The short answer
A local newsletter is a weekly pile of small jobs: find the events, find the new businesses, check the dates, write it all up, lay it out. lightbreak does that pile for you and hands back one issue to look over.
It is not a sending platform. You still need one, and lightbreak pushes the finished issue to it.
lightbreak is one of three tools owned by 8th Replay, the company behind this site.
What it gathers
lightbreak collects local news, events, jobs, homes, pets and new businesses. It can read Google and iCal calendars, Google Drive, YouTube channels and RSS feeds as sources.
That matters most in week ten, not week one. The first issue is easy to fill. The hard part of a local newsletter is finding fresh local items every single week.
What it writes and checks
lightbreak writes and rewrites stories in your publication's voice and builds them into an issue. It also makes short GIFs for homes, pets and restaurants.
Before sending, a review agent checks links, photos, prices and dates against the original sources. A person still decides when an issue sends.
How long it takes
Most issues ship in under 15 minutes, compared with 2 to 3 hours by hand, so test it on your own newsletter.
What it costs
lightbreak has no public price. Pricing depends on how many newsletters you run, and quotes come from a 30-minute call.
Who it fits
It fits someone running, or about to run, a local newsletter for a city, county or neighborhood. It is built around local content, so a newsletter about a hobby or an industry would not use most of what it does.
If you are new, start with a sending platform and a first issue written by hand. Add lightbreak when writing the issue is the thing eating your week.
Does lightbreak replace my email platform?
No. You do not need to switch platforms, and subscribers stay where they are.
How long does an issue take?
Most publications ship an issue in under 15 minutes, versus 2 to 3 hours for the manual workflow.
What does the review agent check?
Before sending, it checks links, photos, prices and dates against the original sources.