Final grades and follow-up

Hi everyone,

Okay, a quick note just to wrap things up.

Today I sent an e-mail to each of you with your final grade and the various components that go into it.

Most people did fine. I really appreciate your attention in class and the efforts you put into writing all semester long.

I will officially post the grades at UNH before noon on Friday, Dec. 20.

If any part of your grade doesn't seem right, or if you're still trying to work on thing (such as the blog), let me know.

As I mentioned in class, I'll give you until Wednesday, Dec. 18 to make up any work that's missing.

The final exams and any stray old quizzes will be given to Ellen Ruggles in the faculty office on Tuesday, Dec. 17.

She'll keep them on file for a few weeks in case you want to see which questions tripped you up or what comments were made.

Thanks again for a fun semester. It was great getting to know you a little, in class and also through your writing.

I do hope to keep in touch with as many of you as possible. Happy holidays and hope to see you around campus and beyond!

Jeff Rapsis

Notes in advance of our next class on Wednesday, Nov. 20

Hi everyone,

Okay, a quick update to keep things moving with Media Writing.

I again apologize for our non-class on Wednesday morning. As you know, my mother has been having health issues recently, and early Wednesday morning she had to be taken to the emergency roon at Catholic Medical Center. She's been admitted and is in stable condition.

Back to class: Okay, this week is when you should be writing out the actual stories that you've been proposed. I've received morals and outlines from most of you, and they all looked fine so far. I plan to be in touch with each of you on an individual basis with feedback and comments.

If you have not gotten this far with the assignment, please make time to get something together immediately so that you don't fall behind on this multi-stage project. Thanks!

In class on Wednesday, Nov. 20, you'll need to bring a print-out of your story. We'll exchange drafts, and then a classmate will read it, point out errors, and make suggestions on how it might be improved. Please print it out double-spaced so there's room for writing.

The stories should be written with simple language so that a young person can comprehend them. If you need an age range, shoot for 10 years old. That's old enough to have a good working vocabulary but young enough so that you need to keep things pretty uncomplicated.

As for length, shorter is better. At most, no more than three or maybe four pages. Please format the document so that each page is numbered and your name is on all pages.

For 'Into Thin Air,' please read the next section of the book: Chapters 9-13, pp. 157-238. Be ready to talk about it in class. Our next writing assignment will be given out on Wednesday, Nov. 20. Thanks!

I'll be in touch with all of you as we head into the weekend. Thanks again for working with me!

Jeff R.

Short notice, but Media Writing class will not meet on Wednesday, Nov. 13

Hi everyone,

Short notice I know, but circumstances prevent me from being on campus this morning. Not very happy about this but unfortunately there's no choice for me on this. My apologies to all for the short notice and for today's missing class.

The good news is that we're pretty well organized to continue on. On that, please read the next few chapters of 'Into Thin Air' and follow the assignment sheets for our next class.

I'll be in touch individually about your stories and any comments I have. This next week you'll be writing them out and bringing them to class next week for fellow students to read and comment.

A couple of students were doing make-up work this morning but I'll be in touch about rescheduling that, too. Thanks for your patience, everyone! I have to run but will be updating you later today...

Follow-up to class on Wednesday, Oct. 23

Thanks to everyone for a fun class and for welcoming guest speaker Dan Szczesny, author of 'The Adventures of Buffalo and Tough Cookie." I hope Dan's description of the realities of marketing his book was useful and enlightening.

Here's a summary of what we talked about in class. We had a few folks absent, and I've already sent them this info, but here it is for everyone...

Mid-term exam: Will take place in class on Wednesday, Nov. 6 (not Wednesday, Oct. 31). We'll discuss and have a study guide in class on Wednesday, Oct. 31.

Reading assignment: None for this week. (Just be sure you've finished the 'Buffalo and Tough Cookie' book, as we'll be using it in weeks to come.) Please bring to class 'Into Thin Air' next week, on Wednesday, Oct. 31, which we'll start reading then.

Writing assignments: We actually had TWO writing assignments. We discussed these in class and I gave handouts for each. In case you need another copy, I've uploaded .pdf versions of both assignments to Blackboard under "Course Documents." Any questions, please ask.

• For the "cover letter" assignment, the important thing (which we discussed quite a bit in class) is how your cover letter should not repeat what's on your resume. Instead, it should show how you are not only a good candidate for the job, but also that you know something about the company you're applying to, you're excited about the opportunity, and you're a person worth bringing in for an interview. That's the purpose of a cover letter.

• For the "video script" assignment, it's pretty self-explanatory. Let me know any questions.

