The Future of the SubCommittee Report?

[Guest]

Re: The Future of the SubCommittee Report?

I think we are getting ahead of ourselves here.

An interactive multimedia report would be a very different animal to a standard PDF format, and would require editors with several different fields of expertise.

I think it's best to keep things simple and then take it from there. Also please don't lose sight of the fact that this not solely a discussion about an electronic report, but also about the future of the existing printed SCR, increasing article submission and obtaining an editor.

To bring this into sharp relief, deadline for copy for the Summer report is 6th April- less than a fortnight away!

[JWLaRue]

Re: The Future of the SubCommittee Report?

Steve,

.....read my original post! I noted that video and other multimedia capabilities would be a likely addition to any electronic version of the SCR. Otherwise, it would just be a static equivalent to paper.

There are actually two intertwined questions that need to be discussed and understood: 1) electronic delivery of the SCR as it exists today, and 2) leveraging the full capabilities of the Internet and multi-media.

-Jeff

[dono]

Re: The Future of the SubCommittee Report?

I have an idea that MAY help get someone to take over the Editor position.

You should post a job description and contact information up on the website so that folks can decide if this is something they would be interested in doing.

I've talked to a few people already that thought they might be interested in taking the job but they don't know who to ask about it or don't get the time to ask. Make it easy for them and you might get your new Editor.

Just my two cents.

[myles yancey]

Re: The Future of the SubCommittee Report?

I have an idea that MAY help get someone to take over the Editor position.

You should post a job description and contact information up on the website so that folks can decide if this is something they would be interested in doing.

I've talked to a few people already that thought they might be interested in taking the job but they don't know who to ask about it or don't get the time to ask. Make it easy for them and you might get your new Editor.

Just my two cents.

Don

The people you are refering to can, contact Myself or if they prefer they can drop Jeff LaRue a quick e-mail letting him know they are interested in the position he would be glade to explain the job to them and what needs to be done.

Thanks again Myles

[bigdave]

Re: The Future of the SubCommittee Report?

Myles,
I think what Don is trying to say is if there was a basic description of what the job would entail that more people would contact you or Jeff to get the entire scoop on the job.
No one is going to go in blindly not knowing what they are in for.
At least this is the way I took it.
I know the job has been made a lot easier than it has been in the past and people should know this.
This is my 3 cents!! I beat you by one cent my friend!! BD.

[pirate]

Re: The Future of the SubCommittee Report?

Here you go. There is also a PDF of the calendar, actually on a calendar.

SubCommittee Report Managing Editor

Job Description

1. Scheduling
a. Article and material submissions
b. Proofing and editing
c. Production Designer
d. Printer
e. Mailing

2. Management
a. Article/photo collection
b. Proofers
c. Production Designer
d. Printer

Typical schedule per issue
Goal]http://www.subcommittee.com/scbusiness/ ... enance.cfm[/url]

• All articles back from editing/proofing (.5)
January 15, 2010 (Friday 6 weeks before
delivery date.)

• Provide proposed articles and photos to Production
Designer for layout (1)
January 17, 2010 (Provide enough estimated
material to fill the 60 pages of text, plus images for inside and back pages of cover.)

• Article Layout begins (.5-1 –communication)
January 18, 2010 Production designer gets 2
weeks to layout articles. Works with Editor over this time to determine if there is enough material or if more is needed to fill magazine.

• First Round Layouts Due back to Editor—PDF format
(.5 -communication)
January 29, 2010 (Friday 4 weeks before
delivery date.) Production Designer provides Editor with PDFs of all layouts for Editor review.

• Layout Proofing and Pagination begins (4)
January 30, 2010 Editor has 1 week to review
layout PDFs for errors and design consistency (Page headers and footers, italization, punctuation, general flow makes sense, special needs of issue met [changes to contact information—whatever], etc.).

Editor usually does first round of this, then sends marked up PDFs to Review Partner (Jeffrey LaRue has been this person) to double check.

Editor determines magazine pagination (placing articles and ads in page order wanted for the issue).

