Specialty Topics

GRIT Contributor Guide
GRIT Internal Production Reference
GRIT Layout Monthly Guide

GRIT Contributor Guide

Send this page to neighbors, committee chairs, Board members, and volunteers who want to contribute to the GRIT.

Note: This is practical writing and photo guidance, not the official publication policy. Official rules, approvals, and final editorial decisions live with the Communications & Publications Committee and the current GRIT editor.

Welcome

The GRIT is the community newsletter of Sandia Heights. It is not a newspaper, a social media feed, or an HOA enforcement bulletin.

It is a place for neighbors to share information, ideas, stories, photographs, events, accomplishments, local history, and community knowledge.

The best articles help residents feel more connected to the place they live and the people who live here.

Quick Submission Tips

Write for a neighbor holding the printed GRIT in their hands.
Make the local connection obvious: why does this matter in Sandia Heights?
Send original image files separately instead of embedding them in a Word document.
Include captions and names for people in photos when possible.
Use a clear title and include dates, locations, and contact information when relevant.
Expect light editing for clarity, length, style, and available space.

Know Your Audience

The GRIT is primarily a print publication. Approximately 1,800 printed copies are distributed each month.

A digital version is also emailed and posted online, but only a few hundred readers typically access the issue electronically.

Write for someone holding a printed copy in their hands. If a link or QR code is useful, include it, but do not make the article depend on readers clicking around online.

What Makes Good GRIT Content?

Ask yourself: Why should a Sandia Heights resident care?

Good topics often include:

Local wildlife
Gardening in Sandia Heights
Hiking and trails
Neighborhood history
Volunteer efforts
Community events
Local organizations
Wildfire preparedness
Astronomy and dark skies
Interesting neighbors
Practical homeowner knowledge
Kids' activities
Seasonal topics

The strongest articles are relevant to both place, meaning Sandia Heights, and time, meaning what is happening now.

Avoid HOA Nag-Grams

Readers generally do not enjoy being scolded. Instead of "Residents should stop doing X," try "Here is why X matters."

Teach. Explain. Entertain. Tell stories. Share useful information.

A reader who learns something interesting is more likely to change behavior than a reader who feels criticized.

Bring Your Personality

The GRIT does not need to sound like a government report. Humor, storytelling, local anecdotes, and personal experiences are welcome.

Articles can be informative while still being warm, neighborly, and enjoyable to read.

Photographs Matter

The printed GRIT is black and white. An image that looks beautiful in color may become muddy and difficult to understand when printed.

Good Photos

Useful photos usually have:

Strong contrast
A clear subject
Simple composition
A large foreground object
Distinct separation between subject and background

Photos That Are Hard To Print

Photos often print poorly when they have:

Distant subjects
Heavy shadows
Low contrast
Busy backgrounds
Lots of similar colors that become the same shade of gray

Image Guidelines

Whenever possible:

Submit original image files.
Do not embed images inside Word documents.
Provide captions.
Identify people in photographs.
Submit multiple image options.

The editor may crop, resize, or adjust images for publication.

Length

Shorter is usually better.

Announcement: 50-150 words
Short article: 200-500 words
Feature article: 500-1,000 words

If an article is longer, the editor may shorten it for space.

Final Thought

The best GRIT articles answer one question: What would make a neighbor stop flipping pages and read this?

If the article is local, timely, useful, interesting, or amusing, you are probably on the right track.

GRIT Internal Production Reference

Internal reference for the Communications & Publications Committee, GRIT editor, layout volunteers, and office staff. This page tracks the working rhythm and handoffs behind each issue.

Purpose

The Communications & Publications Committee produces the GRIT, the monthly community newsletter of the Sandia Heights Homeowners Association.

This page is an internal operating reference. It is not the public contributor guide and it is not a replacement for official publication policy.

Audience And Format

Primary medium: printed newsletter, approximately 1,800 copies distributed monthly.
Secondary medium: digital PDF distributed by email and posted online.
Digital reach: email distribution reaches approximately 3,000 subscribers, with typical open/click rates of 200-300 readers per issue.

Because most readers receive the printed edition, publication schedules and content selection should prioritize the print audience.

Monthly Schedule

1st-15th: Content Collection

Committee chairs, Board members, residents, and staff submit articles, announcements, photographs, classifieds, and other content.

Submissions should be entered through sandiaheightsgrit.app.

20th: Submission Deadline

Content should be submitted by the 20th of the month preceding publication. Late submissions may be held for a future issue.

20th-25th: Editorial Review

The Editor:

Reviews submissions
Performs copy editing
Requests revisions if needed
Selects photographs and artwork
Determines article placement
Resolves layout constraints

The Editor may shorten or edit submissions for clarity, space, style, and consistency.

