The International Costumer is now configured to operate without an editor. Articles are published as blog posts on the “International Costumer” page of the ICG website. Authors create their own posts rather than submitting content to an editor, making content available immediately (continuous publication).
We also automated aggregating recent posts into an issue of the newsletter. This eliminates the need for an editor to assemble and lay out an issue by hand. It takes only a few minutes to generate a PDF file for an issue directly from the posts. The January 2023 and all later issues are created this way.
Members who have provided an email address will periodically receive email with summaries and links to recent posts that are copied from the “International Costumer” webpage. When a new issue of the newsletter is published, members will also receive email with the issue PDF file. A small number of members who need a print edition will receive a monochrome, double-sided printout of the issue PDF file by postal mail. Issues are also available for downloading from the “International Costumer” webpage.
We are relying on officers and staff to author required announcements and reports as blog posts, which will then be included in the newsletter. Reminders can be automated to a degree. For other content, it is up to chapters, SIGs, and individual members to author posts to let other members know what they and their groups are up to. Even if an editor eventually volunteers, the only role that is not currently automated is soliciting articles from chapters, SIGs, and members, which often benefits from personal contact.
To help authors get started, I have created a “International Costumer Blog Videos” playlist on the ICG YouTube channel with videos demonstrating how to create blog posts using WordPress. To set up an author account or for advice or assistance, contact newsletter-editor@costume.org. I will create additional videos on authoring posts as needed.
Philip Gust
Chair, ICG Publications Committee
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