Colorado State University Extension Staff Resources

Developing Fact Sheets/Approval, Production and Review Process

(From the Colorado State University Extension Employee Handbook)

How to Initiate a New Fact Sheet

Submit the "Suggestion for New Fact Sheet" form by April 1.
In May, the Plan of Work teams approve requests for new titles. The teams also will set priorities for which titles will be printed from the Extension fact sheet budget.
Titles not printed from the CE budget may be printed if other funds are found, or they may be published in electronic format only.

Formats

All fact sheets will be available in electronic format (PDF and/or html) on the Extension Web site and/or CD-ROM.
The Web will always have the most recent version.
A fact sheet will be maintained in print if: - projected use is at least 1,000 copies per year; - information is valid for at least three years; - funds are available and/or allocated to print it.
Fact sheets that need content reviewed more often than three years will be electronic only.

Guidelines for Authors

Fact sheets are for the lay public and should be written at an 8th to 10th grade reading level.
A Extension stylebook is available on the CE Web site.
In general, printed fact sheets are no more than 4 pages. Longer fact sheets are discouraged but will be considered on a case-by-case basis if other funding is provided for the extra pages.

Production Process

Submit the completed PRAMA, peer-reviewed final manuscript and any graphics to the Fact Sheet Coordinator. The manuscript may be in WordPerfect or Word. Provide charts, drawings, etc., in their original format, or high-quality hard copy. Provide photos as slides, high resolution TIF files, or Photo-CD files.
Manuscripts must be submitted on time or they may be bumped from the print schedule. If the manuscript will be late, contact the Fact Sheet Coordinator to work out a new delivery date.
Coordinator does style and grammar edit and page layout, then returns fact sheet to author for approval. Allow 1-2 weeks for this step, depending on length, number and type of graphics, and other work in progress.
Author revises and returns fact sheet to coordinator. Repeat as needed.
If the fact sheet will be printed, coordinator sends the final layout to Publications and Printing. Allow 3 weeks for this step.
Fact sheet converted to PDF and html for Extension Web site and CD-ROM.

Review and Reprint

To ensure information is kept up to date, all fact sheets are on a scheduled review cycle.
Priorities for reprinting out-of-stock fact sheets will be set by POW teams in September if the titles will be printed from the CE fact sheet budget.
Review notices will be sent to authors based on this cycle or when the fact sheet goes out of stock.
Existing print inventory and history of both print and Web usage will be included on review notices.
Authors may choose to have the fact sheet reprinted as is, make minor changes, do a major revision (needs another PRAMA and manuscript reviews), or discontinue. Authors may also choose to reschedule the review if they cannot get to the fact sheet in a timely manner, or if there is enough inventory to last through the fiscal year.
Authors who do not respond to a review notice within six weeks will get one reminder. If they do not respond to that reminder within six weeks, the fact sheet will be discontinued. Rescheduling a review is a viable option; no reply at all is not. Department heads will be copied on all notices.
Authors may respond to review notices by e-mail, phone or hard copy.
Once a year, specialists and county offices will receive an updated list of current titles and valid versions. Outdated versions and discontinued fact sheets must be discarded.

Annual Fact Sheet Cycle

I. INITIATION AND PRIORITIES

February-April

May

POW teams review and approve/deny proposed new titles and set priorities for which ones will be printed from CE fact sheet budget.
POW chairs consolidate team recommendations into a final print priority list.
POW teams and Associate Director recruit authors for approved suggested fact sheets submitted by non-authors.

June

July

Fact sheet budget set for the coming year.
The Other Bookstore inventory report analyzed to determine which titles are out of stock or are likely to go out of stock in the coming fiscal year.

September

POW teams review out-of-stock projections and prioritize which titles will be reprinted from the CE fact sheet budget.
Tentative schedule of all titles (new and reprints) to be printed in the coming year, regardless of source of funds.

II. REVIEW CYCLE

October

Existing titles: Review notices to authors, based on priorities, inventories and whether the title is up for its regularly scheduled review.

Mid-November

Review reminders to authors who have not responded to original notice (six weeks after initial notice).

January

Discontinue notice to authors who have not responded to reminder notice (six weeks after reminder notice).

III. PRODUCTION

August-May

New titles: Authors submit final manuscripts and PRAMAs.
Manuscripts not received by April 15 are put into the pool for POW team review for the next fiscal year.
Existing titles: Authors review and revise as needed.
Production: Print and electronic. Based on priorities, print schedule, funding, reviews and manuscripts received.

Updated Monday, August 29, 2011