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

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

The Great Digital Divide: daily & weekly publishers view digital benefits very differently.

Feb 14, 2018 at 10:52 am by staff

During a keynote address at the Kansas Press Association convention in February, I presented the results of my annual survey of newspaper publishers in the U.S. and Canada for.... Read More

Differences between healthy and unhealthy newspapers

Jan 17, 2018 at 10:30 am by staff

As I sit in my hotel room in Gloucester, VA, I can't help but think about the 2018 version of our annual newspaper publisher's survey from the Newspaper Institute. As is often.... Read More

Front Page

What (or who) to believe about the state of newspapers

May 11, 2017 at 02:48 pm by staff

I don't know about you, but my life seems to get busier with each passing day. I just finished publishing my second book in a month, began work on a major project to help rais.... Read More

Closer to home: Health of newspaper largely depends on ownership model

Feb 23, 2016 at 01:00 pm by staff

It sounds like the beginning of a bad joke: "What do you get when you gather 760 newspaper executives and ask them how things are going at their papers?" That's just what I di.... Read More

Dancing with the one who brung me: Answering questions from readers

Jan 13, 2016 at 06:30 pm by staff

An editor in South Carolina wrote to me yesterday, "I'm always amazed at your productivity." I get that a lot these days. Since yesterday, I've written an opinion piece that's.... Read More

In 2015, I visited a lot of Successful Papers

Dec 22, 2015 at 01:08 pm by staff

I've been training and advising newspapers for 21 years, every since Larry Smith asked me to come look over his operation in LaFollette, Tennessee back in 1994. I worked with.... Read More

The best word to describe Minnesota Newspapers: PHENOMENAL

Nov 18, 2015 at 09:40 am by staff

The best word to describe Minnesota Newspapers PHENOMENAL There's a reason I love my work so much. There's a reason that there are folks around the country waiting for me to r.... Read More

Dead at Deadline!

Aug 26, 2015 at 09:00 pm by staff

In retrospect, I love the email subject line: "Dead at deadline." The email came to me at 6:15 last night, just as I was getting ready to take my two teenagers out for dinner..... Read More

Newspaper Hall of Fame unveiled July 17

Jul 20, 2015 at 02:58 pm by staff

The Tennessee Press Association Foundation did it. On Friday, July 17, 2015, the new Tennessee Newspaper Hall of Fame was officially unveiled at a celebration that included pu.... Read More

Adobe Bridge: There's a surge in interest

Jul 03, 2015 at 01:24 pm by staff

When a person visits as many newspapers as I do, he starts to notice similarities. It used to be that most papers wanted staff training in InDesign (or QuarkXpress in years pa.... Read More

Top four reasons some newspapers aren't having a good year

Jun 20, 2015 at 12:16 pm by staff

"It's a quarter to three," sang Frank Sinatra, "no one in the place 'cept you and me." I'm not sure why that song comes to mind. It might have something to do with the fact th.... Read More

Thinking about your newspaper's future

Jun 02, 2015 at 11:19 am by staff

I don’t know about you, but I’m not much of a sitter. By that, I mean I can sit through speech for a few minutes, but then I usually start to get bored. That’s when my mind st.... Read More

Adobe Plans to Get Rid of Type 1 Fonts

Apr 30, 2021 at 01:00 pm by INT

Start making plans now about transitioning your Type 1 fonts “Out with the old and in with the new!” We’ve all said it, and the idea of replacing outdated.... Read More

Improving Ad Design to Increase Revenue

Mar 10, 2021 at 12:30 pm by INT

It’s obvious that everyone wants to increase revenue. I own a publishing company and I can attest that 2020 was a terrible year, in terms of revenue. Unless you live in.... Read More

Affinity Publisher Primed to Take Business from InDesign

Mar 09, 2021 at 12:30 pm by INT

It’s been a while since a column has drawn as much response as my November review of Affinity Publisher, the layout application that has so many designers, editors and p.... Read More

Kevin makes His 2021 New Year Predictions

Jan 07, 2021 at 04:19 pm by INT

As I write this column, vaccines are beginning to make their way to first responders, the New Year has begun, and maybe – just maybe – the world is seeing a light.... Read More

Affinity Publisher: Is it ready for prime time?

Nov 17, 2020 at 02:15 pm by INT

A few years back, I received an email from Nebraska publisher Rob Dump about a design application he’d read about named Affinity Publisher. He asked if I thought he migh.... Read More

Why are Some Newspapers Growing? Answers from publishers at growing papers

Nov 05, 2020 at 03:15 pm by INT

Over the past few weeks, I’ve spoken (virtually) at five state and regional press association conventions. In all but one, my leadoff topic was “What’s Going.... Read More
Slideshow

Kevin answers questions about colors, photo settings, paragraph styles and ligatures

Jul 06, 2020 at 12:15 pm by INT

So, what do professional speakers do during a pandemic? I can’t speak for all the speakers in the world, but among other things, I’ve been leading a lot of webinar.... Read More

Finding Ways to Generate Revenue

Jun 20, 2020 at 09:15 am by INT

It’s a crazy time for all of us. I’m not telling you anything you don’t already know. Like many of you, I’ve been working out of my home office for six.... Read More

No Bull: What works and what doesn't

Mar 29, 2020 at 05:32 pm by staff

I will remember fall '19 as a season of research. I was involved in two major newspaper studies: one related to Millennials for North Dakota Newspaper Foundation and one to de.... Read More

Affinity Publisher and IDMarkz: One thumbs up, one thumb sideways

Feb 01, 2020 at 05:29 pm by staff

I spent my morning writing about mergers, buyouts, and bankruptcies. I don't know about you, but I'm ready to spend a few minutes on something more fun. For the past three or.... Read More