College of Agriculture & Natural Resources ANR Communications & Marketing

MSU Extension Bookstore FAQs

Is it hard to get a bulletin, fact sheet or report developed for distribution through the MSU Extension Bookstore?

It is not difficult at all. We’re here to help make sure the great work that our academic staff members do is available to the people who need and want it. All you need to do to get the ball rolling is to complete the Project Request Form and send it in as directed. We’ll get in touch with you to help begin planning your project. We’ll ask questions about your audience, the need for the product, the kind of product that you want to develop, how long the information will remain accurate without requiring a revision and whether you have funding to support the development costs.

How long does it take to get an MSU Extension bulletin published and how much will it cost?

Answering that question is something like answering the question, “How much does a car cost?” There are several variables that include things like the length of the product, level of complexity, number of graphics and images used and the number of copies that might be printed.

If an author provides a completed, finalized, peer-reviewed document that is less than eight pages long (double-spaced, 12-point font, one-inch margins), has good-quality, high-resolution pictures or other graphics with permissions to use, then the process will be shorter. (You are required to have two completed peer reviews of any product that you intend to disseminate through the MSU Extension Bookstore.)

After you have completed the Project Request Form and emailed it as directed, we’ll contact you to have a conversation about the product that you have in mind. We’ll help you understand the production process and provide you with some helpful tips for completing a project with us. We will also provide you with a cost estimate before production begins.

I’m writing a grant proposal that will include developing a bulletin to sell in the Bookstore. Should I call you after I receive the grant to let you know what I need?

Please call us sooner than that! The process works best when you include us in the proposal development process. We can give you realistic budget estimates and timelines for copy editing, graphic design and printing. We’ll also offer ideas for disseminating your information that you might not have thought about.

I don’t think that I need to have my bulletin edited. I am having peer reviewers go through it and they will catch any spelling or typographical errors.

Peer reviewers are experts in the subject matter. Though they may be excellent at spelling and grammar, they are not experienced in reading other people’s work to look specifically for issues related to readability, use of jargon or consistency in terminology or capitalization. They also do not usually have experience in following a standard journalistic style.

If it is at all possible, it is highly encouraged to use a copy editor in nearly any written communication, especially those that will go to external audiences.