Ok Im starting to put together the newsletter this week, please PM me if you have anything you would like me to consider to include:
Articles, reviews of LARPS, LARP events, upcoming LARPS, funny stories about something that happened at a nzLARPS affilioated event etc…
Please PM these to me by Friday, thanks!
message received.
Review of the pirate larp sent off to the editor 
Thank you!
If anyone who wants something put in the classifieds section of the Newsletter, like birthday parties, selling costumes etc. please PM me tonight.
OK I have posted out the Newsletter to all last years members and all this years members taht had their address on the membership list.
If you were a member last year or a current member and you have not received a newsletter by Wednesday then please PM if you would like one.
All further Newsletters will only be sent to current members from now on.
This Newsletter was put together in a very short period of time and is more in the style of a mini magazine. Anna and I would welcome feedback on what you think can be done better, what you would like to see in your Newsletter or any suggestions people might have.
I hope you all enjoy
We are particularly interested in:
[quote=“Anna K”]We are particularly interested in:
Not too long or short.
Can’t think of anything off the top of my head, but will let you know if anything pops out.
I think it would be fun to have a regular cartoon, or LARPtoon, or something of that nature. Thus, I will be asking the best cartoonist I know about the possibility of doing this.
Gosh, I just got a large envelope of goodies in the mail. Haven’t had time to read it yet, but oh boy. [rubs hands gleefully]
Now thats what we like to hear. 
I’ve got a lot of feedback on the newsletter and the process by which it became. Sorry if it comes off overly negative; I mean for it to be constructive. If you want clarification on how to make something good that I say is bad I’ll be willing to help… but I don’t want to get involved in the process and don’t want to be responsible for any of it!
Of its controverseys people seem to be “generally ok” with the content. I’m not, so I’ll start with that.
My philosophy on good content for a newsletter like this is that it painlessly informs. Asking an editor to create “entertaining” content is horrifically difficult but it should be a breeze and a pleasure to get through all of if you want to. I think this newsletter doesn’t follow that philosophy and suffers for it, giving the reader an uncomfortable “spoken at” feeling. I’ll go over the “voice” more later.
EDITORIAL
This section should be titled.
Firstly, it’s totally unacceptable that the editorial spans two pages. Much of my feedback will appear to be about “formatting” but for newsletters like this, content and formatting are very close cousins. Formatting is part of the content, words are another part of the content.
The editorial starts by informing us that this is the first newsletter, but it does not tell us how often to expect one, that this is the first print edition, that this is a rushed version, or what the distribution of the newsletter is - all of which it should do.
eg. “Welcome to the (rushed!) first ever nzLARPS print edition newsletter - posted monthly to all members.”
The second introductory paragraph is painful propaganda and has to be questioned. The community has no way “grown much quicker than we could have hoped for”. No way. Following such a statement with a big congratulations to the previous committee only reinforces the central committee’s partly-earned stereotype of back-patting self-congratulatory beaurocrats. Listing them all is totally off-putting and distances the committee as some list of people who have apparantly been doing good things. We shouldn’t need to ever tell people that the community has grown hugely – that will be totally self-evident. And you spelt Craig Neilson wrong.
I’m going to leave spelling/grammar mistakes out apart from that, but there are at least three on that page. 
Going over the AGM is valid, but the details aren’t. The voice needs work, eg. it assumes the reader wasn’t there (when they probably were). Putting in the best lines from the improv games, for example, the humour doesn’t travel.
This is important early on because it’s where people stop reading. If there’s something important down there (or heaven forbid, on the NEXT PAGE then people that stop reading will miss it because they weren’t interested in jokes they weren’t there for.
It’s good to have the winner of the raffle printed, but not in the body copy. That’d be good content for an info-box somewhere. With body-copy you are prevented from getting to the “next” information by the “next” words you’re not interested in. It makes stop-readers and “skimmers”. That’s how formatting = content again.
