ASCM aims to produce JG three times each year. As there has been no editor found since Clare resigned the position in April, there have been no more JGs this year. At the General Committee meetings in Perth in July it was agreed to appeal for an editor or editorial team, in the hope that the magazine can be kept alive. If we are to get an edition printed in time for Orientation Days next year, we need to act NOW to get that underway. O-day editions need to be in the mail the first week in February to reach O-days in all states.
Also, if you are able to send in a contribution for the next issue ('Tenting'), that would be great. The reflection questions are at the bottom of this page.
I have been asked to produce a break-down of the tasks involved in JG editing, to assist anyone considering getting involved. This list is below. If you are keen to take on just a little of the job, please let us know which bit/s you might be up for. Ultimately we will still need someone to put their hand up to be the central coordinating editor, however many volunteers there are to share the workload around. If a team can get going by the end of the year we might just pull off an O-day 2008 edition.
Please consider whether this is a way you can contribute to the ASCM.
Thank you,
Clare Menck
Development Worker (WA) and outgoing JG Editor
Australian Student Christian Movement
What's involved in producing an issue of JG?
- Come up with a 'theme' and produce reflection questions on this theme to help people think about what they will write [for inclusion in the previous edition. The theme advertised for the next edition was 'Tenting']
- Gathering material for inclusion. This includes:
- chasing up people who offer to write;
- inviting guest writers on specific topics (sometimes from outside ASCM);
- leaning on students & others to suggest they write (a big component, as outright offers of articles are not always forthcoming);
- chasing up all ASCM delegates to WSCF events to ensure they contribute a reflection to JG on their return;
- chasing up state reps for local news;
- liaising with the Friends network to keep up with Friends news, including gathering obituaries;
- liaising with ASCM officers to include news from events and projects (eg. Human Rights officer; women's officer)
- being a member of all ASCM e-mail lists to keep up with what is happening nationally, and following up with individuals where something mentioned on a list sounds interesting for expanding in JG.
- Checking contact details and other material in the Template is up to date.
(For the 'Tenting' edition, we already have two 'tenting'-themed articles, a report on national conference, an introduction to our new national coordinator Annabel Dulhunty, two book reviews, and a handful of Friends news. Two WSCF-event delegates are yet to write a reflection, and one promised 'tenting' article has not yet been written. Chasing is needed for Friends news, local news, more 'tenting' articles/ contributions, possibly a guest writer or two, and ASCM officer input) - Editing the material that is submitted for content, grammar and style. (Editing guidelines have been produced and are available for potential editorial team members).
- Sourcing photos and other pictures to illustrate the magazine - especially finding an appropriate cover image. (This is a surprisingly time-consuming aspect of the job, and one that could easily be taken on by one person as a simple contribution)
- Doing the layout for the magazine. (I developed a template, which is in Word and uses mostly columns and text boxes, and this is available for potential editorial team members) The electronic document is produced as a pdf for the printers.
- Getting material into a form that can be linked to the web - text versions of articles; photos as separate files; pdf magazine - all to be sent to ASCM Web Weaver.
- Delivering pdf file to printers; managing print order (inc. ensuring recycled paper is used; liaison with ASCM treasurer re payment of account); picking up finished magazine.
- Arranging mailout. This includes:
- Printing labels for mailout (ASCM Database Coordinator currently does this and sends them all to whoever is doing the mail-out).
- Printing 'renewal' slips for those whose subscriptions have run out. (Template available)
- Ensuring sufficient stamps and envelopes are purchased in advance. (I have some spare to hand on)
- Mags into envelopes; labels to envelopes; renewal slips in the appropriate ones; stamps on envelopes; ASCM return to sender stamp on all
- Post-office run: arranging overseas and bulk mailings.
In addition to these specific tasks for a particular edition of the mag, there are also a few ongoing tasks: - Editorial oversight: ensuring the mag is in accord with ASCM's core values (open, active, ecumenical, critical) and, within the parameters of not being offensive, allows many different viewpoints. This is both about keeping an eye on what IS included in the mag, and also watching for gaps and, if necessary, soliciting articles on specific issues to ensure it stays roughly representative of what we are about.
- General admin - being the point of contact, answering questions, liaising with other ASCM officers.
How much time does that translate to?
I can only comment on how much time it took ME. It is quite possible that a very
good magazine could be turned out in less time than I took, as I am something of
a perfectionist around it. The first issue I produced took at least twice this
time, as everything had to be learnt, so I would recommend that anyone taking it
on does at least three, to build on what they learn the first time.
For most of the year JG is a commitment of about an hour a week, which includes
general admin as well as picking away at soliciting articles for an upcoming
issue.
In the week of a submission deadline this stretches out to prob a day or more -
chasing up those who have promised articles, chasing state reps for news for the
mag, checking contact details for the mag are correct, etc.
It then usually takes me about 2 days to edit what has come in, which can
stretch longer where I need to go back to the author.
Turning all that material into an actual document takes 1-2 weeks, which I guess
is about 4-5 days of full-time work spread over that time. Usually at least a
day of that is sourcing pictures (from the web, mostly) to illustrate articles,
and chasing up copyright permission to use images in book/ movie reviews.
Finding an appropriate cover photo almost always takes longer that I anticipate,
and writing reflection questions for the upcoming issue can take a while too.
Once the mag is at the printer, there is usually a 2-4 day wait to pick it up,
then a 3-4 hour session preparing the mail-out (much less if shared by a few
volunteers - six of us got it done in half an hour once!) The post-office run
takes about an hour to sort out all the international and odd weight letters.
(John 1:14)
The next issue of Jubilee Grapevine will explore the topic of Tenting. We would love to include your thoughts, articles, poetry, artwork, photography, or random ramblings around this topic. To get you reflecting:
- From marquees to single-dome swags, circuses to soldiers, refugees to revival meetings? Tell us your tenting stories!
-
What does it mean for our engagement with our fragile, violent,
yet also beautiful world, that God became a human being and came to live with
us? How do we value each other in this context? How do we relate to God?
(If this is not your theological understanding of the Jesus stories, how do you interpret them, and how does your interpretation influence your involvement in the world?)
- Even long-term travellers often have a whole house somewhere else full of stuff. If you really needed to pack your life into a tent, what would be worth taking? How attached to your possessions are you? What is the appeal and/or challenge of simplifying your life? Is it solidarity with the poor or just being cheap?
- How is our Christian faith and culture shaped by our sacred texts featuring stories of nomads in tents?
- Isaiah describes God 'stretching out the heavens like a curtain, like a tent to dwell in' (40:22); Contemporary wisdom knows you don't mess inside the tent. How do we live well together within this 'tent' we have been given?
- Part of the appeal of camping is a sense of getting close to the earth somehow. What is your sense of connection with the land? Is a bit of tenting essential to retain this connection? How do you stay connected while living in the city?
- What attracts or repels you about permanence/ impermanence? How strongly do you seek security, physical or otherwise?
- Wikipedia lists the primary meaning of 'tentmaking' not as constructing polyester shelters but 'the activities of any Christian who, while functioning as a minister, receives little or no pay for his or her church work, and supports him or herself by additional, unrelated work', primarily with regards to evangelism, based on the purported practice of Paul.
- How do you respond to this concept of 'tentmaking'? [Does your view of Paul change at all if Paul was making tents for the Roman Army? (which seems pretty likely - eg. http://lists.ibiblio.org/pipermail/corpus-paul/20031206/004588.html)]
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