Editorial Calendar
Submission Guidelines
All submissions will be edited for grammar and length and will be published at the newsmagazine's discretion. Submissions received after the deadline will not be accepted.
We will not publish personal attacks, anonymous letters and opinion pieces,
reprinted articles, press releases, or political campaign articles.
We do not accept AI-generated articles. All submissions should be written in
the contributor’s own voice and reflect original thought and experience.
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Unsolicited Pieces
700 words max · up to 2 images
Have a story, update, or topic you think the valley needs to know about? Unsolicited articles are the backbone of each issue. We welcome reporting on local events, community organizations, environmental issues, history, nature, arts, culture, school news, and more. Max Word Count: 700 Up to 2 images. Your article must pertain to the Applegate Valley or its surrounding communities. Write in plain, clear language—you don't need to be a professional writer. Include your full name and a contact email for our editorial team. Photos are encouraged and must meet our image requirements (see below). All articles are subject to editing for grammar, clarity, and length. Submissions are published at the editorial committee's discretion based on relevance and available space.
Obituaries
We honor the lives of community members who have passed. Obituaries are a meaningful way to share someone's story with the valley that knew them. Obituaries should focus on the person's life, character, community ties, and legacy. Include the full name of the deceased and the dates of birth and death. Include the names of surviving family members if desired. A single photo may be submitted and must meet our image requirements. Service or memorial information may be included. Please submit as early as possible—obituaries received close to deadline may be held for the following issue if space does not allow. We reserve the right to edit for length and style while preserving the spirit of the submission.
500 words max · 1 image
Photo Requirements
Opinion Pieces
500 words max · no images
Got something to say about an issue affecting the Applegate? Opinion pieces are your platform. We publish a range of perspectives from across the valley—and we mean it. Max Word Count: 500 No Images. Must pertain to and specifically mention the Applegate Watershed. Must include publishable contact information—an email address or phone number that will appear in print. We encourage authors to include verifiable facts to support their arguments. Opinion pieces by the same author will not run in consecutive issues. Opinion pieces submitted as responses to previously published opinion pieces will not be published. Letters to the editor are welcome. Personal attacks will not be published. Anonymous submissions will not be accepted.
Letters to the Editor
Letters to the editor are your chance to respond to something you read, raise a concern, or share a quick thought with your neighbors. Must pertain to and specifically mention the Applegate. Must include your full street address or PO Box and phone number—these are required for verification but will not be published. Only your name and hometown will appear in print. We encourage authors to include verifiable facts to support their arguments. Personal attacks will not be published. Anonymous letters will not be accepted. Responses to previously published opinion pieces will not be published. Keep it concise—letters exceeding 200 words will be edited or returned.
200 words max · no images
Poetry Corner
Essays
500 words max · no images
Essays offer space for longer-form reflection—a personal experience, a meditation on place, a deep dive into something you know well. One essay is selected per issue. Max Word Count: 500 Essays should be reflective, narrative, or exploratory in nature rather than reportorial or opinion-driven. Must connect to life in or around the Applegate Valley. Include your full name, contact information and a brief author bio of no more than 30 words if you'd like one published. One image may be submitted with your essay and must meet our photo requirements. Because only one essay runs per issue, early submission is encouraged—we may hold strong pieces for a future issue if space is not available.
Biz Bits
500 words max · no images
If your business has something new since the previous issue, it could be noted in this column. Appropriate submissions include information about new business openings, changes in ownership or location, free public events, or changes in products or services. Max Word Count: 500 Essays should be reflective, narrative, or exploratory in nature rather than reportorial or opinion-driven. Must connect to life in or around the Applegate Valley. Include your full name, contact information and a brief author bio of no more than 30 words if you'd like one published. One image may be submitted with your essay and must meet our photo requirements. Because only one essay runs per issue, early submission is encouraged—we may hold strong pieces for a future issue if space is not available.
Applegater Promotional Policy
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Photos must be high resolution: 300 dpi minimum, or "large format" (e.g., 30" x 40"). Please include a caption and photo credit for all images submitted. Front-page banner photos are accepted on a volunteer basis and credited in the issue and online.
Submit poems written by Applegate residents, or about the Applegate, to poetry editor Paul Tipton at ptipton4u2c@gmail.com.
We welcome informational pieces from businesses and professionals operating in the Applegate—provided the intent is to serve readers, not promote the business. Pieces that are primarily promotional in nature will be returned for revision or edited to remove promotional content. If you want to control your message, showcase your brand, and reach over 20,000 readers across Jackson and Josephine counties, advertising is the right choice. Our rates are competitive, our readership is loyal, and your ad goes directly into the hands of your neighbors.
How to Contribute
Submission Guide
Write Your Piece
Use the guidelines above to prepare your submission. Choose the correct piece type, stay within the word count, and make sure your content pertains
to the Applegate Valley or its surrounding communities.
Save Your File
Save your piece as a Word document or other word processing format. Do not save or convert to PDF. We cannot accept PDF submissions.
Images & Review
If your submission includes photos, keep them at their original size. Do not resize, crop, or compress them before sending. All images must be a minimum of 300 dpi (dots per inch), which helps ensure photos appear clear and sharp rather than blurry or pixelated. In general, original photos directly from a phone or camera are usually high enough quality, while screenshots, social media downloads, or heavily compressed images often are not.
Before submitting, take a moment to double-check your word count, confirm your contact information is included, and make sure you are submitting before the deadline for your target issue.
Submit
Email your piece and any images to gater@applegater.org.
That's it. Our editorial team
will take it from there and be
in touch if edits or clarifications
are needed.