Never use “of course” it’s condescending. It’s ok to list the new committee, but seems totally redundant on the same page as the list of the “old” committee which has changed by two people and two roles. I don’t think it would be too much to include the members email addresses and/or phone numbers in that list… but either the old list or the new list shouldn’t have been there.
“Let’s try and make this year an even bigger success”
– from a members’ perspective, the larp scene has not improved that much at all, so this is redundant and yet more egotitstical self-awarded “acceptance speech” stuff.
The following (split over two pages) paragraph suffers badly from a “talking down” voice and could have been streamlined to convey the same information but encouraging participation. It encourages people to wait while someone else organises friends and activities for them, which is very much what we’re not about.
It finally acknowledges that committee meetings are open, but doesn’t really encourage people to come. A line like “we’re keen to get more input” bodes better than “we will always welcome creative minds”.
“So, in short” <-- this kind of thing shouldn’t have to appear. Without it that line would be tidier and pack more punch. That the message has to be conveyed “in short” at the end reveals that getting through the editorial was a marathon that didn’t tell me much that was useful and when it did give me useful information it didn’t empower me to take action on it.
The editorial signs off as a letter, and formally. Is it a formal letter? It felt like it in parts. If it was an editorial it should finish with a punchy remark that spurs readers into action. Maybe it signs off as a letter becaue it took a long time to write so it just felt right.
Clip-art. I’m not even gonna go there.
I’ll take this opportunity to say that it should have been printed on both sides, even if it was more expensive to do so. Also, times new Roman is absolutely the wrong font to use. The nzLARPS font is Arial/Arial Black. I chose these because everyone can identify them and everyone has them. There’s totally no reason they couldn’t have been used and it would have “gone with” the logo on every page.
By the way the logo on every page is blurry. Has it been blown-up? Source a better file.
CONTENTS PAGE
Good - there should be a contents page! However, pages should be numbered and the contents page should tell you how to get to them. This is a list of contents, not the table of contents it needs.
The sectioning out is quite good, nice and logical. The SGM should have a date next to it.
The editorial info at the bottom misses some people, like Derek who has a “post” on the last page. Was he asked if it could be re-appropriated for that btw?
On “contents” I think there’s a bunch of stuff missing that would suit a print newsletter. But I might get to that later.
turn the page
OH! This wasn’t in the contents page!! But it definately should have been.
IMPORTANT EVENTS AND DISCUSSION
Needs a new title if this is a regular feature.
There are two sets of collumns now but they’re not even. There are two fonts and five differing types of formatting, which is giddying.
The intro to this section is too long.
SGM section - not having the details should have held up the newsletter.
Ryan’s thing is an example of how to use a first-person voice effectively. It’s elegant, reads super-quick and gets across the thrust of the section in the first few seconds.
However, it also illustrates one of the problems with a print newsletter - the article has now expired. We can’t run the same article again, even if it deserves to. So every newsletter we’ll have to get another piece about how the idea is coming along.
REVIEWS
Fair enough. Who’s going to chase down a review of every game? Where’s the info on how to contribute a review?
COMING UP
“LARP” should be “larp” in the header. Not sure the heading makes sense.
Oh, finally some contact details! In fact, this page is really useful. I think it should have come earlier where it’s easier to get to for reference, but that’s a matter of opinion.
The dates are in an inconsistent format.
In fact, the formatting for the events is inconsistent - if they all had the bold sub-headings WHERE and WHEN and CONTACT like Stargate does, that would be helpful.
LARPS UNDER CONSTRUCTION
Should be “larps”
Nice to have this section, but Brian is now kinda committed to bringing Ravenholme about. If he doesn’t, the whole society have a printed vision that never happened, and they’ll blame it on him. If any of that stuff becomes a “surprise” rather than “well known” then it’s too late to retract it. If this is a monthly newsletter and nothing has changed in a month… then what? Published content expires.
CLASSIFIEDS
The (very long) section on how to treat your elf prince is cute, but old and lifted from the forum. Lucy/ Rhiannon were asked, I take it? What will be next month’s amusement if noone posts anything like this?
