Home Computing News – Issue #1
Creating Newsletters
Welcome to the first issue of Creative Home Computing News. I’m hoping you get some extra tips and motivation for using your computer and that we’ll have a little fun
and extra interaction. This issue is all about creating your own newsletters.
Computer Tips:
When creating columns for a newsletter or other document, put your
cursor at the beginning of the text you want to include, then click
‘format’ and click ‘columns’. Choose the number of columns, and set
your column width and spacing. If you select ‘line between’, the
content will be easier to read. The ‘apply to’ box should also be
set to ‘this point forward’. Some people prefer to type their text
first and then format it into columns. Others create the columns
first and then work within them. There are many ways to do the same
thing on a computer, so choose what works for you.
Computer Project To Do:
Why not try your hand at a family newsletter? For many
years, we had one that went back and forth between our family here
and my oldest daughter in the states. Today I enjoy looking back on
all of the activities she and her family wrote about. My only
regret is that many of the first issues were sent by fax and after
all these years, the print has faded terribly in some spots. We
finally switched to emailing the content and printing it out – much
better as a keepsake.
Here are the steps you can use as a guideline:
1. Page margins and page numbers.
2. Newsletter name and maybe a little graphic at the top.
3. Spaces between articles.
4. Format columns and adjust line spacing if needed.
5. Add a fancy drop cap to the beginning of each section if you’re
feeling really creative.
6. At the bottom of the newsletter, include your name and contact
info and anything your family needs to know if they want to submit
material (deadlines, etc). Save the outline as a template for you
to use next time. Seeing it already started like that gets you past
any writer’s block.
Books/Software Reviews:
To do newsletters, I’ve tried some of the software specifically for
that purpose. One of my favorites was called the Student Writing
Center by Broderbund, but I don’t think it’s available anymore. Too
bad, it was a great program and not just for students. Now, I use
an old version of Microsoft Word or the free version of Open
Office, which is available online and is compatible with Word. I
also use Microsoft Works – it is often included when buying a new
computer and has a Task Launcher filled with good templates,
including one for a newsletter.
Questions and Answers:
Question: How do I save as a template?
Answer: Click ‘save as’, rather than ‘save’. After typing a name
into the file name box, click the little arrow beside the ‘save as
type’ box. Select ‘document template’ and then save. What this does
is save the newsletter as a template for future issues. This
template always stays the same and is ready for you to include your
content. No more accidentally deleting your material because you
saved your new text over the old one.
Recommended Product:
Since the topic this month is newsletters, I have to recommend my
own. ‘How To Create Newsletters Your Grandkids Will Treasure‘ is a
complete resource and not just for grandparents. Filled with
screenshots and step-by-step directions, you’ll be getting that
newsletter out in no time flat. Available in two forms – digital
download, or physical book. Both versions are available on Lulu
at http://stores.lulu.com/infoproducts.
Reader’s Success Story:
My mother, Eleanor McCallum, is 86 years old and uses Open Office
to create information products. She’s written a blogging guide, a
piano playing tutorial, and a guide to using Quickbooks. Not only
has she written them, she sells them as digital downloads on the
Internet. And yes, they do sell. Her most popular guide is the
Quickbooks one. Right now mom, who calls herself Granny Blogger, is
working on an updated version of the blogging guide. Her website is
http://grannyblogger.com.
I’d love to share your success story. Whether it’s about using a
computer for the first time, finally making money online, or
anything in between, please write and tell me about it, including
your name, unless you’d rather that remain confidential.
Publisher’s News:
I’m in the middle of creating a number of short tutorials about
using Twitter, Facebook, Linked In, and Hootsuite. I’m also
collecting computer tips for an upcoming report and would love to
include your tips as well.
To contact me for any of the above topics or to say hello, I can be
reached by email at carol@ creativehomecomputing.com. For those
of you on Twitter, my username is TorontoCarol and for any
grandmothers in the crowd, I also have a blog at supergramma.com
and would love to have you join me there.
Until next time,
Have fun on that computer and show it who’s boss. I know you can do
it!
Carol
