NCMA - Our Club Newsletter

The North Central Newsletter is one of the main elements used to communicate club news to all the club members; and it is also a communication method used to reach other Morgan owners and potential owners.

When the newsletter is published:

-- every other month throughout the year (even-numbered months). It is mailed to all NCMA members and to other Morgan owners in the Midwest, and to the AMHA Board members and to large Morgan Training stables across the USA & Canada. Copies are also sent to many saddle shops, western stores, etc. for distribution. Also copies are given out at the Minnesota State Fair and other events. Currently, about 1000 copies of each newsletter are printed.

What the newsletter publishes:

-- any kind of information that will be of interest to Morgan owners. Some examples of items that appear in the newsletter are:

What you can contribute:

One of the biggest portions of the newsletter is the news that club members send in about what is happening at their farm and in their area. This is also one of the most interesting parts to many readers.

You don't have to be any great writer, or say a lot, or write things often, to contribute to the newsletter. Just jot down what's been happening lately at your farm and send it off to the newsletter editor. Write it down just as if you were talking to your friends about your horses. Other NCMA members like to hear about horses that you have bought or sold, new foals you have had or are expecting, who you've bred your mares to this year, a new barn you've built, etc.

Remember that without your news the newsletter would be empty!

Note that farm news is not a place for advertising your farm -- it's just news of what is happening at your farm or in your neighborhood. Generally, anything that gives a price is something that belongs in an advertisement. For example "We have a new trainer at our farm; John Doe, an expert in Hunt Seat Riding" is valid farm news; but "We have a new trainer at our farm; Hunt Seat Riding expert John Doe, who offers lessons at $25/hour" would be considered advertising and the Editor would probably exclude it. If you have questions contact the Editor. Everything connected with the newsletter goes thru the Newsletter Editor. Her address is printed in the front of each copy of the newsletter as well on the contact page of this website.

What to do if you don't get your copy:

First check that you haven't moved without notifying the club treasurer or the newsletter editor. (The Post Office will not forward third class mail like the newsletter. They also require the complete address, including Rural Route #, box #, and zip code.) If you have moved, your Newsletter can be forwarded to you -- postage for this is approximately $2 per copy. If you haven't moved, then notify the club treasurer or the editor of your address and the last issue that you received; and they will check into the problem.

How to get extra copies:

Contact the newsletter editor. There are usually extra copies of each issue available for a while after it's published.

How to get a photo on the cover:

Each issue we publish a photo of a Morgan horse or owner on the cover and a write-up about the cover on the first inside page. We try to vary the cover pictures throughout the year to show the versatility of the Morgan horse. If you would like to get something on the cover, send your photo and write-up to the editor well in advance. Note that the editor sets up a tentative schedule in advance each year to ensure a variety of covers; so you may have to wait several months before you see your item on the cover. The tentative schedule for this year is:
Feb
Mares or other horse chosen by the Board
Apr
A photo from the previous year North Star show
Jun
Gelding or Stallion (auctioned at the Spring Meeting)
Aug
Foals & Sport Horses
Oct
Youth & North Star Results
Dec
Stallions (auctioned at the Spring Meeting)

What is the deadline?

Each issue is sent to the printer just after the 1st of the month before the cover date. Therefore, you must have your items into the editor before this date to be included in this issue of the newsletter. Nothing can be added after this date. The deadlines are:
Jan 1
for the February issue
Mar 1
for the April issue
May 1
for the June issue
Jul 1
for the August issue
Sep 1
for the October issue
Nov 1
for the December issue

How do I get a Correction?

Notify the Editor of an error in your ad within 30 days of publication. Corrections will be printed in a Corrections Box located as close to the front as possible in the next issue.

Advertising:

The newsletter is a prime location for ads that are directed at Morgan horse owners in the upper midwest area. A thousand copies are distributed directly to the type of customers you are trying to reach.

Classified ads are available for listing horses, equipment, clothing, tack, trailers, boarding, etc. either 'For Sale' or 'Wanted'. These ads are 45 cents per word (paid in advance) and are published in one issue.

Business Card ads are available in the back pages of the Newsletter. The size for these ads is 2"h x 3 1/2"w. They must be reserved by the February issue deadline and are printed unchanged all year. They must be provided in camera ready form. The cost is $20 per year.

Breeders Directory Listings are printed in the back pages of every issue of the newsletter all year long. These list Morgan stallions standing at stud in the upper midwest area and the bloodlines of these stallions. They also list breeders who have Morgan stock for sale or who offer boarding or training for Morgan horses. These listings cost $25 per year for up to 12 lines. They must be reserved by the February issue deadline and are printed unchanged all year.

Trainers Directory Listings are printed in the back pages of every issue of the newsletter all year long. These display ads feature trainers in the upper midwest area and the disciplines they specialize in. Ads are either 1/6 page vertical (3 1/2"h x 3 3/8"w) or 1/6 page horizontal (1 3/4"h x 7"w). These listings cost $25 per year. They must be reserved by the February issue deadline and are printed unchanged all year.

Display advertising is available at in full page (7" x 10"), half page (7" x 5"), or quarter page (3.5" x 5") sizes. Standard display ads can contain 1 photo or artwork of any kind, and are surrounded by a border. (Special features, such as additional photos, black or gray backgrounds, spot colors, etc. are available at additional charges. See the list below.)

Rates are available for a single issue, for a yearly contract (unchanged), and for a yearly contract with a changed ad for each issue. The base rates for display advertising are:

Size Single Issue 6 issues (unchanged) 6 issues (with changes)
1/4 page $ 40 (4 cents/copy)$ 180 (3 cents/copy)$ 210 (3.5 cents/copy)
1/2 page $ 55 (5.5 cents/copy)$ 240 (4 cents/copy)$ 285 (4.75 cents/copy)
Full page $ 75 (7.5 cents/copy)$ 320 (5.3 cents/copy)$ 386 (6.43 cents/copy)
Premium pages$ 95 (9.5 cents/copy) $ 446 (7.43 cents/copy)

A discount of 12% from the above rates is given to Camera Ready ads. Note that "Camera Ready" means the ad will be printed exactly as it is received. The ad copy must already be in the proper size for the space and look just the way you want it to appear.

The following Premium pages are available. Check with the Editor to reserve these pages.

Special Features
Additional Photos $ 10 each
Solid Black Background $ 15
Gray Background $ 10
Spot Colors (Red, Green, Blue) $ 20 each
Spot Colors (other colors$100 each
Difficult Layouts Quoted Hourly rates
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Last updated on Jun 06, 1998
t-bonham@scc.net