25th-29th: Layout And Proofing

The Editor and layout volunteers:

Assemble the issue in Adobe InDesign
Verify links, captions, dates, and contact information
Prepare advertisements and classifieds
Generate proof PDFs

Committee members review proofs and provide comments.

Final Board / Secretary Review And Printer Access

When the final issue is ready for Board review, the GRIT editor will copy the printer on the message that sends the final issue to the Board for review.

This gives the printer direct access to the final PDF in Google Drive and avoids passing large PDF files around as email attachments. It also lets the printer prepare the proof in parallel while content review is finishing.

The Google Drive link should be treated as the authoritative file for the issue. Avoid sending large PDF attachments unless there is a specific reason.

Proof Approval

Anna continues to review and approve the printer proof, but only after the Secretary has approved the issue content.

Normal path:

Editor sends the final issue to the Board / Secretary for review and copies the printer.
Printer uses the Google Drive PDF to prepare the proof in parallel.
Secretary approves the content.
Anna reviews the printer proof.
Anna approves the proof if it matches the approved content.

If the Secretary requests changes, which should be infrequent:

Anna does not approve the proof.
The editor makes the requested content change.
A revised final PDF is uploaded to Google Drive.
The printer prepares a revised proof.
Anna reviews and approves only after the corrected content is approved.

Printer Handoff

The printer should have access to the final Google Drive PDF link as early as practical once the issue goes to Board / Secretary review.

Office staff and the editor should confirm:

The printer can access the Google Drive file.
The printer knows which PDF is the final/current version.
The proof is based on the Secretary-approved content.
The expected print completion and delivery timing are clear.

Distribution

Office staff:

Coordinate printed newsletter distribution.
Send email distribution.
Post the digital version online.

Working Roles

Communications & Publications Committee: owns the GRIT as a committee function and supports editorial direction.
Editor: reviews submissions, edits copy, selects content, resolves fit/placement, sends the final issue for review, and gives the printer direct Google Drive access.
Secretary: approves the content before the proof is approved.
Printer: uses the Google Drive PDF to prepare the proof in parallel with final content review.
Anna / office staff: reviews and approves the printer proof after Secretary approval, coordinates print/distribution handoff, and holds approval if content changes are requested.
Layout volunteers: assemble the issue in InDesign and prepare proof PDFs as needed.

Internal Checkpoints

Are events still timely by the time the printed GRIT reaches residents?
Are dates, locations, names, contact details, and URLs checked?
Are photos likely to work in black-and-white print?
Are ads and classifieds in the correct issue folder?
Is the final Google Drive PDF link clearly identified as the authoritative version?
Has the printer been copied or otherwise given direct access to the Google Drive PDF?
Has the Secretary approved the content?
Is Anna approving the proof only after content approval?
If changes are requested, has proof approval been held until the revised content is ready?

Goal

The purpose of the schedule is to ensure that:

Events are announced before they occur.
Information remains timely and useful.
Print readers receive current content.
Workload is distributed among volunteers and staff.
Publication is not dependent on any one individual.
The printer can work from the current Google Drive file instead of oversized email attachments.

GRIT Layout Monthly Guide

Use this page each month when preparing the GRIT issue layout.

Monthly Steps

Copy the template into the month folder.
Rename the file for the current month.

Monthly Settings

Change monthly accent color

In InDesign: Window → Color → Swatches
Select Issue Accent Color.
Enter RGB value, or use the eyedropper tool.

Folder Structure

Your local folder structure should look like this:

month_name
  - Ads
  - Images

Download Assets

Download prepared ads from OneDrive. Example path:

Communication & Publication Committee > Documents > GRIT Editor Workspace > Monthly Issues > 2026 > March > Ads

Images

Download all emailed images into the Images folder.

Skeleton and Layout Setup

Ensure all guides are visible

View → Grids & Guides → Show Guides
View → Screen Mode → Normal

Insert pages

Insert enough pages so the issue ends on a multiple of 4.

Insert ads and images

Use ads in planned ad frames.
Use Cmd+Shift+Click to turn a master frame into an editable box.
Use Cmd+D to place the image.

Image fitting behavior

The image masters are created with an Object Style that fits the image you place into the largest dimension.

GRIT Layout FAQ

Do I need to use exact folder names?

Yes. Keep the month folder with Ads and Images subfolders so links and placement are predictable.

Why does Cmd+Shift+Click matter?

It unlocks master-page frames so you can edit a specific issue page without changing the master itself.

What if page count is not a multiple of 4?

Insert pages until the total is divisible by 4. Print layout and booklet flow depend on this.