Once I got all of the schools to sign on to CPSxpress, it came down to getting the advertisers. This was actually a lot more fun than I expected. I enjoyed meeting so many nice community business people, and I looked forward to following up (along with the challenge of getting people to advertise in a publication that hasn't even been started yet). I was happily surprised with how many businesses were willing and able to advertise. I know these are hard economic times, and it wasn't so easy asking for money, but this is an opportunity that will hopefully help their businesses in the long run, while building community with the neighborhood schools, which I think is very important. So, I got the advertisers, and then I received the submissions from the schools. They were great, especially for the first time out. Some people didn't have a strong idea of what it's all about, but they were more than willing to participate. All of my school contacts are super nice and cooperative. They ask questions when needed and stay on top of their end of the project (which is good, because I'm not a micro manager, and I know they already have so much on their plates). I hope this project is seen as a positive addition to the students' schoolwork, not just one more thing that needs to be done. It will never "need" to be done, as it is completely voluntary.
So, now, I'm working on the design. I laid out the pages and the ads. I sent the pages to the school contacts to proof by this Friday. I'm working on the cover, which I want to be strong and captivating (I received some good cover submissions that I'm incorporating into a new design).
Hopefully, after this first issue, the response will be positive, and students will be excited to get their work in the next issue. When I get too many submissions (I had a little overflow this time), I'm hoping to put the extras on a web page, so even though I'm almost done with the layout, I've still got lots of work to do before distribution....but it's work I love, and I'm having a great time!
