SAO Writers Guidelines

Newsletter and Subscribers
The Cursor of the SAO is a monthly e-mail newsletter with abstracts and links to full articles on the SAO web site. The newsletter is sent to SAO members and other interested parties who subscribe via the web site:

• Developers and managers within software companies
• Developers and managers within software-focused divisions of other types of companies
• Service providers to the software industry

We write with a slant towards the specific interests and issues of software companies in Oregon. Many of these, though not all, are small companies with fewer than 25 employees. Your article should give those companies information they can use to succeed in their business and help grow the Oregon software industry. Tell readers specifically how they can use the information you're providing.

Topics covered in The Cursor include management issues (legal, finance, human resources, and general management); developer and technology news; government and policy; education; local chapter news; and profiles of companies and specific industries.

Choosing a Topic
If you have an idea for an article, send e-mail to cheryl@scribo.net. Briefly describe your idea and how you plan to develop it.

Your article topic should be relevant to members of the SAO. If your topic is very broad, consider a specific aspect of the topic that has particular significance to SAO members.

Avoid the temptation to promote your company's product or service. Instead, focus on the need for the underlying technology or service, and the impact it will have on the industry or local software companies.

Writing for the Web
Writing for the web is a little different than writing for print. Online, people are more likely to scan pages for words and phrases that catch their eye, rather than read from start to finish. You need to write to accommodate scanning.

Break text into logical "chunks" of information. Use short sentences (generally no more than 20 words). Break ideas up into short paragraphs. Use bulleted or numbered lists.

Use the active voice and strong verbs. Because online readers scan text, they'll find it difficult to wade through long descriptive or passive phrases. Use strong, active verbs and you won't need so many adjectives and adverbs.

Use plenty of subheads. But make sure the subheads are succinct and clearly state what the following section is about. Cute or clever subheads don't play well online.

Use bold text to highlight key points. Italics are harder to read online, and readers assume underlined text is a link.

Use a personal style. The web is a personal medium. Few online readers are willing to wade through pedantic, stuffy, or impersonal writing. Use contractions. Feel free to refer to the reader as "you."

Write about your topic, not the article. Online readers - even more so than newsletter readers in general - don't have patience for extensive lead-ins. Avoid terms like "This article will cover..." or "Here is a list of..." Just jump right in and get to it.

Include a short, eye-catching, interest-grabbing title. Just make sure it's not too cute - readers want the title to tell them what they're getting. A five-to-eight word title fits on one line and lets the reader quickly absorb the gist of your article.

Article Specs

Keep it short. Your article should generally be between 800 and 1,500 words in length (although there are exceptions!). If the subject requires more than 1,500 words, consider whether your topic is too broad. It may be that the topic would work well as a series. Or perhaps you can write the article as a higher-level overview and provide links to more in-depth sections.

Include an eye-catching abstract. You'll need to provide a short abstract of your article for the newsletter e-mail. The abstract needs to encourage readers to link to the full article on the web site. In a sentence or two, give readers enough information to catch their interest, but not enough to give away the whole article. Due to current mechanical constraints, the abstract must no more than 255 characters, including spaces.

Provide links. One of the most powerful aspects of an online newsletter is the ability to link to other pages for more in-depth information. Some ideas of site links to consider:

• Home pages of organizations you mention in your article
• A sidebar you write on a related topic that isn't central to the main article
• Other articles or references you cite or found while researching your article

Formatting
Submit your article as a standard word processor document with minimal formatting. Put your title and subheads in bold. Leave a line of space between each paragraph.

Think Visuals
If possible, include illustrations, diagrams, or photos that support your article. Indicate lines or quotes that would make a good "pull quote" that we can pull out as a graphic, in a larger text or different color. Let us know if graphics are available and we'll work with you to include them in your article.

Byline and photo
With your article, submit a short (approximately 60 word) bio of yourself and your experience as it relates to your expertise on the topic. We will also need your full name, title, company name, phone number and e-mail address. If you would like your byline to include a link to your company's web page, please provide the URL. You may also submit a photo.

Submission Checklist

1. 5-8 word, catchy article title
2. 800-1,500 word article
3. 255-character (including spaces) abstract
4. Author's full name, title, company name, short bio, e-mail address, and photo
5. URL for your company's home page
6. URLs and one-sentence descriptions for links to related pages
7. Photos, diagrams or pull quote instructions