Editor determines cover photo. (Sometimes this is a good photo from a feature in the issue, one pulled from cover photo archive, or obtained elsewhere.)

• Proofed/marked-up PDFs returned to Production
Designer (.5-1 -communication)
February 5, 2010 (Friday 3 weeks before
delivery date.) Production Designer must get these from Editor on Friday so he can spend weekend correcting and have back by following Monday.

• Notice to Printer of files delivery/Send mailing
addresses and quantities to printer (.5)
February 5, 2010 Editor gives notice to
Printer of delivery of next issue files 1 week before they will arrive and the desired print run quantity (usually with email). Quantity is obtained from Membership Chairman based on current members.

• Second Round Layouts Due back to Editor-PDF format
February 8,2010 Production Designer makes
needed corrections, paginates and adds page numbering information, makes new PDFs for Editor to approve for print.

• Final review (1)
February 8-9, 2010 Editor has 2 days to review
Second Round corrections and return to Production Designer to prep files and send to Printer.

• Production Designer makes final file prep and send
to Printer
February 10, 2010 Production Designer makes any
final adjustments then FTPs final files to Printer.

• Printer Proofs due to Editor (.25 -communication)
February 12, 2010 Printer overnights printer
proofs to be received by Editor and Review Partner on this day so they can be reviewed over weekend.

• Marked-up Printer Proofs due back to Printer/
Printing begins (1-2)
February 15, 2010 (2 full weeks before delivery date)
Editor to collect and combine all changes from he and review assistant then fax, email scans of corrections, or send written list of corrections to Printer on this day.

Editor and Review Partner overnight marked up proofs back to Printer if changes are extensive, or mail back marked up proofs back to Printer if they were sufficiently covered fax or email.

• Printer over-nights printed copy to Editor for
approval to mail (.5)
February 19, 2010 Editor reviews printed sample and gives Printer approval to mail on Monday


• Editor gives approval to mail/Printer provides
mailing fulfillment (1)
February 22, 2010 (1 week before delivery date)
Printer to print magazine and mail by this date.

Editor to verify mailing, then send JPG of magazine cover to Web Master to post on SC website.

(16.25 hrs. over 2 months)


Review Partner
Smoke Contributor
Jeffrey LaRue
jeffrey.larue@hp.com

SCR•Sub•Books Contributor
Jeff Porteous
jefftytoo@ca.rr.com

FOX Schedule Editor
Tim Smalley
tmsmalley@yahoo.com

Just One Brit’s View Contributor
Chris Chambers
Chris.chambers@swipnet.se
Christopherchambers2@mac.com

Static on the Line Contributor
Tom Dougherty
(email TBD)

Other list of SCR Staff Proofers/Editors will be provided to new Editor.

SCR Standards

Editors/proofers,

Please use this updated version of guidelines when editing/proofing documents for the SubCommittee Report.

I will also have this in Word.doc form too.

SubCommittee Report Editing/proofing guidelines

- spelling
- grammar / langauge
- font set to Times New Roman, 10pt,
- flush left/ right justification
- line spacing set to single
- single column of text
- Single space after a period (end of sentence)
- blank line return between paragraphs
- no paragraph indentations

Don't worry about pagination or other page-specific issues.
- Subtitles should be on a line by themselves, followed by text with a single return

- When the text is dropped into a InDesign template, it will be automatically flowed into the SCR standard of two columns, etc.

We follow a specific ‘style guide’ on how text is to be formatted:

- Our organization is shown as the SubCommittee (italics) and not as the SubCommittee or the Subcommittee or the SUBCOMMITTEE. In a headline it is ok to put in all caps as a design element (You will see it used in the magazine as headings this way.

- Our publication is referred to by its full name the first time it is used in an article as the SubCommittee Report, again note the use of italics and capitalization.

- Second and subsequent references to the magazine are preferred to be shown as SCR, but "the Report" is also acceptable.

