Heather Flyte

I’ve been reading on and off about this problem, from the Associated Press’ ridiculous attempts to control content, newspapers closing left and right, and others just hanging by using furloughs and layoffs. So I’m going to tackle this problem head on, right now, and solve it for everyone, almost.

1. Loose the Huge Advertising Staff

Get rid of the multi-layer advertising department. There’s no longer a need for multiple managers and VPs. Trim down your staff to those sales people with good reliable LOCAL business contacts and stop worrying about the national print campaigns. Get your sales team some basic training on selling for online markets and focus LOCALLY. Your local businesses aren’t getting the exposure they need.

2. Focus On Local News ONLY

Let the AP fiddle around with DRM-laden, mislabeled national stories. Your readers don’t want to read about that in the local news anyway. They want the LOCAL ANGLE. Remember when you used to write up those PTA meetings – do it again! Readers like nothing more than to see their names in print (or on screen). Focus locally.

3. Editors Need To Engage More

Editors can spend less time laying out pages no one will read, and focus more on engaging readers in a discussion about the local news. Keeping readers talking about any particular article keeps them coming back to be part of the action. Focus on how the story affects the local community, encourage community discussion and you’ll discover new story angles for future articles that you never knew existed.

4. Free Your Reporters

Give your reporters ownership of the stories they write. Release them from non-compete contracts. Give the writers the responsibility to market the republishing of their work and the burden to make sure it’s not copied elsewhere. Ownership leads to quality (at least in the crafts). If reporter from newspaper A wants to resell his piece to newspaper B, let him, as long as it runs on newspaper A’s site first (with an agreed upon embargo for newspaper B). Reporters can go back to competing over scoops, stories and beats and we’ll all wind up with more quality news.

5. Become A Print Shop

You know that big hunk of iron in your basement? USE IT! Use that left over advertising staff, editorial art staff, and press staff to become a print house for the community. People still need quality posters, magazines, fliers, catalogs, newsletters, etc. Diversify your operations and become an actual living part of the community, instead of it’s distant observer. You can also expand this idea into offering digital services (web sites, marketing, etc) to your community as well. Let organizations create blogs on your site, have a robust and FREQUENTLY UPDATED community calendar that becomes the go-to place for what’s going on in your area.

6. As In The Advertising Staff, So In the Editorial Staff

How many editors does it take to water down a good story? Take that number, cut it in half and redirect those people into the community focused areas of your business. Editing for online is a fluid task, there is not drop dead time. After the initial article is fleshed out, written, and “polished”, let it go. Mistakes can be fixed instantly and give your best copy editors full reign over this job. The others, let them engage with the online discussion and fill out the story even more.

These suggestions are really tailored to local newspapers, and , full disclosure, I spent over five years working for a local daily. And I loved every minute of it. But while big conglomerates knock their heads together trying to find ways of bilking more money out of readers, the little guys will get hurt the most. I want all those small papers, the papers that still actually SERVE THEIR COMMUNITY instead of serving shareholders, to take this new opportunity by the horns and wrestle it to the ground. Your community needs you, even if they’re not subscribing. The local newspaper should still remain the voice of reason in a world that’s growing ever larger and louder.

And readers – when you visit your local newspaper site, support their advertisers. Click on the links and take advantage of their offers. Tell local businesses that you saw their ad on the newspaper’s site. Become part of the conversation and part of the solution, because if you let your local newspaper die, who will speak for you?

I’ve paused my reading (read: listening) to Salem’s Lot to say Hello. I find myself busier on the weekends than during the week, since a full work day leaves me somewhat tired for freelance work. I’m still trying on different schedules to discover how I can maximize my awake time, meet deadlines, and still have some spare daylight for a sliver of a life. It’s not easy. While I’m a natural homebody, I struggle with motivation and discipline, and while those two things pal around with me while I’m working with other people, at home, it’s too relaxing. Any dreams I have of being able to work 100% from home may fall by the wayside if I can’t beat back these demons.

I’m currently working on various project: Two websites for clients (one artist portfolio site and a travel site), editing text for a friend’s media site and three sites of my own (a writer’s community site and two design blogs). I have several other ideas in development, but have decided not to put any effort into them at the present. Plenty of irons in the fire may be good for some, but trying to pull just one of them out neatly can cause a girl to get a lap full of ashes.

I read plenty of small business, freelance and “blogging” blogs to give me inspiration and tools to get the mojo going during the week, but I still find myself languishing in an after-work funk that leaves me little energy for email, let alone full on development.

How do I cure this? It’s not a question of not wanting it more. In the great words of Amy Poehler “yes, if only I had wanted it more!” No, it’s a deep seeded “procrastinative” future casting that blocks me. The “there’s time tomorrow” that stops my motivation in its tracks and sends me on the Magic Couch to see what’s being served up currently on my DVR.

Shameful, yet not. While bound and determined not to beat myself up over this lack of keenness, I’m blown if I can find a simple strategy out of it. I can surround myself with schedules, to-do-lists, deadlines, affirmations etc, but I’m such a con artist that I can outfox even myself. Being good at pulling amazing things out of thin air does not make for a disciplined craftsman, it makes for a ner-do-well jack of all trades. Heavy on the “jack”.

I’ve put off reading “Getting Things Done” because, well, it’s a rather small book and I can read it quickly later.

See? I’m hopeless. I shall continue my question for the magical key (or rune or phrase) that will quickly pull me up from “wanting to” to “doing it” and hope that in my search, this one post doesn’t ruin my future search for freelance work. (Note: I respond well to haranguing.)

Ah well, back to it then.

How do I wake up this sleeping blog? I’m glad you asked!
With my not-at-all anticipated screening at midnight of G.I.Joe. My friend asked if I was interested in seeing the show via SMS and I said “why the hell not?” I like a midnight show as much as the next person, but remember when it was usually Rocky Horror that you would see?

About the blog, I’ve used a minimalist theme that I’ll be modifying later this week once the inspiration fairy poops on my head. In the meantime, I have some exciting freelance projects that I’ll be working on, from a travel site to editing for a media site. I love getting the work, and I love my day job, but I’ve got a bunch of personal projects that have been patiently simmering, some for years, and it’s time to get everything moving at once.

We’ll see how my multitasking skills hold out, as well as my sanity.

I also plan to update this blog daily, no matter how short or dull the subject matter. I have some concrete goals that I’m working toward and hope that my blog family will help keep me on the right track and encourage me. I also want to start a “Photo-A-Day” project from my Flickr account, to keep my eye sharp and on the look out for visual inspiration in the strangest of places. (I’m thinking my first photo will be of the “highly” anticipated G.I. Joe premier.)

All in all, the rest of the year should shape up to be a great one. I’ve got a lot of projects planned, a few day trips for my own enjoyment and my Dad will be spending a month with me before Christmas time. I’m sure many a story will come from that.

See you soon.