Rewrap the Banana

Make the last page fun

by Ann Wylie, president, Wylie Communications Inc.

You may have heard me compare a publication to a meal in a nice restaurant. (My sister informs me that I compare virtually everything to a meal in a nice restaurant.) Here's how it works:

You start with the appetizers — short, easy-to-read info-nibbles.

You progress through the entree — a hearty, filling, meat-and-potatoes course.

Then you wind up with dessert — a sweet, easy-to-digest, end-with-a-bang final page.

My "recipe" for a great back page: a 4:1 ratio of graphics and white space to text.

Walgreen World has dessert down pat: a photo of one of the company's stores with a lively callout and list of fun facts about the location. The store at 900 Canal Street in the heart of New Orleans' French Quarter, for example, averages 3,000 to 4,000 customers a day during Mardi Gras and sells up to 150 disposable cameras a week.

Need more techniques for creating a structure that makes your copy easier to read and write? Check out Ann's workshops and learning tools.

About the author

Ann Wylie runs a company called Wylie Communications Inc. Ann works with communicators who want to reach more readers and with organizations that want to get the word out. To learn more about her training, consulting or writing and editing services, call Ann at 816/997-8753 or e-mail her at ann@wyliecomm.com. Get a FREE subscription to Ann's e-mail newsletter at http://www.wyliecomm.com/newsletter_signup.shtml.

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