- The titles of books or publications are done in a similar manner as that of the SCR, that is in italics. For example: Blind Man's Bluff would be correct while "Blind Man's Bluff" and "Blind Man's Bluff" would not.

- A ship name is shown as USS Italicised Name. Note that the 'USS' is not in italics but that the name of the ship is. So for example it would be the USS Enterprise and not the USS Enterprise and not the USS ENTERPRISE.

- When ship classes are referred to they are shown as Los Angeles-class. Note the '-class' is *not* italicized, but contains the hyphen!

- Ship numbers are not italicized. USS Ohio SSGN 726

- USS, US will appear with no periods. US Navy

- Numbers from one to ten are spelled out. Numbers 11 and up are written as numbers.

- Two types of units are used with numbers –
o Fractions used in measurements are shown as “1/4”
o Units of measurement are spelled out. For example we would use twenty-five inches and not 25”, unless it appears with a fraction, 25-1/4 inches (note inches is spelled out).
o Units of measure are spelled out, such as inches, ounces, feet, gallons, pounds, fathoms. Group measurements can use abbreviations, such as ppi (pounds per square inch), mph (miles per hour), etc.

- Units of scale are shown as “1/96” and not “1:96” or “1/96th”

- Dates written in full are shown as "January 13, 1978" and not "13, January 1978". Dates without the year would look like "January 13".

- The very last line of an article should contain the letters "SCR" and be right justified. This should be on it's own, separate line. This is the standard marking that we use to note the end of an article, and tells the layout artist where to put a submarine icon denoting that.

Grammar should also include any rewriting of sentences that are not clear. Also we need to keep the 'language' relatively 'clean'.

[pirate]

Re: The Future of the SubCommittee Report?

Whether printed or electronic, you still have the same initial problem, who will do it?

The prep time will still be the same, if not more when you go to multi-media content. Right now the SC pays a professional production artist to lay out each issue. And the files are not sent to the printer as high resolution PDFs. They are InDesign page layout files. Going to a PDF will not change the need for this person. And someone asked about the picture quality. If the SCR is sent to members electronically by PDF, the quality will probably remain low because of the file size. A high-res PDF of the whole magazine is around 70 MB, even split up into separate files would equal some time to download. But going to a video/PDF/ online version may require even more people with more skills—volunteers? I doubt it. But who knows.

Most electronic magazines I've seen are actually websites called e-zines. The whole website is just formatted to look like a magazine, nothing more really different about it except someone change it out each issue. Right now I can't imagine a lot of maintenance is required to the current SC web site. So then you'd need a designer and an electronic publisher (person) of some kind.

Someone asked the question how would the members receive this idea? I for one, only pay the dues to get the magazine. It's shelf life is much longer. I know where it is. I can leaf through it and find what I'm looking for quickly, without having to start my computer. I can take it to the work bench and put it back on the shelf for next time. I don't have to print anything off, which when I've done that with some things, they get lost. The website is nice to check in on and see what people are up to, but the detail is abbreviated, and the wait between posts is excruciating because who knows when the next one will come.

Someone, I think Raalst, was right when he said there should still be a free section for potential members to see, to determine if they want to get into the hobby and join. And if that section is limited, it will do no good bringing in new members.

I can go to the pond, or regatta, or whatever without being a member. If the SubCommittee stops publishing a printed magazine, I will not rejoin. One down.

[pirate]

Re: The Future of the SubCommittee Report?

I have a feeling that some of the reason for the lack of new content for the SCR is the lack of any new boats on the market. Everyone is building the same old boats, or rebuilding one of someone else's.

Once the Rogue Subworks gets their new kits on the market I bet there will be a flurry of new builds members will be excited about posting. But don't post it. Save it up and send it to the SCR. Have a little patience on that instant gratification you want by showing everybody right away. Think back to when you were five and your parents made you wait a little while for stuff. I know you can remember how to do that. Your writing time is the same as posting on the website. You still take pictures of the build. So just hold it all on your computer until you are done and send it all in at once. Voila, SCR articles.