Derek’s post - cool. Permission granted? Having seen it on Diatribe I do wonder if I need a printed version (two - Malu got one too).
OVERALL PRESENTATION
OVERALL CONTENT
Voice is too formal but not polished enough. Not slick. Not streamlined. Not punchy, inspirational or fun. Should be all of those things.
FRONT PAGE
The aesthetics of the front page leave a >lot< to be desired. I think the photos chosen are a bit embarassing. Did you ask all the people pictured? Having the “Nightmare Circle” words confuse the title. I’ll go over the cost later. I’m behind the idea Ryan suggested of having a single photo in a “magazine” fashion, if we can afford to have a colour front page in future.
I knocked this up in about 15-20 minutes today:
(They “ghey” thing is in reference to Ryan’s fear of kids not liking it :p)
It’s relatively easy to do and can be achieved with free software like the GIMP by a novice-intermedate computer user. You just need one good photo, know what’s in the newsletter, and prepare it knowing that it’s the front page.
Three days
Having “two people” complete this in three days doesn’t inspire my confidence in the publication coming out regularly. THREE DAYS!!? That’s a really long time if you’re rushing. How long will this regularly take to put together/out?
PRICE
The price should absolutely have stopped you printing. I don’t mind that we’ve reimbursed you the full $200 production cost (it was that cheap because the content was free), but I /really/ wish it had been cheaper. If you didn’t expect/want the whole lot reimbursed I don’t think you should have claimed for it. The front page alone cost the society more than buying our domain names, and more than the profit from Mayday. Even if it was a quarter of the price I don’t think we should publish it more than once per season. I think it would be appropriate to put a spending limit on the next newsletter (if there is one).
FINALLY:
I don’t think this should have run as it is. Ultimately it’s not that it’s amateur that’s the problem, but that it’s not elegant or cool at all. You can be amateur, elegant and cool all at the same time and we should be - especially with “to-all” communication. The document doesn’t make us appear newsworthy, credible, topical or relevant and we should be all of those things. That might mean we’re not ready for a printed newsletter, or it might mean that they should be seasonal rather than monthly.
I hope this has been constructive. I hope I’ve covered everything.
I agree with pretty much everything Craig said. But I would not have put these thoughts in so public a forum. I believe they could better have been sent in a PM or discussed in person. Craig, you are right, but you could be right more gently… 
My first impression was “I hope someone printed this at work, 'cause otherwise this will have cost a packet”. I actually believe print is pretty much dead for this type of thing. A phone list maybe. A rule book (that’s been typeset and doublesided), maybe.
I will still say THANK YOU though because it really is fantastic to get something in the mail that isn’t a bill or advertising. It’s also nice that there is a pile of enthusiasm there (if slightly unfocused). For a crusty old fart like me, an gram of youthfull, unfocused, enthusiasm will still make me smile.
I didn’t think this was too public simply because we don’t get a lot of non-committee/newsletter producer traffic anyway, even if we could. On being gentle, I think the only thing that seems harsh here is just how much of it there is. I prefer to think about it as really constructive!
I think it’s also something others can get involved in. I think forums should only hide what’s necessary.
I’m not sure there’s been appropriate discussion on whether “print is dead” for “this type of thing” in our context. I don’t think a printed newsletter is right for us, even if I can see some value in having one. I’ve posited that having one per season might be ok, but I’m not sure that frequency would suit us - especially in terms of dates and locations and stuff finalised months in advance.
So there’s -
These things should probably be considered on their own merits.
i think a really well organized website could be more effective. with interactive stuff for the different events and what-not.
also, i dont think that list of mistakes was being too harsh. i think its a good thing to be able to point out what doesnt work. as long as it is accompanied with how it could be improved then its constructive criticism.
A website is all well and good but the whole aim of the newsletter is to get in touch with the members of nzLARPS who don’t live behind their computer. They do exist, you know.
I have responses to some of Craig’s feedback but I’ll post it in the morning.
