How to submit material to the Washington Island Observer
USE EMAIL FOR ALL SUBMISSIONS
Please submit via email, either as the text of the email or as an attachment. It must be submitted in a format that the Observer can manipulate and edit electronically, such as a Microsoft Word document (.doc or .rtf). If something is brought to the office handwritten or typed on paper, there is a possibility of a delay or a mistake because it has to be retyped.
OUR EMAIL ADDRESSES
The email address for all display ads is ads@washingtonislandobserver.com.
The email address for classified ads, boxholders, subscriptions, change of address and all business-related matters is: office@washingtonislandobserver.com.
(Don’t worry too much if you’re uncertain which of the above two emails to use. We will be sure to re-route, if necessary.)
The email address for stories, photos, letters to the editor/opinion pieces, and all other written content is: editor@washingtonislandobserver.com.
DEADLINE
All submissions need to be received in the Observer office (or to above noted email addresses) by noon on the Tuesday of the week before the newspaper’s Thursday publication date. In other words, submissions need to be received at least 10 days before the date of the publication. Earlier submission is always better because it allows time for questions and clarification of details, if necessary. The Observer is published weekly during July and August and alternate weeks the rest of the year. A calendar of deadline and publication dates is available on our website: www.washingtonislandobserver.com. If you have questions, please call the Observer office at 920-847-2661.
Items for Calendar of Events and Happenings
These regular columns in the Observer provide a way for readers to keep up with activities and entertainment on Washington Island.
When you send an item for Happenings or for the Calendar of Events, please include the following information:
- Event name
- A brief description of the event (about 30 words)
- Date or dates
- Time
- Location of event
- Cost, if any, and need for prior registration, if applicable
- Contact information — person, phone number, website, email address
Please remember:
- Events must be open to the public and should be one-time events. (There is a separate section for recurring events; if you have a recurring event, please submit it with the same information included as stated above and note that it is a recurring event.) Events that require prior registration will not be included in the Upcoming Events list. They may, however, be listed in Happenings.
- Descriptions will be rewritten or shortened if necessary to fit space available.
- Events can be added or removed at any time by the Observer.
- Descriptions may be combined if they are being held at the same location on the same date.
Press releases
The Observer accepts press releases, but it reserves the right to use a press release or not. Also, the Observer may not use every part of a press release and reserves the right to edit it.
When submitting a press release, please follow these guidelines:
- Include answers to the basic questions of who, what, where, when, why and how.
- Try to interest the reader by writing a good first sentence.
- Put the most important information at the beginning of the press release, not the end.
- Write simply and clearly. Please do not use italics, underlining, lots of capital letters, unessential quotation marks, exclamation marks and other decorative formatting.
- Proofread the press release for spelling and grammar. Pay close attention the spelling of names.
- Put a date on the press release and indicate whether it is for immediate use or for use at a later date.
- Send the press release via email or bring it to the office on a disk. It must be submitted in a format that the Observer can manipulate and edit electronically, such as a Microsoft Word document (.doc or .rtf). Do not send a press release in portable document format (.pdf).
Press release or article placement cannot be guaranteed and is based on newsworthiness, space available and other editorial considerations. For more control over content and placement, please consider running a paid ad. For more information, call the Observer at 920-847-2661 or email to office@washingtonislandobserver.com.
Letters to the editor and opinion pieces
The Observer welcomes letters to the editor. Because the Observer covers news “all about the Island,” letters to the editor should also be “all about the Island.”
When you send a letter to the editor, please:
- Make sure it says “letter to the editor” somewhere in the text or the subject line.
- Limit the length to about 300 words.
- Include your name, place of residence, phone number and email address.
When you send a longer opinion piece, please:
- Make sure it says “opinion piece” somewhere in the text or the subject line.
- Limit the length to about 750 words.
- Include your name, place of residence, phone number and email address.
Letters to the editor and opinion pieces may be edited for space, clarity and factual accuracy. They must be submitted in a format that the Observer can manipulate and edit electronically, such as a Microsoft Word document (.doc or .rtf). The Observer will confer with contributors about edits to the extent that deadlines allow. The Observer will make every attempt to print every letter it receives, as long as it meets the guidelines above. If necessary, the Observer also reserves the right to select which letters are printed.
Photo submissions
The Observer welcomes photos submitted by readers, residents and visitors. When sending photos, please:
- Submit via email attachment or on disk, if at all possible.
- Send the photo in one of the following formats: .jpg, .gif, .tif, or .pdf. (Prints are accepted, but digital photos are greatly preferred.)
- Attach the photos separately to the email; do not embed them in other programs or documents.
- Check that the resolution of the files is at least 200 ppi. Most photos on the web are 72 ppi, which is not large enough for newspaper reproduction. In general, the larger the photo file, the better it will look in the newspaper.
- Include information for captions along with your photos, such as the names (spelled correctly) of all individuals in the photos (left to right, according to rows, or some other way that is easy to understand), the place the photo was taken, the date the photo was taken, etc.
- Provide the name of the photographer.
