To expand or not to expand, that is the question.
No, this has nothing to do with summertime waistline concerns. The “expansion” I’m talking about relates to the breadth of our newsletter, i.e., should we add pages or stand pat? It’s a simple question, but with no simplistic answer. Factors must align:
Factor No. 1: Need for More Space
Two submitted articles had to be left out of the last issue due to lack of space, an increasingly common dilemma for our team. The decision on which articles to leave out often boils down to “time-sensitivity,” i.e., any connection to upcoming, near-term events. Most recently, the profile interview with newsletter team member and advertiser Susan Trabucco and an infill-development article were chosen for postponement because neither referenced a particular event or specific date. But beware of unintended consequences: space provided in this issue for previously omitted articles means that much less space is available for newly submitted articles, resulting in additional postponements—a vicious cycle.
Factor No. 2: Demand for Ads and Articles
Articles, editorials, and announcements are submitted to us by neighborhood residents, organizations, and businesses, and that number is on the rise. Examples in this issue include B-W resident Dennis Hanley’s “Letter to the Board” editorial on behalf of neighbors concerned about traffic safety issues on Wiberg Lane, the article about the newly formed “Friends of Wilshire Park” organization, and promotion of the BWNA-sponsored guided walk around the Beaumont-Wilshire neighborhood.
Adding to our volume is Beaumont Business Association (BBA), whose activities are publicized by BWNA via the newsletter in return for BBA businesses promoting and participating in BWNA events, such as Taste of Beaumont and August’s National Night Out Picnic in Wilshire Park. For example, you’ll find an article on page 4 submitted by BBA Event Planner Amy Hamdan featuring information about BBA-sponsored Dash For Donuts; reciprocally, BBA encouraged businesses to participate in Taste of Beaumont and provided staffing for a BBA information table at the event.
Editor’s Note: Let me take this opportunity to acknowledge a mistake I made in the last issue, when I inadvertently attributed the article about Hip Hop Into Shops to “Katie” Hamdan instead of “Amy.” As expected, Amy graciously accepted my apology.
Factor No. 3: Supply of Advertisers and Newsletter Team Regulars
Here’s where the rubber meets the road. It’s all well and good that factors of need and demand are in place for expansion, but what about the hundreds of dollars of additional ad revenue needed to pay for more pages, not to mention the additional volunteer writer/reporter(s) needed to help fill those pages? It’s the proverbial chicken/egg syndrome: expand now, then recruit; or recruit first, then expand?
The editor in me says go for it, recruitment will follow; the board member in me cautions due diligence before leaping. The ultimate factor will be the board, guided by your input.