Soundly Speaking is published monthly and is the official electronic newsletter of NSA Georgia, a chapter of National Speakers Association. To subscribe or unsubscribe, visit www.nsageorgia.org.
Articles, contributions and inquiries about Soundly Speaking should be sent to the editor at Kay@YourWritingPartner.net. All postal address, phone, email addresses and website changes should be submitted to info@nsageorgia.org. Publication and editing of sub-missions in Soundly Speaking is at the sole discretion of the editor. The submission deadline is the first Monday after the regular membership meeting.
Types of Submissions
Value of Membership: Articles about the speaking profession, membership experiences or successes in that profession, lessons learned, tips and techniques for success, and how membership in NSA Georgia and NSA has helped, or can help, in achieving personal and professional goals. 300-800 words.
Visible Members: Notices about membership’s recent news, including a new book, articles published in periodicals, media appearances, and other activities in which the member or associate is involved that are of particular interest to our readers. Since speaking is what we all do, we can’t print your upcoming bookings, no matter how prestigious. 25-50 words.
Competency Articles: Educational articles in one of the professional competency areas recognized by NSA: Expertise, Eloquence, Enterprise and Ethics. 500-1500 words.
Writing Style
Most important: Write for professional speakers, not the general public or clients. Most articles written for these markets will not adapt well to educational articles for speakers.
Our readers have a wide range of specialties and may not recognize the particular language of any one speaking niche, market or client set. Consequently, jargon and technical terms specific to a particular industry should be avoided. All acronyms should be spelled out on first use, followed by the acronym in parentheses. Subsequent uses may use the acronym only.
Ethical, ethnic and prejudicial statements and impli-cations should be carefully scrutinized before sending a submission. The same care not to display discrimination or prejudice must be used in writing as that used in preparing spoken remarks for the public.
Gender-inclusive language is essential (eg, use “he or she” rather than “he,” but using plural pronouns to avoid the awkwardness of “he or she” is better).
All self-promoting references must be omitted (“For more information, contact me at ...”; I’m offering NSA GA a special discount by ...”; You can get a free copy of my book by writing to me at ...”). There are ads available for this purpose.
Don’t keep us guessing—tell us what your article is about in the first paragraph. Reading an educational article shouldn’t be a chore—any more than writing one.
Make your opening intriguing. If your first sentence is strong and interesting, the others will tend to follow the same pattern, and readers will take the plunge. It’s hard to get readers involved if there’s not something there for them.
Present your points in order—one thought proceeding to another in logical sequence, one idea flowing into another from start to finish—just like in speaking.
Write succinctly and clearly. Be positive and con-versational in your approach, but make your writing sound professional at the same time. Favor the active voice over the passive. Remember, the best way to write and the best way to speak are not always the same. The most effective style is a natural one. Stiff, formal writing is old-fashioned and has little place in today’s cyberspace world. Writing that’s pompous and puts on airs will cause the reader not to take the message seriously. This doesn’t mean you have to be dull, of course. It just means that, no matter what your purpose, a friendly, conversational style will make it more effective, clearer, simpler, briefer and more likely to succeed.
Distinguish opinions from facts. Your opinions may be the most intelligent in town, but they’re not facts. You owe it to your readers to let them know which is which. Be honest and don’t exaggerate. It will get you further in the long run.
If you have an important point to make, don’t try to be subtle or clever. “Hit the point once. Then come back and hit it again. Then hit it again with a tremendous whack.” (Winston Churchill)
When you have completed your submission, ask yourself, “So what? What good will this do professional speakers?” and make sure your article answers it clearly.
Soundly Speaking staff:
Editor: Kay duPont
Photographer: Donna Satchell
Book Reviewer: Dr. David Ryback
Regular Contributors: Dick Biggs, Pat Veal, Christina Parker
