Kevin Slimp Online
Kevin Slimp is a favorite speaker and trainer in the publishing world. He can be reached at kevin@kevinslimp.com.

Current Newsletter

When Less is More in Newspapers

Feb 01, 2024 at 06:30 pm by INT

In late January, I had such a good time visiting with the publishers of the Wyoming Press Association at their annual convention. I spoke on a few of my favorite topics: Growi.... Read More

Predicting 2024 for Newspapers

Jan 10, 2024 at 10:45 pm by INT

Making bold predictions is easy. This year, I’ve paid close attention to forecasts by respected sportswriters in national print and online publications to see how my foo.... Read More

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Recent Columns

A few reasons some papers grow

Jan 22, 2023 at 10:13 pm by INT

I’m going to let you in on a little secret. I don’t plan these columns in advance. Most months, I receive an email from newspaper industry executive Jack Guza remi.... Read More

Design issues faced by most newspapers

Nov 16, 2022 at 11:27 pm by INT

As I write this, I’ve just returned from a trip to Marysville, Kansas, where I worked with the staff of The Marysville Advocate on their new design, which went to the pr.... Read More

Even more about Adobe Type 1 and your newspaper: Time to prepare for Jan 1

Sep 28, 2022 at 11:30 am by INT

Excuse my repetition, but for those who didn't read my column last month titled, "Planning for Adobe Type 1 Conundrum in January," there is a storm brewing, and it's not comin.... Read More

Paying Attention to Readers Yields Increased Readership & Revenue

Sep 09, 2022 at 10:00 am by INT

In 1849, French writer Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr wrote, “plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose.” (The more things change, the more they stay the.... Read More

A Tale of Two Publishers

Jul 12, 2022 at 06:31 pm by INT

I’m not that old. Seriously, I’m not. But in my work with newspapers, I’ve worked with so many younger people that I sometimes feel like Yoda (for you Star W.... Read More

4.5 Hours of Training by the News Guru at 1 Low Price!

Jul 06, 2022 at 04:23 pm by staff

In all, these videos include 4.5 hours of training for everyone on your staff. Topics include: Designing (and redesigning) better pages Creating more effective ads to imp.... Read More

Growing Readership

May 07, 2022 at 06:28 pm by INT

I had a great time last month, as I got out a little more to visit newspapers in multiple states. What I learned inspired, invigorated, and reminded me of much that is going w.... Read More

CBS and the Death of Newspapers

Mar 04, 2022 at 01:17 pm by INT

It’s late as I write this column, just around midnight. There’s nothing unusual about that. I tend to write my columns, stories, and books late in the evening. App.... Read More

Isn't It Time to Update Your Newspaper?

Feb 27, 2022 at 01:19 pm by INT

Redesigns. They’ve been on my mind a lot lately. When Ed Henninger, the undisputed guru of newspaper and magazine design, decided to retire three years ago (I never rea.... Read More

Free On-Site Training Available For Your Newspaper Staff

Jan 03, 2022 at 10:15 am by INT

In my end-of-year column last month, I mentioned that newspapers and magazines are uniquely positioned to utilize government grants to pay for on-site training. I first became.... Read More

Front Page

And speaking of upgrades, Adobe makes an announcement of its own <p>

Jun 03, 2008 at 10:26 am by staff

Adobe had its own announcement in June: Acrobat 9 is ready for public consumption. I’ve been involved in beta testing version 9 for the past year and plan to write a full revi.... Read More

Quark hopes to keep - and attract - designers with QuarkXPress 8

Jun 03, 2008 at 10:16 am by staff

Is it too little, too late for QuarkXPress? I hope not. The more competition the better, I say. Unless it’s a competing paper in my market, that is. The press releases came.... Read More

Kevin Reviews Photoshop Elements, Drive Genius 2 and Publisher Miracle Worker

May 01, 2008 at 09:36 am by staff

Help! My desk used to be under this pile of software somewhere. I keep stacking software boxes on my desk as they arrive from vendors and I can’t put off taking a few of them.... Read More

Kevin Answers Questions About Old & New Software

Apr 03, 2008 at 03:22 pm by staff

There seems to be a recurring theme in my e-mail lately. Problems related to outdated and just released applications seem to abound. Fortunately, my e-mail includes enough var.... Read More

Institute of Newspaper Technology Announces Fall Class Lineup

Mar 08, 2008 at 09:11 pm by staff

We’re in the early stages of completing the schedule for the October 9-11 session of the Institute of Newspaper Technology. If all goes as planned, we’ll have attendees repres.... Read More

Stop The Press!

