How to Write Family Newsletters

Writing family newsletters is a great way to let your relatives know what you are doing and gives you an opportunity to connect with those who live in distant parts of the country. Of course, writing a family newsletter isn't as easy as throwing together a quick note to one of your friends; since it will be seen by the majority of your family members, you'll need to put some thought into it.

1- Let everyone know you are doing it several months in advance.

Most family newsletters include contributions from several different family members rather than updates from just one. If you want to have the maximum number of contributions, you need to tell everyone you are writing a family newsletter at least five or six months in advance so they'll have time to write their "article" and send it to you.

2- Give family members a word limit.

Unless you don't mind writing a 50-page family newsletter, you'll need to give your relatives a word limit on what they can submit about their own lives. Usually, you can get away with 250-500 words each, depending on how many family members are likely to contribute. If you don't want to give a limit, but can't afford the costs of printing long newsletters, you might consider an e-newsletter if everyone has access to the Internet.

3- Ask for photograph submissions.

Family newsletters are always more fun to read when they include pictures of your family members next to their written contributions. Even relatives who don't want to write anything can submit updated pictures of themselves, their kids, their pets and their homes. This helps everyone in the family stay connected and it makes the newsletter more interesting.

4- Include a "congratulations" section.

In addition to the written updates on family members, you might want to include a "congratulations" section in your family newsletter. This section lists the dates of birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, awards and other interesting dates in the lives of your relatives. You can also include a commemoration section that talks about the lives of family members who have recently passed away.

5- Print on good-quality paper.

Unless you are writing an electronic family newsletter, you should print the document on good-quality paper so that the newsletter will last for years to come. You might want to take your newsletter to your local printing store, such as Kinko's, if you want to add a professional touch to the document. Your newsletter can simply be stapled sheets of paper or you can write it like a real newsletter with a fold down the center line and again halfway.

6- Use large fonts.

This is especially true if you're writing a family newsletter that will be sent to elderly relatives. You want all of your family members to be able to read the newsletter, so print in blank ink on white or ivory paper with a sufficiently large font so that everyone can read it. I would also recommend leaving plenty of white space (say, between letters) so that the newsletter itself isn't overwhelming to the eye.