Prior to publishing each edition of Vicksburg Living, I write up a little blurb that runs in The Vicksburg Post and online asking folks to submit photographs for the submitted section of the magazine.

The submitted section, which I have mentioned in other columns, is one of my favorite aspects of the magazine because of its inclusive nature — anyone in the community can be part of Vicksburg Living.

To give a little history of the magazine, our first publication was in 2015 and, initially, we did not have a submitted section. We chose to follow in the footsteps of many of the other Mississippi-published magazines and we used photographs taken at events around town.

This concept was a good one, but as we continued to design and shape Vicksburg Living into a publication that would truly represent as many in the community as possible, the decision was made to invite our readers to submit photos.

In doing so, we have received some great pictures that just would not have been available at any event. In fact, on occasion, some of these submitted photos have even graced the cover of the magazine.

Now, for those of you who may not be familiar with Vicksburg Living magazine’s submitted section, for each edition there is a theme that is given. For instance, in most of the September/October issues, we showcase Halloween photos. We highlighted pets in one issue and in another we had folks send in vacation pictures. In the spring editions, we have had Easter pictures

The photos submitted don’t necessarily have to be current. In fact, some of the best ones are vintage.

In this year’s May/June issue, we invited readers to send in graduation photos and boy were there lots of cute hairstyles.

For the magazine, unlike the newspaper, we must secure content weeks before it is actually published in order to allow enough time for our designer to lay out all the pages and for it to be sent to the printer.

Therefore, while it may still be a bit warm outside to be thinking about Christmas, I really hope it will not keep you from sending me Christmas photos for the holiday edition. As I said in the blurb I wrote for the paper and online, the photos could be poses with Santa, photos around the tree, snapshots in family pajamas, vintage holiday photos or really just about anything that screams “merry Christmas!”

On some occasions, when I am running short on time and haven’t received enough photos for the submitted section before it is to go to press, I reach out to the contacts on my phone and  I am sure, for those who always come through, they are getting tired of my many texts! So please, help a girl and her contacts out. Don’t be shy, and I really mean every word I write. I want everyone in the community to be included in the Vicksburg Living magazine.

The deadline for submissions is Oct. 20, and please include the names of all who are in the photos. You can email the photos to me directly. The email address appears below this column each week. 

I will be looking forward to seeing all your smiling faces!

Terri Cowart Frazier writes features for The Vicksburg Post. She can be reached at terri.frazier@vicksburgpost.com.