Feb 29, 2008 at 03:45 pm by staff

I had a journalism teacher in seventh grade who told the class how she once ran into the press room yelling those words. Apparently, she had gotten some facts wrong while writ.... Read More

Newspapers flip over pocket size camcorder

Feb 04, 2008 at 08:40 am by staff

I asked a couple of buddies - one at a large metro paper, the other at a mid-size daily - what camcorder they were sending with their reporters these days. I got the same answ.... Read More

Association membership has its benefits

Feb 04, 2008 at 08:32 am by staff

A funny thing happened to me the other day. Not “ha ha” funny - interesting funny. My wife, who directs a non profit counseling program here in Knoxville, called to say she ha.... Read More

Similar skills, but not schedules, differentiates newspaper design from agency work

Jan 03, 2008 at 01:37 pm by staff

Each year, December offers me the opportunity to do something a little different. Because the convention and training world slows so much between Thanksgiving and New Year’s,.... Read More

You'll Need to Sit Down For This One: Open Microsoft Publisher Files in InDesign!

Dec 06, 2007 at 08:21 pm by staff

Are you sitting? Don’t read any further unless you’re sitting. The news I’m about to share requires that you be in a seated position before reading any further. OK, ready?.... Read More

Looking Toward the Future: Groups taking steps to plan for the future

Sep 25, 2019 at 04:12 pm by staff

Like many of you reading this column, I've been in the newspaper business a long time. I began delivering daily papers for the Johnson City (Tennessee) Press-Chronicle when I.... Read More

What's the Big Deal: You make a few predictions...

Aug 29, 2019 at 11:00 am by staff

Andy Warhol once said, "In the future, everyone will be world-famous for fifteen minutes." I've experienced those fifteen minutes a few times, but it comes less often these da.... Read More

Increasing Productivity by Upgrading Workspace

Apr 03, 2019 at 07:52 pm by staff

There's a question I get asked a lot by friends, colleagues and audience members at conferences. There are variations, but they all go something like, "How do you find time to.... Read More

Consider Yourself Told

Mar 23, 2019 at 07:22 pm by staff

It was a lot like other experiences I've had at conventions over the past couple of years. In March, as I gathered my backpack to head out of the room where I'd just spoken in.... Read More

Our Digital Future: I've Got It All Figured Out

Dec 12, 2018 at 01:16 pm by staff

Some of you will remember Facebook. If you're over 40, you probably visit Facebook on a regular basis. If you're like most of the college students in my life, ask a parent or.... Read More

Checking the Pulse of Journalism

Nov 01, 2018 at 01:11 pm by staff

Over the past two weeks, I've traveled from coast to coast speaking at newspaper conferences and meeting with Canadian and American journalists about what is happening at thei.... Read More

Tariffs are behind us for now. What's next?

Aug 30, 2018 at 09:41 am by staff

..... It's been two hours since I received word concerning the news that tariffs aimed at newsprint had been overturned. The first person to write me was Ron White, a retire.... Read More

Common Traits: What successful newspapers have in common

Aug 16, 2018 at 09:24 am by staff

I really didn't expect to do much traveling this summer but plans don't always work out as expected and that certainly has been the case for me. The truth is I really love wor.... Read More

Upton Sinclair would be pleased as GateHouse and Gannett build "stronger communities"

May 11, 2018 at 07:29 pm by staff

Four years ago, I decided I'd had enough. After hearing John Paton of Digital First Media speak at a few conferences, I couldn't take it any more. I wrote a column titled, "Ke.... Read More

RESEARCH: Daily vs Non-Daily Health

Mar 22, 2018 at 12:09 pm by staff

I've noticed a definite trend lately. It might be related to the increased number of industry activities I'm involved in these days, or perhaps it's just be one of those thing.... Read More