The Pipeline weekly e-newsletter began on April 6, 2009. As of October, we have published aka hit the 'send' button on over 80 weekly issues! Thank you for reading.
Initially called Street Scene and focusing on Wicker Park Bucktown Chamber of Commerce member news, we became The Pipeline this past July. The change allowed us to focus on neighborhood happenings as well as events pertaining to the business community; it also enabled us to solicit new funding and advertising sponsors to support the many hours of labor invested into each issue. Content takes time.
With a mission of helping to promote the neighborhood's local economy and inspire awareness of and participation in community events, we feature news & happenings pertaining to businesses and residents in our home turf of Wicker Park & Bucktown. On occasion we venture into nearby neighborhoods of Logan Square and West Town. The addition of Philin Phlash to our team means that we now include many images from out of the neighborhood.
Depending on the week, about one third to half of our content is sponsored, and the remainder is 'seen-in-passing,' or contributed by others, or appearing in the form of aggregated news links. Because we know there are many voices out there besides our own, we spend a great deal of time reading blogs or following other writers for enjoyment as well as for attempting to present as full of a snapshot each week of the area as enthusiastically possible.
We welcome all potential advertising inquires save for religious groups and multilevel marketing (MLM) opportunities such as Avon, Lia Sophia, etc. All sponsored news is labeled as such.
Due to the the fact the e-newsletter is written mainly by just a few people, it is not possible to address every lead which is sent in, or to cover every event in-depth, or to mention every sale though we appreciate your leads and often follow up on the ones which we think would be of interest to readers. In regards to original photography, please note that it remains the sole property of The Pipeline. Any unauthorized use of our images without explicit permission is very uncool. Why? It takes TIME to snap and edit photos, and by stealing the photos we take, you are saying that you were there, when it actuality you were not. By all means, go ahead and use any of our images, but do credit where you saw the image, and if you want to use more than a few images, portions of our library dating back to 2005 are available for purchase,with proceeds benefiting the continued existence of The Pipeline.
Don't feel like we're covering your happenings? Feel free to submit content to us. Your deadline is MONDAY NIGHT. If it doesn't sound like a blatant sales pitch and it fits with the newsletter tone, we'll be happy to include it! Please send event listings (community meetings, art openings, fundraisers) to streetsofwicker@hotmail.com. If you send out a weekly or monthly e-newsletter, please include a web version link at the top for easier viewing as well as linking purposes. We cannot link to your e-newsletter if there is no weblink. The "include web link" check box can be found in your settings shortly before you send out your email. Update Aug. 2010: Thanks to many of you for now adding weblinks!!
We have a very limited amount of time and space each week and try to make the experience as fun for you to read as it is for us to write. If you have constructive feedback to help make The Pipeline better or more useful, please email streetsofwicker@hotmail.com. We are also looking for a web designer. Please send inquiries and samples of your design work to streetsofwicker@hotmail.com
Though there's a time and place for criticism and snark, it is not in the Pipeline, thus we would never write a story that we wouldn't want written about ourselves or include what we deem to be an unflattering image. We believe in the power of human relationships and connections over dollar signs and strive for authenticity in tone and 'voice.' We are only capable of writing about people and places which inspire us. Thankfully there's no shortage of muses in the neighborhood!
We welcome and encourage submissions and story leads/tips from contributors and will try to include your stories if they are a good fit. We currently pay others for professional proofreading, video interview stories, crime coverage, and listings. 100% of advertising sponsorship dollars-- which we personally solicit-- are applied toward paying ourselves and contributors.
All featured food is purchased on our own dime unless noted. Corrections are noted in the following week's issue. We do not share any content prior to sending. Your emails are confidential and we do not share our list with any second or third party.
If you have any questions or would like to follow-up, or explore advertising, email me at streetsofwicker@hotmail.com
Thank you for reading this evolving editorial policy. We hope to continue being around in the future and thank you for reading the newsletter. Note: The ONLY way we can continue being around in the future is for our ADV sponsorship pipeline to be as strong as our content pipeline. If you like The Pipeline, and recognize it as a viable and trusted source for local communications, consider frequenting our ADV sponsors, because by supporting them you are supporting the continued growth of The Pipeline too. Thanks for reading.
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