Blog on Bedford Katonah Patch

Things change fast at a new site like Bedford Katonah Patch. Up until now, we've primarily been a news operation, with news and features written by our staff and freelancers. But now we've added a new voice to the site:

Yours.

There are already plenty of ways to contribute to Patch—by leaving comments on our articles, by posting to our events calendar, by posting announcements and by taking part in our Q&A forum, among them. But beginning next month, we're introducing a new site section, for community blogs. And we want you to be a part of it.

Got something to say about life in the area, or news to spread? Need a forum for your community group? Just eager to share your views? Then read on and see if a Patch blog is right for you.

What It Takes To Be Relevant: We don't have a lot of hard requirements around what we're looking for in a blog outside of this: it's got to be interesting and relevant to Bedford residents, because they're Bedford residents. Maybe you're talking about our local politics. Maybe you're spreading news about community projects. Maybe you're the local authority on a given topic, with the bona fides to back it up. All of those sound great. If your column would make as much sense on a site about Timbuktu as it does about Bedford, it's not quite what we have in mind. But if locals feel more plugged into their community after reading it, you've hit the nail on the head.

What Kind of Blogs We're Looking For: Well, just about anything, if there's a local hook. Got perspective on how the community's changed over the years? Want a place to showcase your cool photos from around town? Need a de-facto online newsletter for your community group? Got favorite recipes to share, or books to recommend? All of those sound like contenders to us.

What We Consider Responsible: Opinions are awesome, particularly well-thought-out ones, backed up with facts. But personal insults, unfounded claims and defamation aren't what we're looking for. When opinions get strong and contentious, it's not always clear where the fine lines are drawn, but we're more than happy to help guide you through those murky waters. And as long as your intention is to keep things above-board, we're happy to have you on the site.

We're Paying in Gratitude: Sorry, you might get fame, but not fortune, from your Bedford Katonah Patch blog. So here's the deal: We get the privilege of hosting your valuable views. You get to put them on a site that's increasingly serving as a community hub, where more and more people will have the opportunity to discover them all the time. And since we're part of the Huffington Post Media Group, we may occasionally be able to put your submission in front of a huge audience. You can write as often (or as infrequently) as you'd like, though we'd love it if you’d come back again and again.

You'll Have a Lot of Freedom: We see our coming blogs as a bit different than our staff- and freelancer-produced content—which is to say, we don't expect to do a lot of heavy editing. We'll be keeping an eye out for anything inappropriate, and trying to cultivate an atmosphere that's constructive, with a lot of diverse views aired in useful ways—but we're not planning to do line-by-line tweaking of your material. If we've got a serious concern with a submission, we'll let you know—but other than that, it's your words coming through, not ours.

Here are some general ideas on the types of bloggers we're looking for, but don't be afraid to suggest something not on the list!

• Musicians, Live Music Fans, Audiophiles and Artists
• Parents, High School Students, Teachers and Professors
• Bartenders, Baristas and Foodies
• Fashion Experts, Stylists, Crafters and Do-it-Yourselfers
• Volunteers and Nonprofit Workers
• Health and Fitness Experts
• Local Sports Fans, Athletics Coaches and Directors
• PTA-ers and Scout Leaders
• Librarians

If that sounds good to you, just click back to the homepage, and scroll down to the middle of the page. See where it says "Start a blog"? Just click there to get started!

You'll need a photo of yourself, and a few short sentences for your bio. Then post away!

If you have questions, email lisab@patch.com.