What is Best of the South Side (BoSS)?
Every fall, South Side Weekly publishes its most popular issue—the annual ‘Best of the South Side’—that features the best people, places, events, businesses, and oddities from each South Side neighborhood. BoSS is created collaboratively with people from around the city and emphasizes a local point of view.
We begin by finding a captain for each neighborhood, who will be responsible for choosing four to five Bests and either writing or finding someone to write an introduction to the neighborhood. Then anyone can sign up to write blurbs and take pictures of Bests. Captains will help oversee their section and make sure the final blurbs match their vision.
Contributing to BoSS is a great way to highlight your community and explore the South Side. You do not need to be a journalist or have written for the Weekly before. All are welcome.
Check out last year’s issue and read below to find out how to get involved!
Payment
This year, the Weekly was able to secure some funding for BoSS and is offering a small amount of compensation for captains, writers, and photographers.
- Captains will receive a $200 honorarium for selecting Bests for their neighborhood and supervising their section through August.
- Writers, which can include captains, will receive $50 for each Best blurb and intro they write.
- Photographers will receive $30 for each assignment they take.
After blurbs are submitted, invoices can be submitted here. (Ask your neighborhood captain for the password)
Reimbursement
Like in previous years, contributors can be reimbursed for travel and food expenses (if reviewing a restaurant) up to $30. This will be in addition to payment for assignments. Here is the reimbursement form. (Ask neighborhood captains for password).
If you want to be reimbursed for more than $30, please check-in with Martha Bayne @ martha.bayne@southsideweekly.com.
Timeline
Here are the important dates leading up to BoSS publication and what they mean.
Week of May 16: Neighborhood captain outreach begins
Week of June 20: Weekly editors meet (virtually) with neighborhood captains
July 18: List of Best suggestions for each neighborhood due
August 15: First drafts of blurbs and intros due. Visuals assigned.
August 29: Final drafts of all blurbs, intros, and visuals due. Editing and fact-checking begins.
Week of September 12: Finalized blurbs, intros, and visuals turned in as layout begins.
September 22: BoSS hits newsstands!
How to get involved
- If you’d like to send us a suggestion for a thing, place, event, group, or oddity that we should know about in your neighborhood, use this form.
- If you’d like to learn more about being a neighborhood captain, click here. (Deadline June 13th)
- If you’d like to contribute as a writer or photographer, you can express interest using this form.
Archive
If you’re unfamiliar with Best of the South Side, feel free to browse the last nine issues linked below.
If you have questions, email editor@southsideweekly.com with ‘BOSS 2022’ in the subject line.