How to Set Up and Get the Most from the Ad-Free Newsletter
A step-by-step walk through previewing the sample edition, subscribing, setting up your inbox and reading the weekly issue at an easy pace, written for first-time readers.
6 minutes to read
Start with the sample edition
Before anything else, read the sample edition. It is a complete issue of the ad-free newsletter, laid out exactly as a paid subscriber would receive it, and it costs nothing to look at. I suggest reading it on the device you normally use for email, because that is where you will meet the real thing every week. Notice the length, the type size and how the sections follow one another.
Give it a fair try over a cup of tea rather than a rushed minute. Ask yourself whether the pace suits you, whether the mix of cafés, festivals and places to visit matches what you enjoy, and whether the absence of advertising changes how it feels to read. Some readers find that quiet is the main thing they notice.
If something about the layout bothers you, such as small print or a crowded screen, note it now. Most email programs let you enlarge text, and it is easier to sort that out before you subscribe than after the first issue arrives.
- Read the whole sample, not just the top
- Use the same device you read email on
- Note anything hard to read before you commit
Subscribing through the contact page
The newsletter is not bought on the site itself, so there is no checkout to look for. You send a request through the contact page with your name and the email address where you want the issues to arrive. A short message is plenty.
We reply in writing to confirm your subscription and the price in Canadian dollars. After that comes an invoice, which you pay by bank transfer. If you have never made a bank transfer to a small publisher, your bank branch or its online service can walk you through it, and the invoice carries the details you will need.
Keep the confirmation and the invoice together in one email folder. If you ever wish to stop, the payment and refund policy explains how cancellation works, and having your confirmation at hand makes any question quick to answer.
- Write your name and preferred email address
- Wait for our written confirmation and price
- Pay the invoice by bank transfer
Making sure the issue reaches your inbox
A newsletter that lands in a junk folder helps no one. Once your subscription is confirmed, add the editor's address to your contacts. That one step tells most email programs that these messages are welcome, and it keeps the weekly edition where you can find it.
If the first issue does not appear on its usual day, look in the spam or promotions folder before assuming something went wrong. Move it to your main inbox and mark it as not junk. Your program will usually remember that choice for future issues.
Should it still not arrive, write to us through the contact page with the address you gave. We will check that it was entered correctly. Typing mistakes in an address are the most common cause, and they are simple to fix.
- Add the editor's address to your contacts
- Check spam and promotions folders first
- Tell us if the address was mistyped
Reading the weekly edition at your own pace
The edition is meant to be read slowly, not cleared like a to-do list. Many subscribers set aside a regular half hour, perhaps on a weekend morning, and read straight through with no pop-ups or banners competing for attention.
If you prefer to dip in, start with the section that interests you most. A piece on a neighbourhood bookstore, a stage show or a lakeside trail stands on its own, and nothing is lost by skipping around. Come back to the rest when you have time.
Some readers print an issue they especially enjoy, or save it in a folder for later. That works well when a piece names a place you hope to visit, because you can keep the details beside your trip plans.
- Pick a regular reading time each week
- Start with the section you enjoy most
- Save or print pieces about places you want to visit
Using what you read
The newsletter is most useful when it leads you somewhere. When an issue mentions a café, gallery or festival, jot down the name and the town in a notebook so a future outing is easy to plan. Over a few months that list becomes a personal guide.
Share it carefully. Because the edition is a paid, ad-free service, passing the whole email along to many people is not what it is for, but telling a friend about a place you read about is always welcome, and they can try the sample edition for themselves.
If a piece sparks a thought, send us a note through the contact page. Reader letters help our writers see what people want more of, and we read every one.
- Keep a notebook of places to visit
- Recommend places, not the whole email
- Write to us with your thoughts
Checking that it suits you after a few weeks
Give the newsletter a month or so before deciding. One issue can be a poor fit for a particular week, but four give a fair picture of the rhythm, the range of subjects and the tone.
Ask yourself simple questions. Did you open most issues? Did you finish them? Did anything lead you to try a new place or learn something about your region? If the answers are mostly yes, the subscription is doing its job.
If it is not right for you, the cancellation terms are set out plainly in the payment and refund policy. There is no pressure to stay, and the free articles on the site remain open to you either way.
Get in touch
- Phone
- (807) 334-3841
- Write to us
- editor@nelixra.net
