But you really can start publishing with little more than a camera and computer. Most of what you need is already inside you. As for equipment and software, you can usually find what you need for very little, at least to start with.

Worried about the existing competition? It may not be as bad as you think.

Even if you have several news and/or "shopper" publications in your area that seem to cover just about everything, you may find there is still room (and a need) in the local marketplace for you and your new publication. Don't give up on the idea without making sure the market is fully covered and properly served.

See more on measuring the competition.

See a quick list of basic startup steps.

Can Cottage Industry Save the American Economy?

The American economy and society as a whole just may be saved by a large-scale and wholehearted return to cottage industry. The very conditions that are killing off giant corporations and large-scale manufacturing may be opening the door to profitable home-based careers and family-run businesses — to an extent not seen in this country for nearly a century. more...

1. Pet photos - Have a pet lover's column where readers send in photos of their pets. You can have a weekly or monthly contest for the best photo, ugliest pet, cutest animal, etc. Make sure you get a local business or two involved, to award the prize. (Get a newspaper photo of the winner at the business or with representatives of the businesses involved. This photo and the details will make a nice little feature article for the paper.)

2. Fish stories - Just like the above pet photo contest, you can include a special column for fishermen and their sport. They can send a photo of themselves with their prize catch. For local events, you can get your own photos of special fishing events. An interesting alternative is to include photos of readers' fishing boats. Remember to get local businesses involved to donate and award prizes.

3. Politics - Always cover local politics. Get photos, stories and details on every politician and local leader. Cover school board and town meetings. Get comments and info from all participants. Look for some interesting history on important decisions to flesh out the story and to provide better insight. These details not only make your coverage more interesting and newsworthy, they can often lead to other feature and human stories.

4. Landmarks, tourist info - Stay current on the tourist attractions in your area. Know every park, every trail, every attraction. Make your paper an important source of fresh information for tourists and visitors. You may also consider providing a section for tourist related businesses in your area. Give some special attention to the museums and the special efforts of civic clubs in the area.

5. Graduations, promotions - Preschool, high school, or college graduations are great material for any local paper to cover. Get plenty of photos, and get background on the schools, teachers, and students. Try to include a photo of every graduating student in your paper, even if it takes several issues. be sure (and double sure) to spell the names correctly and to get the right name with the right photos. This is easy journalism, and at the very root of some of the best news coverage for any local paper.

6. Holidays - Never miss a holiday. There's a reason (and a good story) for every holiday of the year. Some holidays are very big productions, worthy of a special issue or two. As well as the traditions specific to your community, dig for historical stories about holidays in decades past. Every family and every town has a great holiday tale to tell. Always include fresh photos of the season, and try for images that help to capture the spirit of the occasion.

7. The unusual and unexpected - Make room every issue for a photo or story that stands out as unusual and out of the ordinary. Along these lines, you can include fillers or even a special little column on words and their meaning, as well as the origins, history and usage through the years (that is, the etymology. The same can be done with automobiles, houses (styles), or any industry or practice specific to your area. (Be sure to see On Assignment: Getting the Story)

8. Sports, Music, Theater - You already know that entertainment is popular. Sports events, from peewee games to high school and college games, theatrical and musical events, both inside and outside at civic parks, and other crowd-pleasing special attractions are both fun to cover and of interest to readers. Rodeos, baseball games, races and runs and walks, all these and other occasions can fill a whole issue of a small paper with photos, stories, historical bits and interviews.

9. Event calendar or page - Conventions, church events, business sales, seminars and promotions, college campus events, and other community efforts and events deserve a push. Provide a section or column that mentions all such special activities and events. Include a photo or two of very special events. Include contact information. Do this without charge, as a public service but keep it brief. Touch base with event organizers/promoters to suggest an ad.

10. Newlyweds, engagements, and newborn babies - Make room in the paper for readers to announce their happy times. Be sure to get connected with hospitals and stay up with marriage licenses, etc. so you can publish notices of upcoming weddings, even if family members forget. Provide concise details free of charge and offer to run a small photo for a low price to cover the cost of the space. A number of businesses will want to advertise in this section of the paper.

11. New stuff - You may want to include news of new home construction, new business permits, and other such signs of commercial growth in your area. Obviously, you will want to run stories on new businesses in town, and to cover existing businesses whenever they have some significant new product or service to offer. Big expansions at a local mall or shopping center, new locations/ownership for long-time businesses and even seasonal changes to hours are worthy of some mention.

12. News stories galore - Whenever you get a bit of information for one of the columns of features listed above, always be looking for the bigger story.

Many of the most ordinary and recurring events and stories gathered in day-to-day newspaper publishing provide the seedlings for bigger stories, or even a whole series of stories in your newspaper.

When you get wind of a local crafts fair, you may not have to dig much to gather some great stories on local artists. And then there is the "where are they now?" stories to run on some of the high school and college grads you mentioned a couple of years ago.

The more you get to know the men, women and children, the people-behind-the events and celebrations, the more in touch you will be with your community, and the more you will be able to tell about what is good and growing and positive about your area.

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