June 2013 Community Journal Newsletter
Talking postal at SD
Kathy Nelson of the Timber Lake Topic talks with NNA postal expert Max Heath about her newspaper’s postal report during the joint South Dakota-North Dakota Press Association convention held in Rapid City, SD, in late April. (Click here to see more photos from the convention.)
Interlink photo/Helen Sosniecki
It’s not too early to plan for move to Full-Service IMb
From Interlink
Newspapers claiming automation mailing rates for their Periodicals newspapers and some Standard Mail flats should be preparing for the U.S. Postal Service’s requirement for Full-Service Intelligent Mail Barcodes (IMbs) which kicks in Jan. 26, 2014.
USPS announced a couple of months ago that the new Full-Service IMbs would be required for all mail seeking automation discounts. The first step toward the USPS program to achieve greater service accountability began this January when many mailers began using the Basic IMbs.
The January 2014 change requires — with few exceptions — individual numbering on mailpieces, sack and tray tags and pallet placards so that USPS can track mail throughout processing and delivery. Those individual numbers must also be provided to USPS through electronic documentation, again, with some exceptions.
Included in the move to Full-Service IMb is a requirement for the electronic submission of postal reports. Some Interlink customers, who are part of an eDoc testing group, currently are submitting their postage reports electronically to the USPS, eliminating the need for printed postage statements and qualification reports.
USPS has been accepting eDoc through the Mail.dat file format, which can be complex and may carry additional licensing fees for usage. Interlink’s support for eDoc is through the Mail.XML format, created by the USPS to support real-time, “conversational” interactions regarding electronic documentation, FAST appointments, ACS data and more.
As Interlink continues preparations for the move from Basic to Full-Service IMb in a few months, we encourage publishers to begin planning for the move in order to maintain their automation discounts without interruption. And, www.ilsw.com/imb-savings-calculator can help you assess your potential extra postal charges without automation rates. As with the numerous past USPS DMM changes, Interlink will have your back on Jan. 26 if you are an Interlink customer.
As we move through the coming months, watch our website (www.ilsw.com) for additional Full-Service IMb information and explanations about preparations you will need to make for the switch to Full-Service IMb. And, check out our Full-Service IMb Countdown Clock – a reminder for all of us as the date nears. (Jan. 26 will be here before you know it.)
Weekly editors discuss challenges
Weekly newspaper editors from South Dakota and North Dakota gathered for a round-table discussion of successes and challenges during the first joint South Dakota Newspaper Association and North Dakota Newspaper Association convention held April 25-27 in Rapid City, SD. More than 200 members of the organizations attended. Convention topics included print/online connection, page/ad design, postal issues and public notices. Awards ceremonies for both organizations also were held during the convention. The top awards were presented during a dinner Friday evening at Mt. Rushmore. (Click here to see more photos from the convention.) Interlink photo/Helen Sosniecki
It takes a village to support a community
By William E. (Bill) Garber
Interlink founder and Chairman
I was sitting beside Lacey, on the flight between Denver and San Jose earlier this week. I wouldn’t be using my drink coupons, so when he claimed the aisle seat beside me, and by way of introducing myself, I offered the pair to him. He smiled and thanked me.
Later when the flight attendant asked for our drink request, I ordered complimentary tonic water and Lacey ordered a vodka and cranberry juice. When they arrived, mine had the lime in it. Lacey mentioned that he had ordered a Cape Cod, but hadn’t called it that and hadn’t asked for the lime. I had forgotten to skip the lime, so it all worked out just fine when my lime ended up in Lacey’s Cape Cod. He remembered the absent lime an hour later when he ordered his second Cape Cod.
That really has nothing to do with why this little story is on the Interlink website, of course, other than a little background on how Lacey became the hero of this story.
Lacey had brought the Sunday Denver Post on board in its plastic wrapper for convenience and was artfully reading a section of the broadsheet in the cozy pitch between two too-narrow airplane seats. I asked him if he lived in Denver and he replied that he lived in San Jose and had been visiting his sister, I believe, and had taker her Sunday paper to read on the plane.
To drag along a Sunday Post onto an airplane it was obvious Lacey liked newspapers. I mentioned something to that point, and he smiled and said that newspapers are “important.”
Lacy is retired from a career that included 16 years in the Navy, and the rest of his career as an engineer, thanks to an engineering degree the Navy funded with the last decade or more as a “transportation engineer” in San Jose.