[Guest]

Re: The Future of the SubCommittee Report?

Personally I rarely look at past issues of the report, primarily because it's difficult for me to remember what was in each issue.

It's a personal choice I guess, and I'm not advocating the complete replacement of a printed SCR, just the option of an electronic version.

70MB would be no sweat for anyone with broadband internet. Click the link, and go away and have a cup of tea. Voila!

[myles yancey]

Re: The Future of the SubCommittee Report?

Whether printed or electronic, you still have the same initial problem, who will do it?


I can go to the pond, or regatta, or whatever without being a member. If the SubCommittee stops publishing a printed magazine, I will not rejoin. One down.

Hi Pete

No one is advocating going completely electronic, if you want a hard copy your dues will reflect the cost to get a hard copy.
Just because you prefer a hard copy it dose not mean other people agree with you, and their rights should be ignored, there are people how want an electronic Magazine.
The people that want an electronic copy will have their dues reflect the cost for an electronic copy.
Thank you for posting the duties of the editor.

Myles

[JWLaRue]

Re: The Future of the SubCommittee Report?

I'm not going to argue Pete's time estimates. If that's what his time was to produce an issue of the SCR, then that's what it was.

What I will say is that for the March issue, a *lot* less time was spent getting it completed....both in terms of calendar time and actual work time. I will try to get my time estimates that reflect how the March 2010 issue was actually produced......hopefully over the weekend when I have some time to deal with this.

-Jeff

[myles yancey]

Re: The Future of the SubCommittee Report?

I'm not going to argue Pete's time estimates. If that's what his time was to produce an issue of the SCR, then that's what it was.

What I will say is that for the March issue, a *lot* less time was spent getting it completed....both in terms of calendar time and actual work time. I will try to get my time estimates that reflect how the March 2010 issue was actually produced......hopefully over the weekend when I have some time to deal with this.

-Jeff

Jeff I for one would like to see your estimated time spent producing the SCR.

Myles

[scott t]

Re: The Future of the SubCommittee Report?

Do you think some kind of online editing area on SC would be benificial?
Some folks don't build but do a lot of online viewing of this subject. If they are parked
in front of the computer anyway; have them proof or edit something online or layout a page online.
They could research here in the threads & web then write an article on what they find.
Then print the articles as usual and pdf them as a new feature. Most will take a magazine and
archive a pdf. I would.

Does anyone know a teacher at some college that would take editing on as a project for there class?
Do you know a journalism student that would like the experience and can put it on there resume " I
was an assistant editor on the world renowned SCReport?

Some ideas for thought.

Scott

Edit: What is SC willing to pay for an editor/advertising person? Lets put a job posting out if that
is a good idea.

[myles yancey]

Re: The Future of the SubCommittee Report?

[quote]Do you think some kind of online editing area on SC would be benificial?
Some folks don't build but do a lot of online viewing of this subject. If they are parked
in front of the computer anyway; have them proof or edit something online or layout a page online.
They could research here in the threads & web then write an article on what they find.
Then print the articles as usual and pdf them as a new feature. Most will take a magazine and
archive a pdf. I would.

well that is a possibility which can be look into

Does anyone know a teacher at some college that would take editing on as a project for there class?
Do you know a journalism student that would like the experience and can put it on there resume " I
was an assistant editor on the world renowned SCReport?

this is another suggestion that can be look into also


Some ideas for thought.

Scott

Edit]

this is a good suggestion but it needs to be studied some more, because when you pay someone you expect them to be on time and to meet all
the dead lines without any excuses for not meeting the timeline for the production of the magazine

Myles

[thor]

Re: The Future of the SubCommittee Report?

No disrespect to anyone here, but we need to find a solid, permanent, and reliable process. Continuing to lean on the temporary, cut rate, or free help has gotten us to where we are at....20% of the people do 80% of the work. Well, it seems to me that we have worn out the good graces of the 20%. This was bound to happen eventually...We may be forced to continue to use this type of assistance to stay afloat short term, but long term we will end right back where we are....