Tuesday, June 06, 2006

Be Published at LoadedO--Contribute to the OWire

As you've heard both of us declare repeatedly, we are bound and determined to make Loaded Orygun a truly statewide blog, reporting and speaking to the whole state and not just the urban corner. It's a sentiment many Oregon blogs seem to profess, but it's easier said than done--for anyone, much less those of us camped out in or near Stumptown. Unless you pay people to monitor bureaus in cities across the state, or relentlessly comb local papers both electronic and paper, you can't really say you've totally succeeded...

...or is there another option? We think there might be. And if you live outside of the three big Portland counties, think you can write well and briefly, and want to see your work published where hundreds (today 1,400) will see it every day, become a Loaded Orygun statewide partner and submit your news to the OWire.

If you just want to call attention to locally published info with a brief in a couple of paragraphs like a real wire story, that's great. If you do original reporting, even better--and you'll get more latitude with the column inches. It has to be local to your area, but if you think it's interesting to the rest of the state, send it in. If we like it, we'll publish it under a special heading, and give you a byline.

Right now, we're looking for people who want the freelance, no-overhead experience of writing and publishing--we're still an outlet that couldn't pay someone's electric bill--but hey, if the thing takes off we're open to contractor rates.

If you'v'e got a submission, send it to wirelo-at-gmail-dot-com, with the name you want on the byline, and the city/area you're representing (please also give us your zip code for tracking), and use the email address you want us to reply to if we have questions.

We're not the Magellan of the blogosphere (well, I'm not), but trolling through leftyblogs.com I've never found a state-specific blog that had created its own wire service. If it works, remember us in the history books...and you can help make it work. Be proud of your town, and tell us what's going on!