Time for our guest blogger, Paul E. Lubic, Jr., a seasoned IT professional who has held positions such as Computer Programmer, IT Security Manager and Chief Information Officer. Paul’s HomeComputing Blog discusses the various aspects of home computing. Great minds think alike and this month Paul is talking about publishing a newsletter. Just what you need if you’ve been asked to write one for your club!

Have you wanted to be able to contribute to your organization, business or to an extended family in some way? We should all want to add value to the work we do. Publishing a newsletter on your home (or work) computer is a way to add great, tangible value by providing needed communication to the organization, business or family’s members. You can be a star!!

Before you doubt that you can do this; consider that, if you can write a few paragraphs that make sense, and with the help of technology and a simple step-by-step method…you can publish a newsletter. Are you ready to get started?

Here are some things you’ll need:

Notebook

Pen

Computer

Printer

Digital Camera

Instructions

1. Decide what you’d like your newsletter to look like; such as the design (title, number of columns, header graphics, use of photographs). Don’t worry, you don’t have to be a graphic artist to have a great-looking newsletter…there are free templates you can use on the Microsoft Home website. You’ll need to have Word 2003 or later to use these. Just download the template you want and replace the example text with yours.
2. Decide what stories or articles you want to have in the newsletter. Make sure it’s information that the audience will want to know. You should ask them, on a periodic basis, what they’d like to read about. Next, gather the information for those articles by interviewing people or otherwise obtaining information from the club secretary or other officer. When deciding the content of each newsletter, consider having a calendar of events, birthdays (minus years of birth) of members, awards received by members or the organization…these can be items that are running features that appear in every issue.
3. Write the articles from your notes taken while interviewing and gathering information. Keep the articles fresh and interesting. You know…catchy title; opening paragraph; middle content; and a good closing summary.
4. Use photos whenever possible to add interest and color. Photos or clip-art can be used to highlight the topic of the article; such as a photo of the person who got the award, or an appropriate piece of clip-art that relates to the subject. Three or four photos per issue should be plenty.
5. After writing the articles, paste them into the template, paste photos or clip-art, and when happy with the newsletter’s appearance, save it and send it to someone who will proofread it for you.
6. Once you’ve made the suggested changes; send it out to your audience through email or printed copies and sit back and wait for the compliments.

© Paul Lubic, Jr. paulshomecomputing@yahoo.com

First, I downloaded a free copy of Open Office. Similar to Word, it has a little button on the toolbar called PDF. Once you finish writing and add your images, simply click on PDF. Your document is then quickly converted into one that can be read by any computer. The PDF files are also what you need to upload to a book publishing site such as Amazon.

I have my book in three versions. One is a digital download, so people can click a download link and get the PDF delivered to their computer right away. The second is a soft cover book and the third a CD version. The hardest part I found was getting the cover graphics exactly right. My son designed the cartoon cover for me and it was fine on the CD, but not the right size for the book. After much fiddling around, I gave up and created a more generic one.

I also recorded myself reading the whole book for those who like audio. That was easy – a matter of picking up the phone and recording myself using freeconferencecalling.com. The resulting mp3 was downloaded to my computer where I could add it to my other data.

I am simplifying the process a bit here, but I encourage you to try writing about your experiences, skills, or memoirs. You’ll enjoy it and future generations will thank you. O, and if you want to see my little project, it’s called ‘How To Create Newsletters Your Grandkids Will Treasure’. Just click that link for more information.

Technorati Tags: write a book, memoirs, Open Office

I know how helpful this form of communication can be, especially when you have family members you don’t see often enough. So I’ve created a guide to help you in the process. Called “How To Create Newsletters Your Grandkids Will Treasure“, it’s 54 pages of text and screenshots to show you step by step how to use Microsoft Word, Works, or Open Office, to write your newsletter. Included are worksheets with ideas for communication starters with the grandkids. After all, you want them to feel involved with the process.

I would love to hear how you use this resource to keep in touch with your family. Even if you aren’t a grandparent, the information will take you through the process of planning and writing a newsletter. I hope you enjoy it and look forward to your feedback.

Technorati Tags: creating newsletters, family communication, writing to grandkids

If you’ve never done anything with your Paint program, why not try drawing a house?  Practice with as many of the included drawing tools as you can. Our computer club had great fun creating their digital homes. It isn’t as easy as it sounds, but is great mouse practice and your pictures can be printed out afterwards. An extra tip: click the ‘Undo’ button on the toolbar to erase your last action.

Try some of the following ideas in Paint:

• Add text and create a basic picture story for children.
• Under ‘File’, choose ‘set as wallpaper’ and you’ll see your drawing every time you turn on your computer.
• Import a photo into paint and then crop it.
• Use the magnifier tool and the pencil to change small details.
• Crop a picture by clicking the ‘select’ tool (it looks like a rectangle) and then drag it over the area you want to select.
• Try to resize, stretch, rotate, and copy your graphic.
• Change the colors on your picture.

What else can you do with the Paint program? I’d love to hear about what you create. Why not print it off and post it on your fridge for the kids to see?  Send me a copy and I’ll post it here on the blog for everyone to admire (family friendly graphics only, please).

Technorati Tags: Windows Paint, using the Paint program

Start with a short, simple maze and work your way up to a more intricate design. While you’re at it, experiment with some of the tools in the Paint program. For instance, draw a little house at the end of the maze. Maybe a car or a person at the beginning. When you finish, print your creation and challenge someone else to solve it.

Mazes are great fun for young people and sometimes it makes us feel young to play along. Have fun and let me know how you enjoyed the challenge.

Technorati Tags: create a maze, Microsoft Paint