Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):

* SUBSCRIPTIONS *
- How often is The Senior Paper published?
- When is it delivered?
- Can I get it where I live?
- How much does it cost to subscribe?
- Can I pay with a cheque/money order?
- Is it safe to pay online at your website?
- Is it safe to pay you over the phone with my credit card?
- I just bought a new subscription. When will I get my first issue?
- Can I buy it as a gift for someone?
- Do you notify the person who is getting the gift?
- I recently bought a gift subscription for someone.
When will they get their first issue?
- Can I send someone a free trial to see if they like it?
- Do you send your current (or back) issues as free trials?
- If I buy a subscription as a gift, can you send the paper to them and the reminders to me?
- Are subscriptions refundable?
- I am moving or have recently moved. How do I change my address with you?
- I moved and missed one (or more) issues. How do I get them?
- How do I notify you if a subscriber is now deceased?
- One of my issues didn't arrive in the mail. What do I do?
- I'm a snowbird/winter traveler. Can I have my subscription forwarded or
temporarily suspended while I'm away?

* STORY SUBMISSIONS & PUBLICATION CONTENT *
- Can anyone submit a story for publication in The Senior Paper?
- How long should the story be?
- What can I write about?
- Do you accept birthday and anniversary write-ups?
- Do you accept fictional stories?
- Do you accept third-person stories?
- Do I have to be a great writer or a professional writer to submit a story?
- I want to write a story about a time in my life, but I'm not sure how to start it. Can you help me?
- How many stories can I send at one time?
- How long will it be before my story appears in print?
- What's the difference between a story and a letter to the editor?
- Do you accept handwritten stories and letters to the editor?
- Is there a cost for printing articles in The Senior Paper?

* Subscriptions *

How often is The Senior Paper published?
The Senior Paper is published 11 times per year, every month except August.

When is it delivered?
It is printed in the 2nd-last calendar week of the month and it is mailed during the last calendar week of the month. 98% of readers usually have their issue delivered in the first week of the month, with the rest getting it during the 2nd week of the month.

Can I get it where I live?
The Senior Paper is delivered by mail - so if you can get mail delivered to you, you can get The Senior Paper! We deliver issues all over Canada, from coast to coast to coast. We also mail them to the USA and other international countries.

How much does it cost to subscribe?
The prices of subscriptions vary, depending on if it's delivered within Canada, The USA or mailed overseas. Click on the Subscriptions button on the top of this page (or click here) to visit our store for complete price details and options.

Can I pay with a cheque/money order?
Yes. We accept cheques and money orders. Payments can be mailed to us at:
The Senior Paper
PO Box 1010 Stn Main
Regina, SK S4P 3B2
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Is it safe to pay online at your website?
Yes. All payments processed through our website are done through secure socket layers (SSL). Your payment information is sent via encryption directly to our payment processors. Your payment information is not stored on our website. This helps ensure greater security protection for our customers.

Is it safe to pay you over the phone with my credit card?
Yes. When you give your credit card payment over the phone to our staff, your credit card payment is processed (via encrypted communication with our payment processor) and then your card information is erased from our records. We do not keep subscriber credit card information on file.

I just bought a new subscription. When will I get my first issue?
If you opted to start with our current issue and paid the additional fee (only available online through our store), your first issue will be mailed out as soon as the issue is available - this is typically at the beginning of each month. If you did not pay an additional fee to have the current issue sent to you, your subscription will start with our next regular mailing. If your payment is received prior to the 15th day of the month, you will start with the immediate following month's edition. If your payment is received after the 15th of the month, you may have missed our cutoff for the next mailing - in which case you would start with the month following. (ie: Payment received before April 15th will start with MAY edition. Payment received after April 15th would start with JUNE edition.) We state that it can take between 3-6 weeks to for the arrival of a new subscription, depending on when it is ordered. It is best to get your payment to us prior to the 15th of the month, to ensure you start with our next available issue.
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Can I buy it as a gift for someone?
Yes! In fact, we encourage gift subscriptions to The Senior Paper. For parents, grandparents, friends, neighbours and relatives, seniors love reading The Senior Paper and it makes the perfect gift - because it lasts all year! You can purchase a gift subscription by clicking here.

Do you notify the person who is getting the gift?
We offer the option of sending a gift notification card with all subscriptions. For a small fee that covers the cost of postage and supplies, we'll send them a gift notification card that lets them know who the gift is from. Some folks prefer to notify the gift recipients themselves and that is fine, too.
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I recently bought a gift subscription for someone. When will they get their first issue?
Please see here for more information.

Can I send someone a free trial to see if they like it?
Yes. We offer the option of sending a trail issue to people so they can see the paper for themselves and then decide if they like it. You can send us their name and mailing address and we'll be happy to add them to our next available mailing. To send us their name, click here.

Do you send your current (or back) issues as free trials?
No. The cost for postage is too high for us to mail our current (or back) issues as free trials. If you would like someone to receive our current (or a back) issue, you can purchase it here.
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If I buy a subscription as a gift, can you send the paper to them and the reminders to me?
Yes. We offer the option of mailing the monthly subscription to the gift recipient and mailing (or emailing) the reminder notice to their name, in care of (c/o) your address (or email address). This way, if you want, you can renew this gift on an ongoing basis.

Are subscriptions refundable?
Subscriptions are only refundable within the first 45 days of purchase and/or if no more than 2 editions have been mailed. In the event a refund is requested, mailed issues and their associated costs will be deducted from the subscription and the balance will be refunded. After 2 editions have been mailed and/or after 45 days, subscriptions are no longer refundable, but can be transferred to a different name and address. To enquire about, or to request a refund, please contact us.

