If you're the kind of editor who's in editing mode 24 hours a day, finding typos in restaurant menus, comma errors in books, and misplaced modifiers in PTA bulletins, then this is the newsletter for you. Writers, graphic designers, communications project managers, Webmasters-indeed, most of your colleagues-will find articles of interest and useful information, but you will eagerly await each issue knowing that kindred spirits have produced it with you in mind. And if you work alone, worrying about orphans and widows without anyone to share your concern, reading each issue will connect you to a community where caring about apostrophes still counts.
The newsletter addresses topics of concern in longer articles, including such recent subjects as translating bureaucratese into plain English, copyright issues, how creative teams really work, and double-checking copy for slippery spots where errors can creep in. Each issue also contains various columns, such as Production Techniques and Technology, (Web) Sites Worth Seeing, The Watchful Eye, and Test Yourself. The tests are fun and challenging, and the Readers Speak column often features lively discourse about the answers. Actively engaged readers also submit Black Eyes, examples of egregious usage and errors, and have been known to talk back or laugh aloud as they read this friendly and witty newsletter.
The newsletter bills itself as "a forum and a source of continuing education" and it takes its charge seriously. Although issues pertaining to agricultural communications or educational institutions are not specifically addressed, we all need to keep up with trends in communications and information practices, and hone our skills to improve the ways we present and deliver information. Whether it's deciding if out-sourcing makes sense for you or needing to know how to cite URLs, this newsletter will keep you informed about your colleagues' practices and preferences and give you the opportunity to assess yourself.
Members of the EEI staff worked on The New York Public Library Writer's Guide to Style and Usage and have produced other books as well (including Real-World Newsletters and Stet Again! More Tricks of the Trade for Publications People, a compilation of selected articles and columns from the news-letter reviewed here in volume 82, number 1). They conduct training sessions, and if you can't get to them, they'll arrange to come to your campus. They are passionate about their craft, and it's a pleasure to read their opinions and personal commentary each month. If you want to find out more about their communications services, or see a sample of this newsletter online, visit them at http://www.eeicom.com.