A couple of us are thinking of producing a local newsletter. There’s not many of us involved. We’re just going to start it as soon as possible, and hopefully it’ll attract more contributors along the way, rather than waiting for just the right amount of people. I came across the libcom page on producing your own newsletter.
Getting it out
Distribution is a piece of cake when it's free. It's just a question of getting them all out into the hands of the local population. You can do that most directly by standing in the town centre and thrusting them rudely into people's hands (with a smile on your face). And you can leave them in public places like the library and town hall (small amounts but frequently - they tend to get removed). Ask in shops if you can leave a pile on the counter. And in pubs. You'll be surprised at the positive reaction to a lively local newsletter. Keen people should also be able to subscribe for a small charge to cover postage (though since they're local you could drop them in by hand and save the stamp).
So – pubs, library, maybe from a stall... Is it worth doing door to door?
Law-abiding
Remember that you can get done for libel if you make certain claims about individuals. Get round this with humourous digs and heavy use of satire and sarcasm (think Private Eye, Have I Got News For You, etc). It is worth knowing that you cannot libel a council - so go for it!
What about using quotes from newspapers and websites? Is copyright an issue?
Production – How much does it usually cost? We’re thinking of doing an A4, double sided. Black and white will be all we can afford I guess. We have a Staples who does printing, but i’d have to check out the prices. Does anyone know any other places that would do good quality cheap printing?
