CFC RFP: Editorship of Canadian Chess News

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  • CFC RFP: Editorship of Canadian Chess News

    CFC RFP: Editorship of Canadian Chess News

    To interested parties, The Chess Federation of Canada (CFC) is currently seeking an editor for our monthly newsletter, Canadian Chess News, starting with the publication of the June 2013 issue. The editor is an independent contractor, responsible for writing, editing and layout of the newsletter, as well as dealing with contributors to the magazine. This contractor does all the work that is entailed in the preparation of a ready-to-print copy of the newsletter in Acrobat PDF format.

    The CFC will evaluate proposals from contractors based on three components:

    1) Editorial Proposal
    (a) The proposal will be measured against its conformity with the committee report in Appendix A.

    2) Experience/Education
    (a) Chess writing (please provide samples).
    (b) Editing/magazine experience.
    (c) Education/technical know-how.
    (d) Chess strength.
    (e) Work history – coping with deadlines.

    3) Economic Proposal
    (a) Payment to editor per issue: $X,xxx.
    (b) Maximum payments to contributors per issue: $X,xxx.
    (c) Maximum payment to website newsfeed contributor: $X,xxx.

    The impending contract is 3)(a) $650, 3)(b) $550 and 3)(c) $300. The CFC will not consider economic proposals that do not conform to section 3. The CFC reserves the right to accept or reject any bid proposal received. The CFC would like to award a two-year contract with the first 3 issues of Canadian Chess News used as a probationary period. Other terms are negotiable.
    The closing date for proposals is Friday, March 15, 2013. Please send proposals to: Mark S. Dutton, President, Chess Federation of Canada at: president@chess.ca.

    Sincerely,
    Mark S. Dutton
    CFC-President@shaw.ca

    Appendix A - CFC Newsletter Committee

    The CFC President has asked our committee to provide recommendations regarding the future direction of the CFC newsletter. The committee comprises Fred McKim (Chair), Shiyam Thavandiran, Félix Dumont, Vlad Rekhson and Egis Zeromskis with ex officio member Michael von Keitz. The following is the committee's report.

    Continuation of CFC Newsletter

    The committee recommends that the newsletter continue to be offered as a resource to CFC members and the wider public.

    Access to CFC Magazine/Newsletter Content

    The committee recommends that this material be made publicly available on the CFC website. For the sake of members, however, current content, where this is defined as being less than one year from first printing, will continue to remain private. Private materials will not be password-protected, as it is the finding of the committee that this practice is simply an inconvenience to the membership.

    In order to ensure the newsletter reaches the membership, the CFC should further encourage all tournament directors and organizers to properly collect contact information on-site at tournaments.

    Content of CFC Magazine/Newsletter

    The quality of the copy should be of a standard worthy of a traditional print publication. This includes sharp photos, a logical layout, and appropriate advertising space. On the last count, the editor should actively seek out advertisements, both for upcoming events and chess-related products.

    To the fullest extent possible, the CFC should also seek to cooperate with the FQE in the production of articles, given that the FQE typically receives source materials for its own magazine in English. This would allow both organizations to stretch their budgets.

    The primary focus of the CFC newsletter should be on Canadian content. This includes, but is not limited to:

    -Canadian Championships
    -Canadian performances abroad
    -Profiles on new (and old) titled players in Canada
    -CFC rating lists
    -Canadian chess history
    -Presentation of interesting games/problems/educational materials from Canadian sources
    -Book reviews of Canadian material
    -Content produced by Canadian contributors

    Occasional exceptions should be made for top-tier events and players only, where those are understood to mean World Championships and World Championship-track events, as well as World Championship contenders.

    The committee concludes that the content currently typical of the newsletter should be vulgarized in order to appeal to a wider range of players. While it is felt that the content is generally too elitist, approximately 65% of the material should continue to appeal exclusively to players at the Class A level and above, while 35% should specifically target weaker class players, including beginners.

    Specific column recommendations include the continuation of "Coach's Corner," the revival of a “New Kid on the Block” column, the inclusion of a “Canadian Profiles” column and the introduction of a series in which masters analyze amateur games.

