Originally published February 7, 2011
I’m going to be taking some time off from the site – not sure how long, but it will probably be measured in months rather than weeks. Nick and Arturo will still be here, writing excellent stories as they always do. I also want to take this opportunity to recruit some new writers to cover South Brooklyn’s incredible neighborhoods.
As I’ve said before, we only scratch the surface of what a South Brooklyn blog is capable of. My ultimate goal has been this: at least one person from each of the neighborhoods across South Brooklyn writing about news and events and other stories from their area, once or twice every week. As blog readers, we’d get more stories from a street-level perspective, without breaking the back of any one writer. Which is good for both reader and writer alike.
I know it’s unrealistic to recruit that many writers in a short period of time. At least not without paying them – as I’m sure you’ve noticed, we take no ad or subscriber revenue here. And it’s harder to follow “ultimate” goals when I myself am taking an extended break. So here’s my short-term goal:
Assistant Editor – If at all possible, I would like someone to take over some of the oversight and administration of the site. Nothing too strenuous – probably along the lines of giving new writers some direction on story topics or informal guides to style. Monitoring the “tips” e-mail inbox. Hitting the big blue “publish” button to move new writers’ stories to the front page. Writing the occasional witty remark on the Facebook page. If you’re an experienced writer or blogger with time and interest, let me know at tips@bksouthie.com.
Neighborhood Contributors – Here’s the roster of neighborhood beats, along with the available spots. As you can see, there are plenty. Would I like to fill all of them someday? Yes. Do I think that’s practical right now? No… but let’s see if we can get five of these spots filled, which would make seven writers along with Nick and Arturo.
Topic Contributors - If you’re interested in writing about a subject that reaches across neighborhoods, let me know. And if you’d rather go in the direction of the ultra-niche – for instance, writing ONLY about music in a specific neighborhood – that would be cool, too. Along those lines, it would be nice if someone could pick up the weekly Aviators roundup and/or the weekend subway alerts.
If you’re interested, please contact us at tips@bksouthie.com.
I am pleased to announce that BK Southie, the website that I’ve published for over two years to cover news and events from around southern Brooklyn, is being renamed and relaunched as Bay Ridge Odyssey. This ends the “soft re-launch” phase of the site that began in November when its six-month hiatus came to an end. The Odyssey will have the same mission of bringing you news, events, and photos relevant to the community, and do so specifically for Bay Ridge and Dyker Heights.
I’ve started a new Facebook page for BK Southie. It’s the kind of page that you “like” as opposed to the page that you’re “friends” with. Don’t worry – you’ll always be my friends. But having a “friends” page meant having two different Facebook IDs, and for someone who Loves & Hates The Facebook at the same time as I do, one ID is plenty.