I am moving or have recently moved. How do I change my address with you?
You can click here to submit a change of address with us, or you can contact us by mail or telephone.
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I moved and missed one (or more) issues. How do I get them?
Subscribers who move and miss issues because we were not notified of a change of address are responsible for the costs for replacing lost/undelivered issues. They can be purchased from our online store or by contacting us.

How do I notify you if a subscriber is now deceased?
If you have all their mailing address information and their subscription account # (found on the front page of their newspaper), you can click here to deactivate it online. Otherwise, we ask that you contact us.

One of my issues didn't arrive in the mail. What do I do?
We have to wait until about the 15th or 16th of the month before we can deem an issue to be lost in the mail. If you paper hasn't arrived by the 15th or 16th, please contact us and we'll be happy to send you a replacement.
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I'm a snowbird/winter traveler. Can I have my subscription forwarded or temporarily suspended while I'm away?
Yes. We have several options available for snowbirds and other seasonal travelers; everything from suspending your subscription account until you return - to redirecting your paper to your 'winter address'. Contact us for more information.

* STORY SUBMISSIONS & PUBLICATION CONTENT *

Can anyone submit a story for publication in The Senior Paper?
Yes! We welcome and encourage everyone to send us stories for publication!

How long should the story be?
Stories can be as short as a couple of paragraphs, up to about 700 words. We want to publish as many great stories as we can each and every issue, and the longer the story, the more space it will take up, meaning less can be printed. We understand that good stories can sometimes run a bit long - and that's okay! We'll do our best to get it in - even if it's a few words over the 700 mark.
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What can I write about?
Well - anything, really! You can be sitting there, thinking about something that happened in your life and think, "wow! That'd be a great story to tell!" - but, there is no one around to hear it. So, send it to us! We'd love to have it. Over the years, we've had folks write to us and tell us about the first jobs, their first car, their first dates and their first big disappointment. We've had great stories about life on the farm, life in the city, life in the small town and life on the road. Each story has been great, because each story is just a little bit unique. You may have a great 'first job' story, or a funny 'life in the big city' story ... or even a serious story about a personal tragedy that brought you and your family together. Our stories help us to remember the good, the bad, the ups, the downs, the triumphs and the 'near misses' that are part of life - and they are enjoyable to read and share!

Do you accept birthday and/or anniversary write-ups?
Not as part of our regular story content. However,for people who want to announce a birthday, anniversary, special event or other significant achievement, we offer a special feature in our paper called Milestones - a discounted advertisement section to highlight these special occasions.

Do you accept fictional stories?
No. The focus of our publication is true life stories. As such, we do not accept fiction for print.
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Do you accept third-person stories?
It depends. While we encourage people to write about stories from their own life and their own perspective, sometimes folks will write about a family member or a friend, or a significant person in their life. This is fine. However, we do not accept stories written "in third person" - ie: stories written by you, where you refer to yourself in the third-person, such as "John Smith liked to get up early in the morning." We'd rather you say, "I liked to get up early in the morning." It is much more personal.

Do I have to be a great writer or a professional writer to submit a story?
Heck, no! In fact, we prefer that you aren't. We have a few of those on staff - just to fix up some grammar, spelling and stuff, but we prefer you to write in your own words.

I want to write a story about a time in my life, but I'm not sure how to start it. Can you help me?
Sure thing. We always tell folks to write to us like you were writing a letter to a good friend. You can even start it off like this, "Dear Senior Paper, I remember this one time when I was about 7 or 8 and mom and dad had just bought a brand new car. It was..." and there you go! Started! The hardest part is now over and you can let flow your memories.
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How many stories can I send at one time?
We ask that you not send more than 4 or 5 at one time. We try to print stories on a first-come basis and we don't usually print stories from people in back-to-back editions, so 5 stories would stretch out for a year's worth of issues - or longer.

How long will it be before my story appears in print?
We strive to get all stories in as soon as possible, however, we cannot guarantee when it will appear. It can typically take between 1-3 editions before a story will appear in print. Each story is given a unique date/ID number when it is received by our office and we try to print stories on a first-come basis to ensure fairness. If a story has a particular 'theme' (such as a winter story, a summer story, a Christmas story, etc.) we may decide to hold that for a related edition (ie; winter story in winter a winter issue, rather than print it in a spring/summer/fall issue.
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What is the difference between and story and a letter to the editor?
A story is usually when you want to share a memory or recollection from your past; a letter to the editor is when you want to comment on a specific - such as a story you read in our paper; or if you are looking for something or someone, etc.

Do you accept handwritten stories and letters to the editor?
Yes we do, as long as the handwriting is legible. If you want to write, that is fine, however we do ask that all names (of people, places, events, etc.) be printed clearly, so that we do not misspell them by accident. Our preference for receiving material is as follows:
1st - by email/submitted through our website
2nd - by computer printed letter
3rd - by hand printed letter
4th - by written (cursive) letter


Is there a cost for printing articles in The Senior Paper?
No. There is no charge for stories that are not advertising and/or promotional in nature. If we deem a story to be advertising or promotional in nature (you are seeking to profit and/or raise awareness, attendance, promote materials, etc.) then we will contact you to inform you that it is advertising and advertising charges will apply. This typically doesn't apply to our regular stories and letters submitted by our readers.

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