Lacey then told me that he subscribes to the San Jose Mercury News, a sister paper to the Post, though he didn’t mention that part. He said, “They send me a bill every six months for about $60.” He said he always pays the bill because he wants to personally help make sure the Mercury News “survives”.
I thought that was more than interesting.
Lacey is a retiree, of what appears to be modest means. Sixteen years in the Navy was four years short of a retirement benefit. Though when he said he had the chance to work at Moffett for the military or another government program that would have gotten him to the 20-year mark, he smiled and told me the job he had at the time paid a good deal more and he took a pass. Lacey is not a man who looks back with regrets. And he knows something about money. He worked for H&R Block for a few years “on the side” and then “I went private”, he said. He has tried to retire from that, and almost has but for a few customers he just can’t say no to.
Lacey doesn’t even read the Mercury News every day, thought if there is something ‘big’ in the news, he says he always reaches for the paper. He says he always turns most of the pages in the weekend editions. And he always renews his subscription not only because he likes the paper, but because he wants the paper to live on.
We now come to the reason this note is posted by Interlink. (Yes, I’d flunk reporting 101 due to a buried lead with this one.)
Lacey is a prime illustration of an often overlooked approach to soliciting community newspaper subscriptions. When soliciting new subscriptions, publishers may well be overlooking a compelling reason to buy a subscription to a community newspaper.
Every subscription helps keep the paper alive and strengthens the paper and in turn the community it serves.
This is a proven fact that needs no footnote for any publisher.
It is just that the typical subscription appeal is focused on how valuable the paper is to the person subscribing, rather than the value of the subscription to the community.
Instead of making the case that a subscription delivers lots of coupons ‘worth hundreds of dollars’, plenty of news, and possibly pictures of the kids or grandchildren, how about simply asking non-subscribers to subscribe because their subscription will help keep the paper well and strong and that is important because the community needs a strong community newspaper?
Can it really be that simple?
In fact, there is solid research support for exactly that.
In a wonderful read and from a NYT #1 Bestseller, To Sell Is Human: The Surprising Truth about Moving Others, (for your convenience – http://amzn.to/ZAGET0 ) Daniel Pink reports on a most interesting study. Researches wanted to encourage hospital visitors and employees to wash their hands or use disinfectant gel to prevent the spread of infections. Hospital infections kill roughly three times as many people as automobiles kill in the U.S. every year.
With that motivation, Pink reports that researchers posted three different signs and measured their results by weighing the containers when the signs went up, and after the signs had been posted for a time.
The three different signs read:
Hand Hygiene Prevents You from Catching Diseases
Hand Hygiene Prevents Patients from Catching Diseases
Gel in, Wash out
Now the most effective sign, by far was the ‘other-focused’, rather than ‘self-focused’ appeal or the ‘non-specific’ appeal which both tied for last place.
The researchers ran a second test, using just the first two messages. Instead of measuring the weight of the containers, they employed people to observe employees as they passed the signs. “Once again, the personal-consequences sign had zero effect. But the sign appealing to purpose boosted hand washing by 10% overall and significantly more for the physicians.” P 216.
As the saying should say, It takes a village to support a community!
And pretty much any person understands that. Supporting others is powerfully compelling to many, and I would venture to say most of the non-subscribers in every village with a community newspaper would agree.
Now, I turn to your newspaper. If you have first-hand evidence of the success of this appeal in seeking new subscriptions, please share it with us. You can reach me at bill@ilsw.com with your story and I’ll pass it along. Indeed, be the reporter who tells the stories of the new subscribers to your newspaper. Publish the stories in your paper. And don’t overlook the stories of the long-time Lacey’s who have subscribed to your newspaper for decades. Tell their story in terms of why they subscribe to your paper.
If you are sampling non-subscribers, how about including three or four such stories about new and long-time subscribers on the insert you include with every sampled paper mailed out. Their stories could help you turn ‘sampled households’ into ‘subscriber households’ and be a big boost to your newspaper’s success.
How is that working for you?
Do let me know.
And let me share it here.
I really like good newspaper stories!
Big Story puts Wise on the Map
EDITOR’S NOTE: The Wise County Messenger, a long-time customer of Interlink, recently found itself in the middle of a national story when a Colorado parolee suspected of murder led police on a high-speed chase ending with a shoot-out in their community. As the Messenger reporters and photographers were busy covering the breaking story, News Editor Kristen Tribe explains the newspaper’s handling of the influx of requests for information and photos from large Texas and national news media outlets
By Kristen Tribe
News Editor/Wise County (TX) Messenger
Reprinted with permission from March 30, 2013, edition
Sometimes we go find the news.
