Newsletter and Readers
The MESDA newsletter is available to MESDA members and other interested parties:

• Developers and managers within software and information technology companies
• Developers and managers within software/IT-focused divisions of other companies
• Service providers to the software/IT industry

Topics covered in the newsletter include management issues (legal, finance, human resources, and general management); developer and technology news; government and policy; education; local MESDA chapter and user group news; and profiles of member companies.

The newsletter's focus is to cover topics with a slant towards the specific interests and issues of Maine's software and information technology professionals. All news and press releases are welcome from MESDA members. At this time, we are not accepting contributions from non-members. We accept all news and press release items via e-mail only.

Choosing a Topic
E-mail your idea for an article to joe@mesda.com. Briefly describe your idea and how you plan to articulate it.

The article topic should be relevant to MESDA members. If the topic is too broad, consider a specific aspect of the topic that might have particular significance to MESDA members.

Avoid the attraction of promoting your company's product or service. Instead, focus on the underlying technology or service, and the impact it will have on the Maine's technology companies.

Writing for the Web
Writing for the web is unlike writing for print. Online, readers are more likely to scan pages for words and phrases that catch their eye, rather than read a complete story. Your writing should accommodate scanning.

Break text into logical "chunks" of data. Use short sentences (no more than 20 words). Break ideas into short paragraphs. Use bulleted or numbered lists.

Use active voice and strong verbs. Because online readers scan text, they'll find it difficult to maneuver long descriptive or passive phrases. Use strong, active verbs and you won't need as many adjectives and adverbs.

Use ample subheads, but make sure the subheads clearly state what the following section is about. Cute and clever subheads don't work well online.

Use bold text to highlight key points.

Use a personal style. Few online readers will wade through stuffy or impersonal writing. Use contractions. Refer to the reader as "you."

Write about your topic, not the story. Online readers - more so than newsletter readers - don't have patience for extensive lead-ins. Avoid "This article will cover…" or "Here is a list of…" Just get to it.

Include a short interest-grabbing title, but not too cute - readers want the title to tell them what they're getting. A 5-8 word title fits on one line and lets the reader quickly absorb the substance of your article.

Article Specs
Your article should be between 500 and 800 words in length. If the subject requires more than 1,000 words, the topic is too broad for this publication. The topic might work well as a series, though.

You need to provide a short, 30-60 word abstract of your article for the newsletter e-mail. The abstract needs to encourage readers to link to the full article on the web site. In a sentence or two, give readers enough information to catch their attention, but not enough to give away the article.

One of the most powerful aspects of an online newsletter is the ability to link to other pages for additional information. Possibly, provide a list of links related to the topic and a one-sentence description of each that can be put into a sidebar for the article.

Formatting
E-mail your article as a standard word processor document with minimal formatting. Put your title and subheads in bold and leave a line of space between each paragraph. If appropriate, include illustrations or photos that enhance your article. Indicate lines or quotes that would make a good "pull quote" that can be pulled out as a graphic.

Byline and photo
Submit a short (approximately 60 word) bio of yourself and your experience as it relates to your expertise on the topic. We need your full name, title, company name, phone number and e-mail address. If you would like your byline to include a link to your company's web page, provide the URL. You may also submit a photo.

Submission Checklist:

• 5-8 word, interest-grabbing article title
• 500-800 word article
• 30-60 word abstract
• Author's full name, title, company name, short bio, e-mail address, and photo
• URL for your company's home page
• URLs and one-sentence descriptions for links to related pages
• Photos, illustrations or pull quote instructions