The reason Anna and I decided to ask for public feedback was to get the views of as many people as possible. I definately think there is a lot to learn from what Craig said, even if I think that some of his arguments maybe came from his tastes and not everybody has Craig’s kind of tastes.
I wasn’t going to go into the reasons I decided, (and it was completely pushed by me and and any critism for this should fall at my feet), to rush this edition of the newsletter.
First of all I didn’t believe there would be any harm in printing a less than perfect Newsletter this time. The reasons behind my rush, were several.
I wanted to get a newsletter out before the comittee meeting, I was hoping that it would encourage several non committee members to come along and have their say.
There are several larps happening this month, the first of which is Stargate, which is on this weekend, and I wanted a nice reminder out there for people to come along and join in.
The Nightmare Circle cut of date was coming up on the 06/10 and I thought it would be good to get this reminder out as well.
These were the main reasons I rushed it. Maybe Craig is right and I should have put on theopening page, Welcome to the rushed first edition of the newsletter. I really hope people didn’t find the ‘editorial’ condescending and if you have I appologise, because it was meant out of a sense of enthusiasm, and a genuin feeling that we had accomplished alot as a society in our first year. Not just the committee but everyone who contributed as well.
I don’t mind that Craig has posted his opinions publicly and I think that it is important that the members of the society get what they want. If people would prefer not to recieve a monthly printed newsletter, then thats fine.
The next copy of the newsletter can only be much better quality and much cheaper to produce because of everyones feedback.
So thankyou Craig, even if I disagree with you about some points.
I agree with all of Craig’s points about the content and format of the newsletter, and his conclusion. Craig is one of the more media-savvy people in our midst, and to dismiss his constructive feedback as merely his personal opinion is unwise. I believe that his advice in this instance is expert.
I gave my feedback in private on the committee forum (where I suggested a full-bleed cover or none at all, among other things), but I think it’s fair for Craig to give his here where it was asked for.
The only thing I don’t agree with is print being dead. I believe that it’s worth reaching the people who don’t get on their computers as much. Right now they’re the minority, but that might be self-fulfilling because we are so web-focused. Also, I think that (good) extended content is more likely to get read on paper than on screen, and that it’s worthwhile sending out printed rulebooks for Projects and Affiliates so you might as well send a news update with them.
If, and only if, we can afford a newsletter/magazine then it’s a good idea. What is affordable? How much should be spent per member, per year on this? That’s the way to figure it out, not working out what it will cost then asking if we can afford it. I doubt a monthly publication is affordable, not out of the membership fees at any rate.
Re: Formatting
I won’t defend this, because I see massive room for improvement in this department too. In fact, it’s the part of your feedback I found the most useful.
Re: Editorial
I apologise if this section caused offence to anyone, as per Craig outlined. The intended idea was
a) enthusiasm about the state of nzLARPs and
b) expressing appreciation for the work done by the committee over the year.
The upbeat and ruthlessly positive style was partly inspired by your own newsletters, which I encourage you to go back and read. I enjoyed every single one of your newsletters, but damn did they make nzLARPS out to be the greatest and most successful thing since sliced bread.
Re: Logo
I downloaded it from the website. Email me a better one.
Re: Ryan’s Article
These points mystify me. Are we meant to print the same content in every newsletter? The aim of Ryan’s article was to bring to the community’s attention the possibility of building a historical medieval venue. We don’t to print a follow up until something actually happens. Or if someone decides it’s a stupid idea and writes a rebuttal. I don’t see why we’d need to print anything on Ravenholme of that magnitude again. From now on, we can have a progress update. So if there’s nothing new, then there’s nothing new.
Re: Readership
I only have two major issues with your feedback, Craig.
