The Writers Guide

how to contribute

Become a writer or editor.

The West Side Observer is written and edited by community members. Some are professional journalists; most are not. Regardless of your background or experience, all are welcome to contribute. We’re happy to work with people of all levels. Additionally, we offer a community journalism program that trains people on how to write about their neighborhoods. 

All of our writers are volunteers except our editorial staff. At this time, we are not able to pay for articles. If you have a writing or editing background and would like to lend your skills, please contact us.

Write what you’re passionate about

We accept news articles, opinion pieces, events, letters to the editor, and first-person stories. We encourage submitting photos with your pieces too.

Full disclosure required

It’s the nature of a community project like this that many contributors have a direct interest in the topics they cover. If you are writing about an event or organization where you are a volunteer or community advocate, you must disclose that connection in the author bio at the end of the article. If you are a paid staff member of an organization, please send us a press release instead; we’ll be happy to consider covering it.

Submit your piece online

Editorial content must be submitted through the website. You can also submit events there, too. Our focus is on publishing news and information about Cleveland’s west side neighborhoods. Please gear your submissions appropriately.

Guidelines for Articles & Opinion Pieces

We are seeking news articles and opinion pieces related to timely community issues, including such topics as development, sustainability, safety, schools and more. We are also seeking first-person stories about living in Cleveland’s west side neighborhoods, and we welcome letters to the editor. Finally, we’re looking for articles including profiles, news stories, interviews and more. 

  • Briefs: 300-400 word stories about happenings in the neighborhood (think business openings and closings, groundbreakings, that kind of thing). 
  • News stories: 700-800 word stories that go more in-depth about similar topics. 
  • Features: 1,000+ word stories that delve into topics of human interest such as profiles of neighborhood leaders, neighborhood issues, interviews, and more. 
  • Op-eds: 500-600 word opinion pieces. Pieces longer than that will be considered. 
  • Stories will be reviewed as they come in. If there’s a timeliness to your submission, please let us know.
  • We edit for style, length, factuality, and clarity. We will always review the submission with you before it is published.
  • Please do not send simultaneous submissions (i.e. if you submit to the West Side Observer, please do not submit the same article to another publication).
  • Please include your name, email, and phone number.