How to Submit an Event, Obituary, Letter, or Article Idea to SanBenito.com

SanBenito.com accepts community submissions through separate pages for events, obituaries, letters to the editor, and article ideas. To submit, go to the matching page linked in the site's navigation or footer, fill in the requested details, and send it through that page. The site also publishes a guide on writing a San Benito obituary and a general contact page for questions. The exact fields, deadlines, and review process are not spelled out on the pages visible here, so confirm details with the newsroom before relying on a specific publication date.

What you can submit, and where

SanBenito.com is the online home of the Hollister Free Lance, covering Hollister, San Juan Bautista, and the surrounding San Benito County area. The site lists these submission paths:

Obituaries have a separate archive of current and past notices, so you can check how published obituaries are formatted before writing your own.

How to submit an event

1. Open the "Submit an Event" page from the site navigation or the Calendar section.
2. Enter the event details the form asks for — typically the event name, date and time, location, and a description.
3. Submit the form and watch for a confirmation or follow-up from the newsroom.

The site's Calendar section also lists "Upcoming Events," which is where accepted community events appear. If your event needs guaranteed placement or extra visibility, use "Promote Your Event" instead of the standard submission.

Expected result: your event is reviewed and, if accepted, listed in the calendar. The site does not state a review timeline, so submit well ahead of the event date.

How to submit an obituary

1. Read "Writing Your San Benito Obituary" first — it is the site's own guidance on structure and content.
2. Open "Submit an Obituary" and provide the deceased's details, surviving family, service information, and any photo the form allows.
3. Submit and keep the confirmation; the notice then appears under current obituaries.

Common snag: obituaries are often time-sensitive because of funeral dates. Since no deadline is published, contact the newsroom directly if the service is within a few days.

How to submit a letter to the editor or an article idea

1. Use "Letter to the Editor or Article Idea" (linked as "Have an Article Idea?" on the homepage).
2. For a letter, state your name and town and keep to one clear point; for an article idea, describe the story, why it matters locally, and any sources or documents you can provide.
3. Send it through the form or the contact details on the Contact page.

Letters appear in the Opinion section alongside Editorials and Letters. The site does not publish a word limit or verification rules here, so include your contact information and be ready for an editor to follow up.

Practical tips before you submit

• Match the section to the purpose. News tips go to Contact; opinions go to Letters; paid visibility goes to Advertise or Promote Your Event.
• Include the who, what, when, and where up front. Local newsrooms sort submissions quickly, and incomplete entries are the most likely to be set aside.
• Check the published examples. Reading a few current obituaries or letters shows the length and tone the paper uses.
• Call if it is urgent. The site lists a phone number (408.842.6400) and a street address in Hollister for the office, which is the fastest route when a deadline is close.

The site does not state whether submissions are free, whether all submissions are published, or how long review takes. Treat publication as subject to editorial review and confirm timing with the newsroom for anything date-sensitive.