    In addition to that stated above, the committee further suggests a rebranding of the newsletter to “Chess Canada,” as the final iteration of the print magazine was called.

    Budget of CFC Magazine/Newsletter

    The committee recommends that the budget remain at current levels, or $18,000, with a monthly allotment as follows:

    Editor - $650
    Newsletter Contributors - $550
    Website Newsfeed Contributors - $300

    This distribution of resources should be rigidly adhered to, where the editor is ineligible to receive more than 5% of the combined contributors' budgets annually. This being in contrast to the current standard, by which the editor receives a full one-third of the contributors' budget, in addition to his own.

    Exceptions to the above would include cases where the editor is a contributor to the newsfeed over-and-above hir editorial duties and cases in which the editor is paid for articles from hir personal on-site experiences, where neither would include payments for a regular column.

    Supplemental Offerings

    The committee recommends that the CFC newsfeed be expanded to emulate ChessBase in the extensiveness of its content. If at all possible, volunteers should be sought to offer freelance materials; however, at the discretion of the governors, an honorarium for a dedicated volunteer might be advisable (see budget).

    To start, the newsfeed would have one feature article each month, expanded to more regular offerings of this nature. Pending member feedback, the newsletter might eventually be phased out in strict favour of a regular ChessBase-like feed.

    As an example of the advantages of this format, the committee points to the ease with which a “Best Damn Sports Show” countdown might be adopted. This might include “the top 50 Canadian chess combinations,” “the top 20 all-time Canadian chessplayers,” etc.

    The committee further recommends against the establishment of a members-only area on the CFC website, instead favouring open access wherever possible.

  • #2
    Re: CFC RFP: Editorship of Canadian Chess News

    'Website Newsfeed Contributors - $300"

    Can you/someone explain what 'Website Newsfeed Contributors' are exactly?
    Last edited by Michael Yip; Friday, 1st March, 2013, 07:08 PM. Reason: grammar

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: CFC RFP: Editorship of Canadian Chess News

      Originally posted by Michael Yip View Post
      'Website Newsfeed Contributors - $300"

      Can you/someone explain what 'Website Newsfeed Contributors' are exactly?
      One of the problems with the current website is that nobody is really responsible for posting timely and interesting pieces. You know this Michael.

      Bob Armstrong posts some summary information about CFC events and in the past I tried to post some International news, but have run out of steam.

      As part of the newsletter budget we are breaking off $300 per month for lets say daily short pieces. That would be $10 per day. You already do a lot of this stuff, so you could for example advertize yourself here as a potential sub-contractor, if the editor decided they didn't want to do this portion or didn't have the skill set.

      Alternatively the editor could split the $300 between different people.

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: CFC RFP: Editorship of Canadian Chess News

        Originally posted by Fred McKim View Post
        One of the problems with the current website is that nobody is really responsible for posting timely and interesting pieces. You know this Michael.

        Bob Armstrong posts some summary information about CFC events and in the past I tried to post some International news, but have run out of steam.

        As part of the newsletter budget we are breaking off $300 per month for lets say daily short pieces. That would be $10 per day. You already do a lot of this stuff, so you could for example advertize yourself here as a potential sub-contractor, if the editor decided they didn't want to do this portion or didn't have the skill set.

        Alternatively the editor could split the $300 between different people.
        Providing daily and timely original stuff on the web is key for a successful site these days. Presently the CFC and the CMA (as well as many other sites) are struggling with this problem....many organizations are spending big dollars on a magazine type format (old day technology). The CMA executive is seriously looking into making major changes in this area within the next year.

        We want to do it right and hopefully use the folks who are contributing at the present time to help us take things to the next level.


        Larry

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: CFC RFP: Editorship of Canadian Chess News

          If Jon Berry or Jean Hébert would apply and be accepted, we would maintain a decent magazine!!

          Comment


          • #6
            Re : CFC RFP: Editorship of Canadian Chess News

            Will there be a separate RFP for the Website contributors?

            Also, I know such RFPs are traditionnaly voted by the executive, but I wonder if the executive could make an exception for this important RFP. I feel that governors should have their word to say on this, as after all they represent members from their regions. For instance, the CFC magazine is now sent to close to 800 FQE members (since not all FQE members have email addresses), and this represent a non-neglectable audience for the magazine...

