2007-12-03T16:02:00.000-05:00

Note: This post comes from Erin Hallstrom-Erickson, via the ASBPE Chicago Blog. Link: CopyBlogger: A great website for multimedia editors in training

Trying to wrap your head around Search Engine Optimization? Not sure what keywords have to do with your writing? Then click over to CopyBlogger and set yourself a RSS feed.

I forget how I came across the site, but it's become one of my favorites lately. From posts like how to create a blog that people will want to Digg to how not to commit grammar errors that make you look dumb, the site has a lot of easy-to-digest information.

Hate Transcribing? Try This.

2007-12-03T11:27:00.000-05:00

Say your publication is doing podcasts and you're responsible for editing the audio. Or maybe you just have a half hour or so of audio from an interview to transcribe. Here's a great tip from the just-launched ASBPE Cleveland blog about a service that will transcribe your audio from a computer file quickly, cheaply, and accurately.

Of course, using this service for interviews assumes that you are no longer using tape to record them.

'Integrated Media' Reservation Deadline Extended

2007-11-28T15:37:00.000-05:00

The deadline to register for our Dec. 12 State of the Industry banquet has been extended to Dec. 4. The dinner will feature a panel discussion on Integrated Media--a mixed product portfolio that embraces print, the web and conferences. Discussion topics will include:

how to align and balance different media to serve a target audience and achieve financial goals.
how to assemble, sell, and manage portfolios of print/web/conference products for their audiences,
how media buyers see these portfolios, and
how readers actually want to consume information.

The event will be held at the Crowne Plaza Boston in Natick, which is located just off Exit 13 on the Massachusetts Turnpike (I-90), across the street from the new Natick Collection mall.

Get details on the banquet.