Do you need an article for your newsletter—or a press release, brochure or other written communication? If you’re not a writer, or you’re just too busy to write, Grapevine’s Editorial Team can help you “Write Now.” Just give us a call to let us know what you need.

Our editorial services include:

• Articles
• Business-to-Business Letters
• Complete Rewrites
• Grammatical Analysis
• Press Releases/Media Advisories
• Proofreading
• Shareholder Communications
• Strike-through Edits (for client proofreading ease)
• Surveys

Text and photos don’t always have to stand apart. In fact, using a large photo as background for text can be a great way to make a bigger visual impact and help your page stand out. That said, there are some important guidelines to follow to ensure legibility and a clean design:

• Keep it simple. A “busy” photo reduces readability.
• Choose a photo with an area of one color that’s large enough to accommodate the text. You may need to significantly lighten the photograph.
• Use a photo that communicates one key concept or idea and fits to the written tone of your newsletter.
• Make sure the text placed over the photo can be easily read! You may need to change the font color or point size to ensure readability.

“Your recent newsletters are fantastic! I just read the latest issues and am very pleased with your efforts. I believe the newsletters are doing exactly what I intended—providing a mix of business and personal news to all employees. Keep up the great work. I look forward to the next set of issues!”

-Senior Vice President
Fortune 500 company



Grapevine Communications is growing! We’re pleased to welcome the following three new clients into our family:

AT&T, Cyvex Nutrition and Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation

Want to join the bunch? Visit our Web site at www.GrapevineCom.com, or call us at 800-GVC-2269.

At Grapevine, our whole job is to make your job easier. Need an article to share with your readers? Here’s one to enjoy—and feel free to reprint it in your newsletter:

The day is done. It seems you've done a million things. Everything went well. Clients listened to you, the kids paid attention, and even the dog obeyed. Great feelings.

Dawns a new day—and you wake up groggy, you become a magnet for clients’ frustrations, you feel invisible, the dog spits up on the thick white rug, an associate points out a huge stain on your shirt, a selling appointment cancels, and it’s not even 10 a.m. Know what you are? Normal.

If you look around, you will find a lot of “normal.” Stuff happens to us all. To some, who seem to attract more stuff than the rest, the distractions feel overwhelming and continuous. Some try their best to turn the tide. Trying doesn't work. Doing does.

One of the surest ways to become a victim is to try. When we commit to trying to do something and fall short of a success, we can always claim, “I tried.” But be careful of the words you use. Trying doesn't pay the bills. Doing does.

The “doer” is the person who takes the bigger risk of making the extra effort. Without the risk to continue and create a victory, you create “normal.” It’s safe but unsatisfying. And worse yet, this settling for the lazy way out develops into excuse making, low energy, irritability and much more. 

A few ideas:

• Leave every part of your day with a positive accomplishment (even a small one).
• Smile and make eye contact with way more people than usual.
• Read or listen to positive books or tapes at least 30 minutes each day.
• Write out your to-do list every night before you go to sleep, whether you feel like it or not, and prioritize it.
• Go out of your way to do something really nice for someone every day.
• Develop strong enough “whys,” and the “hows” will answer themselves.
• Follow through, and do it not because you “have to,” but because you “get to.”