Working as a copy editor for a newspaper again feels a lot like reconnecting with an old friend.
I’ve worked for dailies, big and small, and there were definitely some perks and attributes I loved about those jobs. Walking through an airport and seeing a front-page I’d edited or a headline I’d written? That never got old. So I’m surprised and grateful to discover there are perks to working for small papers as well.
I grew up in a town of 1,300 people with its own weekly; the Cadott Sentinel always held a sort of mystical draw for me. Something about seeing my name in the school honor roll or reading about my church in the news briefs always gave me a thrill. So it wasn’t a surprise for me to learn this week that while big newspapers are declining in popularity, small community weeklies are holding strong — much, in part, due to the local news and sports coverage that just can’t be replicated anywhere else. Being a product of a small town, I understand this better than most.
Admittedly, some of the sports listings and police notes at my new job do grow a bit tedious. I’ve caught my eyes glazing over on some of the locally written columns and recipes — but only briefly. Because this news matters to people. County board and school board stories are the stuff of life in these rural communities. Articles about the swim team and 4-H awards are going to be clipped, posted on refrigerators and saved in scrapbooks far beyond my years on this earth. I’d better do my damndest to make sure they’re perfect.
News briefs about church bazaars and quilting club meetings aren’t going to win anybody any Pulitzers. But to the members of that church and the ladies in that club, this news still matters. Using my professional skills and my college degree to help bring this information to folks just like those in my hometown has turned into a labor of love. My husband doesn’t believe me, and please don’t tell my new boss. But I would happily do this editing for free.
In the meantime, I’ve carved out some time to work on my latest novel, LAST DREAM OF MY SOUL, and have written about 2/3 of the story. In football terms, I’m first and 10 from the 30 yard line. Not bad — but I’m not in field goal range yet. The days are getting shorter and I’m gearing up for another freezing cold Wisconsin winter — which will hopefully see me writing two very important words on this manuscript: THE END.