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: Re : CFC RFP: Editorship of Canadian Chess News

              Originally posted by Felix Dumont View Post
              Will there be a separate RFP for the Website contributors?

              Also, I know such RFPs are traditionnaly voted by the executive, but I wonder if the executive could make an exception for this important RFP. I feel that governors should have their word to say on this, as after all they represent members from their regions. For instance, the CFC magazine is now sent to close to 800 FQE members (since not all FQE members have email addresses), and this represent a non-neglectable audience for the magazine...
              The CCN Editor will make the decisions on Website contributions.
              a) They could do some or all themselves
              b) They could sub-contract the whole thing out
              c) They could have rotating contributors.

              My thought is that we would have a post each day sometimes with local content sometimes with International content. Nobody is getting rich from this. I would suggest people interested in only the web component might post on here now, so that potential RFP bidders could line them up ahead of time.

              The final decision on candidate selection is up to Mark. I am not sure yet how each RFP is to be awarded.

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: CFC RFP: Editorship of Canadian Chess News

                Originally posted by Michael Yip View Post
                'Website Newsfeed Contributors - $300"

                Can you/someone explain what 'Website Newsfeed Contributors' are exactly?
                I thought web content was going to be done with a big $25,000 that someone has previously mentioned elsewhere here(I forgot who sorry). Did that vanish? or just not really appear?

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: CFC RFP: Editorship of Canadian Chess News

                  Originally posted by Michael Yip View Post
                  I thought web content was going to be done with a big $25,000 that someone has previously mentioned elsewhere here(I forgot who sorry). Did that vanish? or just not really appear?
                  The budget for the editor is $18,000, of which $3000 has been earmarked for the website. Obviously we're willing to listen to other interesting proposals, but we are at least initially still expecting a monthly newsletter.

                  There is no $25,000. I'm not sure where that ever came up.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: CFC RFP: Editorship of Canadian Chess News

                    Originally posted by Larry Bevand View Post
                    Providing daily and timely original stuff on the web is key for a successful site these days. Presently the CFC and the CMA (as well as many other sites) are struggling with this problem....many organizations are spending big dollars on a magazine type format (old day technology). The CMA executive is seriously looking into making major changes in this area within the next year.

                    We want to do it right and hopefully use the folks who are contributing at the present time to help us take things to the next level.

                    Larry
                    The CanadaChessNews blog I just did earlier last month was a suggestion made by a friend of mine over lunch. I just sratched my head and gave it a go(crossed my fingers too).

                    Pls let me know if anything I currently do qualifies me for $s!!

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: Web Sucontractors

                      'As part of the newsletter budget we are breaking off $300 per month for lets say daily short pieces. That would be $10 per day. You already do a lot of this stuff, so you could for example advertize yourself here as a potential sub-contractor, if the editor decided they didn't want to do this portion or didn't have the skill set.'

                      Yikes CAN$300 = 66,000HUF

                      No problem if anyone wants to pay me.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re : CFC RFP: Editorship of Canadian Chess News

                        I guess you could apply then, as some others might. However, I think they would hope for more than a blog. The idea was more something similar to www.chessbase.com.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: CFC RFP: Editorship of Canadian Chess News

                          Originally posted by Michael Yip View Post
                          The CanadaChessNews blog I just did earlier last month was a suggestion made by a friend of mine over lunch. I just sratched my head and gave it a go(crossed my fingers too).

                          Pls let me know if anything I currently do qualifies me for $s!!
                          I thought your blog was great, Michael. I would suggest you review the RFP and see if you could pull the whole thing off.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: CFC RFP: Editorship of Canadian Chess News

                            Its 430am here.
                            Later I'll have a look

                            Rd8 Hansen game was just posted
                            http://canadachessnews.blogspot.hu/

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: CFC RFP: Editorship of Canadian Chess News

                              Originally posted by Fred McKim View Post
                              I thought your blog was great, Michael. I would suggest you review the RFP and see if you could pull the whole thing off.
                              I had a look at. I'm still a beginner at the web game though.

                              I just just started two more blogs and my monthly newsletter is 200+ pages regularly so my plate is pretty full already.

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