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. 

 End Of Month: Final Approval 
 The Editor prepares the final print-ready PDF. 
 The final PDF is uploaded to the Editor's Google Drive. The final Google Drive link becomes the authoritative version for printing and distribution. 

 Printer Handoff 
 Office staff: 
 
 Send the printer the final Google Drive link 
 Confirm receipt 
 Confirm expected print completion date 
 Confirm expected delivery date 
 
 Avoid emailing large PDF attachments whenever possible. Use the final Google Drive link. 

 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, and prepares the final issue. 
 Layout volunteers: assemble the issue in InDesign and prepare proof PDFs. 
 Office staff: handle printer handoff, printed distribution coordination, email distribution, and posting support. 
 

 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 confirmed receipt and delivery timing? 
 

 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