Idea in the back of my mind today: print “newsletter” sent via snail mail instead of online.
@aa That's an interesting idea. It wouldn't suit most link-based newsletters, but one that's based around longer-form writing would be a good fit I think.
@aa I’ve been thinking along similar lines. I own a very nice HP Laserjet B&W printer, that I’d love to use again. The problem is that it’s been sitting unused in an attic about 1,300 Km from where I am now for the past 10 years.
@artkavanagh that is a problem! If you were to write and send this type of letter out to folks, what would be your topic?
@aa It would probably be a version of the one that I’m now sending by email, Talk about books. And I think I’d continue to send the email version but give subscribers the option of having a printed version instead. I haven’t fully thought it through, but I like the idea of sending out a tangible, physical object, not just an email.
@aa That's funny, I told a friend recently that analog things might be coming back and I found a couple companies that do this on-demand where they print and mail via API. Hmm...
@alongtheray P.S. Although this isn't one of the API companies, check out Newspaper Club. Got their free samples, it's beautiful stuff.
@alongtheray agreed re analog making a come back. There is something to be said for the tangible. It offers experiences and feelings that screens simply cannot duplicate.
The on-demand service you found sounds intriguing! Have a link handy?
@aa Totally agree -- the tangible becomes more and more relevant these days. COVID only sped that up.
There are several services, I mostly focused on postcards but most also do letters. Lob is the huge API company; if you go to their Partners page you'll find more companies offering their services if you don't want to muck with their API. Zapier works too with it if you're handy. Thanks offers unique "handwritten" letters.
My initial notes from a few months ago:
- Direct Mail Manager -
- 45-52 cents reg, 65-82 cents jumbo.
- Discounted rate for $20/mo
- Printivity -
- Around 15-20 cents
- mailing not included (waiting on quote)
- Thanks
- 49-99 cents reg, 89-$1.59 jumbo
- Discounted rate for $49/mo
- Lob
- 44-70 cents a regular postcard
- Discounted rate for $225/mo
P.S. Check out Hoot Review which is a "mini" literary magazine sent out on a postcard each month.
@alongtheray thanks for the detailed reply!! wandering into the rabbit hole just to see what things look like 😊
@aa I'm enjoying this thread a lot, since an analog newsletter is something I've thought about many times but have never done because of cost and inertia. Maybe this will fire me up again. I tend to share a lot of links with people, something that would certainly be different with a printed newsletter. People would have to type the links themselves rather than just clicking, and who has time for that? :-)
@JMaxB happy to hear this may give you that fire again! Links are certainly a challenge in this case :-) makes for a different experience for both writer and reader.
@aa I suspect that having to type in a link would be a feature not a bug. That little bit of friction might make for more thoughtful use of the interwebs.
@ChrisHannah You could create a QR code that took you to a link (or a collection of links). But definitely that would be supplemental to the newsletter.