Speaker - October 2007

Putting a fine point on the speaking industry
If you want people to listen,
you have to say something.

Same goes if you want people to read something. Like Speaker magazine, for instance.

Yes, the look, the feel and the layout has changed. (Thank you Lenora Billings-Harris and Tracy Brown for making that happen last year.) And it continues to change, as I hope you noticed in your September 2007 issue. (Thank you Sally Clasen, managing editor, and Bill Van Nimwegen, graphic designer, both at NSA headquarters.)

I hope you’ll notice in this issue that what we say and how we say it also has changed. Not for the sake of change itself, and certainly not because the NSA President and Editorial Chair want to put his-and-her thumbprints on eternity. Rather, so that Speaker magazine continues to grow beyond being “just” an association publication and truly becomes the voice of the speaking industry. The NSA Board of Directors agree that we need to broaden the voice of the magazine, which means we need more people, not just members, reading and contributing to the magazine.

So, there’s more opportunity than ever for speaking professionals to provide expert content to Speaker. Each of the magazine’s features and columns, including this one, will be written by a different contributor each month. (Okay, let’s be realistic. NSA President Mark LeBlanc might be able to pull rank now and then, but I figure I’m pretty much off the hook for the rest of the year.)

The Editorial Advisory Board’s roles and responsibilities also have changed. Editorial Board Members aren’t necessarily contributors as in the past. Now, they are “Story Scouts,” always on the lookout for interesting ideas for the magazine’s seven standing columns, a cover story and three features in each issue.

Let’s see, that’s one, plus three, plus seven, times 10 issues equals . . . oh, wait . . . the Relevant Reading and Encore columns each need two, to three, to five contributions each issue, so that means I need parenthesis around the—forget it—you do the math.

If you have something to say, or know someone who does, that will help readers speak more, or speak better, we’re ready to listen. Contact any Editorial Board Member with your story idea or see the sidebar on how to submit an article pitch.

Terri Langhans, Chair,

Speaker Editorial Advisory Board

and . . . your Editorial Board Members and Story Scouts: David Avrin, Laurie Brown, Valorie Burton, Elizabeth Hagen, Linda Keith, CPA, CSP, John Storm, Orvel Ray Wilson, CSP, and Tim Wright

Make Your Pitch!

Got a great story idea? Send us your pitch. That is, tell us why your article would be useful, relevant and interesting to the speaking industry—and perhaps you’ll see your name in future pages of Speaker magazine. For editorial guidelines and article submission policies, please visit www.mynsa.org.