I am currently in my fourth year of authoring
a column for the Nor’easter and I have to say, it really has been both
fun and challenging. Finding the time to do it is one factor, but the real
challenge is to find a good subject to write about. Maybe it’s the fact
that I run an investment firm, but I look at the situation in terms of
“return on investment”.
You see, people in this day and age are
very busy and are inundated constantly with things to read or watch. The
advertising industry invests gargantuan sums of money to buy every morsel
of your attention that it can get. As a result, readers are very choosey
these days and if an article lacks value, the reader will quickly lose
interest and move on to something else.
So my theory about the columns that I
have been authoring says that the value of the content of the article must
be worth the investment of time spent reading it, i.e. there must be sufficient
return on investment.
My theory says that each month I must
provide an article that contains a high level of reading value. According
to my theory, there are various ways an article can provide value to the
reader. If an article contains information that is useful to the reader,
then that is value. If an article is intriguing to a reader and gives him
the enjoyment of pondering a new perspective on something, that is value
too. Value doesn’t have to be practical, it can be purely entertainment,
containing humor or an interesting story. So each time I write a column,
I consider what the reader will get out of his investment in time taken
to read the article, whether it be practical or pleasurable, or perhaps
even some of both.
One of the best subject matters is when
you have spent time learning about something, and can now share that information
with your fellow club members. For example, last year I did a great deal
of research prior to buying my racecar trailer. Afterwards I wrote an article
about what were the different types, manufacturers, what to look for, things
I wish I had done differently, etc. I wrote similar articles about installing
racing seats, harnesses, a harness bar and buying competition tires.
You’ve read this far and here is where
I’m going to ask you to consider writing an article for the NOR’EASTER.
It doesn’t matter if you’ve been a member for 30 years or just joined this
month. If you just went to your first autocross, your friends would love
to read about what the experience was like for you. If you’ve been a member
for 30 years, you could write about what the club used to be like and how
it has changed.
Maybe you just bought a racing suit or
a new helmet and learned some things that would be of interest to others.
Maybe you have some fun stories to tell about the 2000-mile trip you just
took in your 911. Maybe you’ve made some engine or suspension upgrades
to your car that worked great and you could share what you’ve learned about
that.
You don’t need to feel intimidated. We’re
a club of people just like you, so don’t be afraid that maybe you’re not
an expert. It’s good to be personal, so try not to sound like a dry, old,
dusty college textbook. Stories should contain material of interest to
the readers. In this case Porsches, or at least cars.
Dave Weber has done a fantastic job over
the years publishing our club’s newsletter, the NOR’EASTER. In fact, I
feel funny referring to the NOR’EASTER as a newsletter because it’s really
a magazine. But obviously he needs you, his fellow club members to send
him some photographs and articles; otherwise it would just be a cover with
no pages in between. So let’s all take a few photos and send Dave an article
or two. You’ll be contributing to a great magazine and I think you’ll find
that it’s fun to do also! |