Other times, it finds us.
Last week Evan Ebel sped into Wise County, guns blazing, and brought a tragic story to our front door.
Although covering tragedy is nothing new at the Wise County Messenger, this time we did it with the national media looking over our shoulder.
The morning of March 21 started quietly, but by noon, we had covered a frenzied chase, a police shootout with a seemingly crazed gunman, and were exploring connections to murders in Colorado. By the next morning our work, primarily the photos by Joe Duty and Jimmy Alford, had appeared in publications, on websites and television broadcasts of at least 27 media outlets around the world.
It was not a typical news day in Wise County.
Seven of us huddled in the newsroom when we heard the word “gunshots” on the police scanner about 11 a.m. Prior to this, I spent most of the morning answering emails and doing phone interviews. I had chatted with an assistant D.A. and the First Baptist preacher and had plans to write all afternoon. But my plans changed quickly.
All we knew at that point was that local law enforcement was chasing a suspect who had “assaulted” a deputy in Montague County, and this guy was shooting at officers along U.S. 287.
We shifted into “breaking news mode,” which for us means a reporter and photographer head to the scene while someone at the office posts to our website and monitors Facebook comments until the dust settles.
On this day, two photographers headed to the scene, along with a reporter. After they left, we continued listening to the scanner, and I made several frantic calls to Joe and Brandon to give them some idea of where this guy was headed.
The gravity of the situation was brought to light when the dispatcher said, “He’s stopped … and he’s reloading.”
Those words hung heavy in the newsroom.
That’s when I knew he wasn’t trying to slow down officers, or just cause a distraction. He was shooting to kill.
The chase seemed to last forever, but in reality it was just 24 minutes. We heard the dispatcher say there was a wreck, and the suspect was still shooting.
The next words: “Suspect down.”
Was he dead? Were any officers hurt? What about the accident? Were other drivers injured?
All we could do was wait.
Joe and Jimmy returned quickly to post photos and share what they witnessed, while Brandon stayed at the site to gather as much information as possible.
Joe sent one photo from the scene that we had already posted, and we began combing through others while waiting for Brandon to return. I knew it was a matter of time before the Dallas/Fort Worth TV stations started calling. They monitor our breaking news and will often call asking for permission to run Joe’s photos, hoping we’ll feed them other key details.
The funny thing is, our staff initially agreed: No TV. We weren’t sharing with anyone.
“They can come get their own story.” That was the prevailing sentiment. You see, when the DFW TV crews call, they’re often demanding and want us to just give away everything we’ve worked hard to gather. They regularly insinuate their newscast should be our top priority, even though we’re in the midst of covering it for our readers and have no obligation to their viewers.
Plus, we’ve been burned a few times. Photos have been run on TV without our permission or what’s worse, without giving Joe or the Wise County Messenger credit.
Fellow newspapers, we decided, would be handled differently. Obviously, we’d share as much as we could with them.
The first to call was the Times Record-News in Wichita Falls who wanted to post one of our photos to their website. In the meantime, we heard the Montague County deputy had been shot, but we didn’t have that verified. We contacted the Bowie News trying to get those details and began a little sleuth work of our own on the Colorado connection.
Coincidentally, a Messenger staff member has family that lives just a few streets away from Tom Clements, the head of the Colorado prison system who was murdered earlier in the week. They immediately recognized that the black, boxy car with Colorado plates matched the description from the vehicle in that incident. Brandon began calling authorities in Colorado trying to substantiate that, but it was all speculation at this point.
By mid-afternoon, it seemed inevitable there was a Colorado connection, and this story was now national news. Brandon spoke with a Denver TV station, and The Denver Post came calling.
“Oh, my gosh! Those photos are epic! Did this happen like right next to your office?” asked Dana Coffield, the Post’s city editor.
I was caught off-guard. This is just what we do.
But I enjoyed hashing it out with her. We listen to the police scanner 24/7, so as soon as we heard there was a chase, we headed that way. We also had a photographer shooting on both sides of the scene, which provided extensive coverage.
And I gently reminded her that it’s a small town. It doesn’t take long to get anywhere.
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram called shortly thereafter requesting photos, and as a bonus, they offered to post them on the AP wire for us. At that point, the photos were available to any paper that’s a member of the Associated Press, which enabled us to spend more time on coverage and less time emailing photos.