The first is a question of readership. Your feedback assumes that every member of nzLARPS goes to every event and that every member of nzLARPS regularly keeps up with the forums. You say that one of the problems with the editorial is that “it assumes the reader wasn’t there (when they probably were)”. That’s a big assumption on your part. Derek wasn’t there. Chantelle wasn’t there. Walter wasn’t there. Raoul wasn’t there. Many other valuable members and ex-members of the community weren’t there. If we stop reporting on events because we assume “Well, everyone would’ve been there anyway” then the people who don’t necessarily go to every event start falling out of touch.
You imply that some parts of the newsletter are utterly unnecessary because they’ve been taken from the forums. Not all members live behind their computers like we do. The whole purpose of this new format of newsletter is to be a point of contact with those members. The forums are a daunting place for newcomers and people who don’t keep up with it on a regular basis. There’s a lot going on, conversations cross over with each other in different threads, and damn, where do you even start reading?
The newsletter is intended to be a collection of the ‘highlights’ of the community, all aspects of the community, whether they be forum discussion (such as Ryan’s article), past events (AGM and games) or community humour (such as Lucy and Derek’s stuff).
As I understand it, one of the aims of the society is to spread the word about what we do to the mainstream and to stop LARP being such a ‘closed’ community. As welcoming as we are, you still have to somehow find us first, and that can be the hard part. With having a printed newsletter that collates the various threads of the society and community life, newbies have an excellent access point from which to start. With having a newsletter that says “Here’s what’s gone on, here’s what’s going to go on, look, we have fun!” it becomes a promotional tool as well. Admittedly, you still have to know someone who has a newsletter, but I’m far more likely to hand the newsletter around to people I know than I am to randomly start spamming my contact list with forwards of an email newsletter.
The second issue I have is your negativity around whether there’ll be a second issue or not (pun not intended). The fact remains that the overwhelming response from the community and the committee has been a positive one. No one is claiming that Nikki and I have reached the pinnacle of publishing perfection, no one is claiming that Nikki and I have reached an acceptable level of publishing adequacy, but the community has indicated that they’re happy with the direction the newsletter is going in and are willing to deal with a few bumps and hiccups along the way. I see massive room for improvement. I don’t see a situation that is not salvageable.
LEt me just say again, I found all your feeback on the format very valuable and please be assured it won’t be ignored. Our differences in opinion seem to lie in the purpose and target audience of the newsletter.
[quote=“Ryan Paddy”]I agree with all of Craig’s points about the content and format of the newsletter, and his conclusion. Craig is one of the more media-savvy people in our midst, and to dismiss his constructive feedback as merely his personal opinion is unwise. I believe that his advice in this instance is expert.
I gave my feedback in private on the committee forum (where I suggested a full-bleed cover or none at all, among other things), but I think it’s fair for Craig to give his here where it was asked for.
The only thing I don’t agree with is print being dead. I believe that it’s worth reaching the people who don’t get on their computers as much. Right now they’re the minority, but that might be self-fulfilling because we are so web-focused. Also, I think that (good) extended content is more likely to get read on paper than on screen, and that it’s worthwhile sending out printed rulebooks for Projects and Affiliates so you might as well send a news update with them.
If, and only if, we can afford a newsletter/magazine then it’s a good idea. What is affordable? How much should be spent per member, per year on this? That’s the way to figure it out, not working out what it will cost then asking if we can afford it. I doubt a monthly publication is affordable, not out of the membership fees at any rate.[/quote]
I am not dismissing any of Craigs comments at all, and I do find them valuable for the future. There are just some things that I personally disagree with but Anna states that better than I in her post above.
As for afordability, it doesn’t hurt researching the costs of producing another newsletter before working out or while working out how much the community can spend on a newsletter.
Maybe a monthly newsletter is too much at the moment, and we should look at producing one bi monthly or even seaosonally but, that is exactly why I am researching into costs at the moment and why we are asking for feedback from the community.
with the format thing, my dad (who teaches software engineering at auckland uni) uses a program called LaTeX which can be aquired off the net for free http://www.latex-project.org/ and is fairly simple to learn how to use (well, thats what my dad told me, but im almost completetly computer illiterate). it produces far better stuff then word ever could. and it does fonts properly.