Boston Bimmer Editorial Policy

April 2003 Boston Bimmer


August 2002 Boston Bimmer


November/December 1999 BIMMER


July/August 1999 BIMMER


October 1999 BIMMER


January 2000 BIMMER


May 1999 BIMMER


February 1999 BIMMER


September 1998 BIMMER

Responsibilities

The Editor is responsible for the content of the Bimmer.

The Editor is assisted by several of the other chapter staff members, specifically including the Advertising Manager and Art Director.

The Editor is appointed by the Chapter President. The Editor may appoint members who agree to serve as one of the Bimmer Staff. The Editor reserves the right to make changes to any non-advertising material in the Bimmer.

This editorial policy is intended to guide submissions of materials to the Bimmer Editor. This policy has been approved by the Board Members of the Boston Chapter BMW CCA. The Editor may make small changes in this policy from time to time. Any major changes will be submitted to the Board Members for approval.

Deadlines

The deadlines for submission of material to the Bimmer is clearly printed in the Bimmer and on the chapter web site. All information must be to the Editor by the last day of the month two months previous to the issue date. For example, the May Bimmer material is due by the 31st of March. If material is late, the Editor can not guarantee that it will appear in the Bimmer, but will make a reasonable effort to include it as long as doing so will not jeopardize the timely delivery of the issue.

Letters

The Bimmer may accept and print letters to the Editor from Boston Chapter members. The Editor reserves the right to reject any letters submitted, as well as edit letters for length, accuracy, and clarity. No potentially libelous or slanderous letters will be published, nor political statements, nor negative statements about BMW dealers or other local businesses. Letters to the Editor are not required to appear in electronic versions of the Bimmer.

Content

The high quality content is what makes the Bimmer fun to read. Our content sets the Bimmer apart from the other chapter newsletters. We don't generally publish content from other newsletters (even though other newsletters reprint our articles).

Submissions
The membership is encouraged to submit original photos and stories for publication. All material intended for the Bimmer and web site should generally be submitted to the Bimmer Editor, though the Editor may choose to make exceptions on a case by case basis (for example, web site links or time sensitive announcements such as Ice Racing status). The Bimmer Editor reserves the right to refuse any items whose subject is inappropriate to the Bimmer's audience.

Subject Matter
Bimmer content is concentrated on BMW automobile related subjects, but content that is automotive or motorsports related is also acceptable. Other content may be included at the discretion of the Editor.

Copyright
All submissions of words and pictures become copyrighted by the Boston Chapter BMW CCA Inc. upon publication in the Bimmer or on the web site.

Returning Media
Any pictures or documents sent to the Bimmer Editor will not be returned unless the material comes with a postage paid return envelope.

Photographers
Upon arrangement with the Editor, members who take photographs at Boston Chapter events will be reimbursed for their film and photo finishing. There is limit of $30 per event for reimbursement, subject to approval by the Chapter Treasurer.

Election Rules

The November/December Bimmer includes the ballots for the yearly elections of the Board of the Boston Chapter. In the interests of the chapter membership, candidacy statements are printed in the same issue. The election traditionally occurs at the Fourth Quarter General Meeting. Members can also vote by mailing an election ballot (printed in the November/December issue) to the Chapter mailbox. The election results are announced in the January Bimmer, at the Holiday Party, and are available on the chapter web site.

Deadline
Each member running for office can submit an candidacy statement for printing in the November/December Bimmer. The issue deadline for election statements is the same as the deadline for the November/December Bimmer (September 30th).

Ballot
Each elected office is contested every year. The incumbent officers will appear on the ballot unless notification is received by the issue deadline. Members who wish to run for office must submit their names before the issue deadline. The names appearing on the ballot will be emailed to everyone appearing on the ballot three days after the issue deadline.

Length
Candidacy statements will be limited to around 500 words. You should be able to get your point across in 250 words. The Bimmer Editor reserves the right to edit candidacy statements for length or to make minor typographical changes. Submission of long candidacy statements will cause them to be edited by the Bimmer Editor.

Additional Statements
If you have more to say than fits in 500 words, you may give the URL of a web page in your statement. You may include whatever you wish in your own candidacy web page. You may include endorsement letters in your own candidacy web page. (As always, you may say whatever you wish during the time allotted for your statement at the fourth quarter general meeting.)

Photo
One small photo may be published with your statement in the Bimmer and on the web site. This photo must be submitted along with your candidacy statement. You may request that we run a photo that has recently appeared in the Bimmer or on the web site.

Referrals and Rebuttals
No statements other than self submitted candidacy statements will be shown in the Bimmer or on the web site. No endorsement letters will be shown in the Bimmer or on the web site.

Space Constraints
In the unlikely event that the Bimmer doesn't have enough space to run all of the candidacy statements in their entirety, the statements for candidates who are running unopposed may not be printed. All candidacy statements will run in their entirety on the web site.

Candidacy statements for national level positions are printed in Roundel, and therefore will not be published in the Bimmer, since doing so would be redundant.

Additional information for candidates is available from the Chapter President.

Advertising

Bimmer advertising guidelines are printed occasionally in the Bimmer and are always available on the chapter web site. The rate card is available from the Advertising Manager.

Selling
The Advertising Manager is responsible for selling advertising in the Bimmer.

Invoices
The Advertising Manager is responsible for sending out the advertising invoices. The Advertising Manager is responsible for follow up on past due advertising invoices. The Advertising Manager shall send a copy of all invoices to the Chapter Treasurer.

Media
The Advertising Manager is responsible for coordinating the advertisers media and materials with the Bimmer production staff. All ads must be provided to us in machine readable format.

Advertising Schedule
The Advertising Manager is responsible for making sure that the ads match the advertising schedule.

Courtesy Copies
The Advertising Manager is responsible for sending out copies of the Bimmer to all advertisers.

Advertiser Qualification
The Editor reserves the right to refuse any advertising that is objectionable, misleading, or inappropriate. The Editor will consult with the Board Members and the Advertising Manager before refusing any advertising.

Classified Ads

One of the benefits of being a Boston Chapter member is free classified ads in the Bimmer. The full Bimmer classified ad requirements and policy is posted on the chapter web site and is printed occasionally in the Bimmer. Brief classified ad information is printed in each Bimmer.

The Editor is responsible for checking that ads are only submitted by Boston Chapter members in good standing. The Editor reserves the right to reject and/or edit any classified ads submitted.