HOW TO PUBLISH YOUR OWN LITERATURE
by John Doe, USA Assoc. Director website:
http://usawhq.cjb.net
The first step in having
a visible presence and attracting new recruits is often getting your
information into print. This can seem a daunting task and is often something
that people half do but in fact it is quite straightforward to produce
high quality publications. The thing is to start small, do a leaflet
for instance to begin with for a large gathering and perhaps an 8 page
newsletter to sell. I'll start by talking about leaflets.
Writing: Writing an article
or leaflet is never as difficult as it seems. Start off by jotting down
a few facts you want to get across and two or three arguments you want
to make. Have a look at articles on similar subjects for ideas and if
it's a current issue at recent newspapers for facts. Write an introduction
paragraph that will grab peoples attention. Try and make it current
and saying something they don't know, a lot of people will just look
at the first paragraph and unless it's interesting, won't read on. If
you're really stuck leave this to the end. Then put together the facts
and arguments you wish to make. Keep your sentences short and free of
jargon. Keep your paragraphs short as well, three or four sentences.
Each paragraph should make no more than one argument. Think about the
people who will be reading it. How much knowledge can you assume they
have about the subject? You're better off under-estimating this slightly
than over-estimating it. Try and finish off on a practical note, perhaps
telling people of a good web site or advocating a particular set of
tactics. Steer clear of cliches as endings unless that's the central
point you're making.
Now you should have a draft
article. Read through it a couple of times and make the following changes:
Do you support your arguments with facts or reason or do they just sound
like slogans? Have you expressed yourself in a straightforward manner
or are some of your sentences convoluted and unclear? Do you repeat
yourself or can you rearrange the order of the paragraphs so your argument
flows more clearly? What is racialist about what you are saying? How
can you emphasise your racialism better within what you are saying without
appearing demeaning? Is the overall impact positive and constructive
or do you just appear to be giving out about what other people are doing?
You'll find each time you re-read it you'll see a slightly better way
to say things. This makes the difference between an interesting piece
and a boring piece. Have a look at the editing part below for more things
to watch out for.
Editing: Writing can be
the easy part, the hard part is giving your work to someone else to
look at and correct or suggest amendments. But again, this is a vital
part both because everyone reads things in a different way and they
will spot odd-sounding phrases you won't, and also because we all make
mistakes which other people can pick up on. In a new group the process
of editing, if correctly handled, can make a big contribution to the
political development of the group. When you're editing, be careful
to respect the writer's work while pointing out problems you see with
it. There's nothing wrong with making mistakes and sometimes they may
be right. The editing group should be willing to discuss suggested changes
fully. Keep editing and proofreading separate, there's nothing worse
then having your spelling constantly corrected in a session that's meant
to be looking at the political or factual content of your work. Note
down exactly the agreed-upon changes and see if the sentences still
make sense when they are put in. Your suggestion of a wording or a fact
possibly could be better expressed by trying to suggest the alternative
wording. Points to look for when you are editing: Do I agree with what
the leaflet is saying? Is the leaflet convincing or do the arguments
need expanding on and are more facts needed? Do we assume too much knowledge
on the part of the audience? Are there irrelevancies which could be
cut or boring bits which should be re-written? Is it positive and what
message does it get across? Does it present a positive image of the
movement and will it promote interest? Is it the right length for the
available space?
Proofreading: Proofreading
is one of those things that some people are good at and some people
are useless at. But it's very important to do it as when you write something
it can be very hard to see even very obvious mistakes. If you give out
something with a lot of mistakes then that is what people will remember
about it rather then its content. The edited text of a leaflet should
always be proofread before it is produced.
Layout: You may be lucky
when it comes to layout and have someone with computer skills, a computer
and a printer, in which case they will be able to use a package like
Pagemaker or QuarkXpress to give you a very professional looking layout.
If you lack these though, you can still do a lot with a typewriter,
a sharp blade, letterset and some glue. If you can only use word processors
you can still do a lot by mixing the techniques. First of all, in general
you want to have a big headline, text in columns and a graphic. Don't
try and squeeze too much text in or people won't read it. If you have
access to all the computer skills and equipment then just go ahead and
do it. If you don't, find some way to learn and get access, as it will
make life much easier. Meanwhile, here's how it was done in the old
days. If you only have partial computer access/skills then mix what
you have with what's below for the best results (e.g. many people will
not be able to computerize graphics, but can use the cut and paste method
below). Get a piece of paper and with a light blue pencil rule out columns,
margins, space for a headline and a graphic. Measure the column width
and type your text so it is the same width (either on a typewriter or
word processor). NB Light Blue pencil marks do not show up when you
photocopy or print. Then with a sharp knife, cut out the columns and
put them to one side. With graphics, try and get one that is just black
and white if you are photocopying. Racialist magazines/papers are good
sources. Build up a clipping library. If you have to use a photo, try
and use one that has been screened (i.e. from a newspaper, you should
be able to see that it is made up of many dots) and has a lot of contrast
in it. Otherwise you may end up with a black smear. Most photocopiers
can be used to enlarge or reduce the photo to the size you require.
A computer equivalent of a clipping file is to keep copies of all the
good graphics you find on racialist web pages and convert them into
pics (mac) or bmps (pc) which most application will read. For a headline,
either print one out in a big text size using your word processor or
if you don't have one, use letterset. Letterset consists of rub on letters
and can be bought in most art or stationary shops. It's a pain to use,
but looks much better then a normal size type headline. Carefully rule
out a guide line and rub the letters down along this line. Next stick
your columns and graphic down in the space provided.
Printing / Photocopying:
Be careful to leave enough time to get this done before the event you
intend to distribute the leaflet at. If you have access to cheap photocopying
where you live, (try print shops near college campuses for the best
rates) then this is normally the cheapest way to print up to 1,000 or
so copies. Check out community centres, student unions and office workers
for cheap / free photo-copying. Otherwise, you'll have to find a cheap
printer. Generally, print shops are very expensive although they may
be more willing to deal in short runs. Find out where other local groups
get their stuff printed; there may well be a sympathetic print shop
in town. Make sure you have given the printer clear instructions, that
everything is well stuck down and that it will be ready in advance of
when you need it. Arrange for someone to pick up the material as soon
as it is finished.
Distribution: Drop leaflets
around record shops, libraries, bookshops or anywhere else where free
newspapers etc. are left.
[I believe it is now illegal
to place pro-White literature in with free newspapers/magazines. - Axl
Hess]
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