Speleo Digest Editor

So you want to Edit a Speleo Digest?

Editing a Speleo Digest can be a fun and rewarding "job." However, it can also be a noose around your neck that continues to tighten as time creeps on.

Before you request the actual Editor Application, please consider a few important things.

First, do you have two to four hours a week (that is every week) to contribute to this short term (no more than one year) project? It doesn't matter if your available time is early in the morning, late at night, or on the weekends. Realistically, can you afford to donate this much of your time in order to produce this publication within a year?

Second, have you assembled a team? What team?
Your production team naturally. At the very least, you will need a proofreader familiar with caving terminology. In addition, a volunteer for additional typing and scanning would be very helpful. Having direct access to E-mail is mandatory and will save you hundreds of hours in typing, scanning, and preparation time in general.

Thirdly, do you have the appropriate computer equipment to handle this job? Regardless of how good you are at the old "cut and paste," this 600 page book mandates full page scanning which can be "dropped in" to a desktop publishing program. Heck, the scanning alone may take 25% of the preparation time.

Still interested?

Here is the deal in a nutshell. The NSS (that is me) will send you a pile of newsletters from most of the Internal Organizations. You can get them on a monthly basis or as you need them. You will need to look through each one and decide which articles have permanent reference value (like cave maps and descriptions) or are just plan fun (like songs, poetry, fiction, and humor). In addition, various graphics will need to be selected and scanned to facilitate the book's layout.

If you must use typists, do NOT give your typists a massive pile. This is most demoralizing thing you can do. Instead, hand them something like three articles a week or six articles every two weeks. Keep the flow moving. If a typist can not produce, find another. Burn out is a common problem here. (I suspect your need for typists will be minimal since most Editors have email and you could get them to send you the files saving an incredible amount of time).

BACK UP YOUR ARTICLES. Save them to a "hard disk" as well as floppies.

Keep the names simple like AL-1a, AL -2b, AL-5c, for the Alabama section. In this way if you find an article you really like you can name it AL-1b to come in the beginning while the not-so-hot stuff could be named AL-9W as an example. Laying out the book becomes easier in this way too!

As you get material back from the typists, give the articles to the scanner so he/she can get going accordingly. They will need to scan all maps, graphics, logos, etc for inclusion in the articles. Use simple names and don't be afraid to write on the newsletters. They are yours to "destroy."

The Members Manual provides a grotto listing and identifies the Newsletters that each grotto produces. So if you feel something is missing, that is a good place to start. Don't be afraid to contact me. I am very familiar with the grotto newsletters and will even go to the NSS Library to aid you in your search to represent a particular state or region.