Why do you want a special, what is its purpose, and what do you want to achieve with it?
What information do you want to impart, and who do you want to read it?
How many copies do you want and for what kind of distribution? Is it to be purely for internal communication or will there be an external readership?

Having ascertained your purpose, readership and distribution objectives, the format should follow these guidelines:

Text

Ideally, each section of information should be no longer than 300 words as a heavy amount of text tends to be off-putting. Also, there is a finite amount of space and if you want to use photos/diagrams/charts etc, then this has to be taken into account. Although it is better to have more text than necessary, as this can always be cut, it is important to be aware that some of the text may have to be edited down.

The pertinent information should be written clearly and succinctly. If you have a list of facts or items, these work well in bullet point format. Alternatively, some information can be placed in a coloured box near to the appropriate text.

Take a look at a previous special and see how that’s written, how many articles or items, and use this as your guide.

Images

The use of good pictures greatly enhances the look of a special and will break up the text. If the subject matter is very wordy, we can use quote boxes and images within the text. The images should be such that they enhance the text and be of sharp quality (pictures taken from the web will not print well). Digital pictures should be at least 300 dpi resolution, or the Press Office can scan in prints for you.

Contact information

If there’s an online site where people can find more information on the subject, then it is better to keep text to the basic important points and mention the web address people can refer to. If the special calls for names and contacts to be used, it is better to have this information in a box on the back page.

Timing and planning a schedule

The turn around for getting a special laid out, printed and distributed depends on how many people are needed to proof and approve the text.

It’s best to allow about two weeks from the initial layout to the finished product, although turn around can be quicker. Again, it depends on the number of people needed to approve the special and the amount of work to be done in the Press Office.

Who to contact next?

Always feel free to come along to the Press Office, 4th floor, Tower 3, and have a word with either News&Views editor Toni Sym, ext 7417, email: t.sym@lse.ac.uk, or Warwick Smith, head of press and information office, ext 7440. email w.smith@lse.ac.uk who will be more than happy to discuss text, images and layout.

July 2004

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