Blogs: You should have seven posts by now, and eight by next week's class. Some folks are keeping up while others need to catch up. I'll issue a progress grade this week or next to give you an idea of what it would score if I had to grade it right now. That way, you'll know what you need to do.

Please let me know if you have any questions. Don't hesitate to contact me by e-mail or give me a call at (603) 236-9237.

Follow-up to class on Wednesday, Oct. 9

Great class, lots of fun hearing reaction to the blog posts. Here's a quick round-up of what's expected in the next cycle.

1. In 'The Adventures of Buffalo and Tough Cookie,' please read up to Page 90, or the end of Chapter 22. We'll discuss in class on Wednesday, Oct. 16.

2. The writing assignment this week is to create copy for two direct mail postcards promoting book signings to people in ZIP codes with very different demographics. It's due by e-mail no later than Monday, Oct. 14. I've pasted in the details below in case that helps.

3. Please finish reading the Ben & Jerry's book if you haven't yet. We'll be using it for writing assignments into the next month, so it's important that you be familiar with the entire book.

4. For blogs, by next class (on Wednesday, Oct. 16), I'd expect you to have a minimum of six posts, and to have taken steps to avoid Useless Blog Syndrome. (That means including images, labels, and other elements to explain what your blog is all about.) You'll be getting feedback from me this cycle, so be ready to act upon it. Thanks!

Okay, below are the instructions for the direct mail postcard assignment. Please let me know any questions. Always glad to respond and help out if needed. Thanks! Have a great Columbus Day weekend and see you in class on Wednesday, Oct. 16.

Jeff R.
jeffrapsis@gmail.com
(603) 236-9237

CA 500 MEDIA WRITING: TARGETED DIRECT MAIL COPY

Instructor: Adjunct Professor Jeff Rapsis

E-mail: jeffrapsis@gmail.com

Phone: (603) 236-9237 • Class blog: http://ca500fall2013.blogspot.com

DUE via e-mail BY MONDAY, OCT. 14

Please write copy for two direct mail postcards, each announcing a book-signing for Dan Szczesny's new book, 'The Adventures of Buffalo and Tough Cookie,' at a local Barnes & Noble.

The size of the postcard will be 6 x 9. So you have room for a maximum of 10 tightly written sentences to describe the book and get people to want to meet the author.

One postcard is going to ZIP code 17606, Lancaster, PA, which has the nation's youngest median age. Another is going to ZIP code 56593, Wolf Lake, MN, which has the nation's oldest median age. The copy should be written to appeal to the respective audiences.

Basic information for both stores for use in the copy:

Book signing: 

Thursday, Oct. 24, 2013 at 1 p.m.

Barnes & Noble

59 West Commercial St.

Lancaster, Penn.

(310) 342-2233

www.bn.com

Book signing:

Saturday, Oct. 26, 2013 at noon
Barnes & Noble
2800 Memorial Drive
Wolf Lake, Minn.
(215) 333-8866
www.bn.com

Please send the copy for both postcards to me via e-mail in a single attachment.

CHECKLIST

• Required Elements:

1. Provide basic info about the book-signing: when, where, who's invited, etc.

2. Headline that's a call to action. “Here's your chance to meet a legendary author...”

3. Text that speaks to the demographic of each ZIP code.

4. Description of the book that's tailored to each ZIP code.

5. Description of the author tailored to each ZIP code.

6. Spell the author's name correctly. :)

7. It's a 6 x 9 postcard. So keep it to no more than 10 sentences, tops.

• Remember: Brief is better. Use as few words as possible. Make every word count!

Notes for our class on Wednesday, Oct. 9

Hi everyone,

A quick note in advance of our class on Wednesday, Oct. 9.

The class agenda has been posted. You'll find it among the pages listed at right.

Also, I'm getting the writing assignments together for classes that come after this one. Here's a quick preview:

- Wednesday, Oct. 16: We'll do "long copy" advertising writing.

- Wednesday, Oct. 23: We'll try writing billboards.

-Wednesday, Oct. 30: We'll do writing cover letters for job applications.

Also, we'll have our mid-term exam as part of the Oct. 30 class. It'll be like a quiz on steroids, with a few questions and then some writing. Nothing to be frightened about, even if it's the day before Halloween.

About our class on Wednesday, Oct. 2

A photo of me last week with actor Paul Dooley, who played the father in the movie 'Sixteen Candles' and also was head writer for 'The Electric Company,' a PBS children's series in the 1970s that helped me learn how to write.

Hi everyone. Just a quick note ahead of this week's class. I'm back from my glamorous road trip to Kansas and Arkansas. Now, after a spotty September for Media Writing, we'll begin covering a lot of ground.

See you in class on Wednesday morning at 9 a.m. Lots to talk about!

Jeff R.