The afternoon was a haze of press conferences, phone calls and re-telling the story time and again. As the magnitude of the story became more clear, we backed off our stand against TV news and were happy to share with ABC World News Tonight, CNN and the CBS Evening News, just to name a few. The Dallas/Fort Worth media outlets were in Decatur conducting interviews and shooting their own footage.
The next morning, one of Joe’s photos was plastered across the Star-Telegram front page, and Jimmy had one on the front of the Denver Post.
Videos and photos also appeared in the Washington Post, New York Times, Daily Mail (UK),Kansas City Star, KnoxNews (Knoxville, Tenn.), Yahoo!News, New York Daily News, Boston Globe, The Inquirer (Philadelphia), Dallas Morning News and The Pueblo Chieftain(Colorado).
Readers also saw the Messenger’s work in USA Today, Associated Press (The Big Story Section), Fresno Bee, Los Angeles Times, Salt Lake Tribune, San Francisco Chronicle, Seattle PI, Tri City Herald (Washington), Boston Herald and the World Journal.
I’ll admit; we were all a bit starstruck, but we had also all worked hard to report the story quickly and accurately while being sensitive to the families, officers and emergency responders involved.
We take pride in local news and making sure that’s the focus of our coverage. We only cover “national news” if we can find a local angle.
On this day, the line between local and national disappeared, and we were all just reporters.
Our most important relationship is with our readers
By Jeff Montgomery
Staff Writer/North Scott Press (IA)
Preprinted with Permission from May 8, 2013, edition
When I was a kid, I started every morning with a bowl of cereal and the daily newspaper. I’d begin with the sports section and then work my way back to the news. It was an essential part of my daily routine.
I read my community newspaper so frequently and so thoroughly that I started recognizing the names of the writers. I’d count the number of bylines they had every week and study their unique writing styles.
Even as I became more acquainted with their work, however, there was always a sense of detachment. To me, these people were just names on a page. I didn’t see their faces. I never heard their voices.
In my adult years my interaction with newspapers has changed. I still read news stories every day, but now I am writing them as well. And every week, when The North Scott Press arrives at more than 5,000 homes, I am on the other end of the reader-writer discussion.
All this talk of relationships may sound odd, I know.
But I think it is absolutely essential to keep that unique connection in mind. Especially when the going gets tough.
An interesting week
In the past week, I’ve spent more time than usual thinking about a paper’s connection with its readers. After all, this has not been a typical week.
Allow me to set the stage:
Last Tuesday, I spent my evening covering a special meeting of the North Scott School Board.
The gathering came one day before the appearance of Scott Campbell’s column about the board, which by now has become the talk of the town. Board members had not yet read the column when they convened for the meeting. Even so, the gathering was marked by a unique tension.
Dennis Albertson, the board’s vice president, got the ball rolling.
During a discussion on budget cuts, he paused to point out some positive news about student achievement: The reading results from the 2012 Iowa Assessment showed that third-graders in the North Scott District had the highest percentage (87.96) of students meeting or exceeding state standards of all four large school districts in Scott County.
He then turned his attention to the media:
“I think we are doing some things exceedingly well that we don’t get credit for because it doesn’t sell newspapers.”
Ironically enough, the credit had already been given. Hours before the board convened Tuesday night, Campbell’s column had gone to print. In that article, he reported the good news about North Scott’s reading achievement.
Later in the meeting, Albertson talked about The NSP again. He accused the paper of “distorting the news” and said we have taken cheap shots at the board. Board president Joe Slater piled on a bit more, calling The NSP’s coverage of school issues “less than accurate.” Neither Slater nor Albertson offered specific examples.
For the better part of two hours, I sat there in silence as my newspaper came under fire. It wasn’t until the very end of the meeting that I felt the need to respond.
And that is when the sparks really flew.
A public lashing
I considered saying nothing. And trust me, last week would have been far more ordinary if I hadn’t.
As much as I wanted to, though, I could not just sit there. I take pride in what I do and, even more, I take pride in where I do it. In an age where truly good newspapers are few and far between, I sincerely believe that this one does things the right way.
So I spoke up. And one week later, I stand behind every tape-recorded word:
“The North Scott Press has taken quite a bit of flack this meeting,” I said. “Dennis talked about cheap shots and misleading headlines, Joe talked about inaccurate reporting …
“I just wanted to say, I am sitting (right here). You don’t have to talk about me like I’m not in the room. I am always willing to listen … and it’s frustrating for me to hear these things when emails are unreturned and calls are not returned.”
At this point, the gavel struck. Board members quickly moved to adjourn, stating that my comments concerning The NSP were not part of the agenda and therefore were not permitted during the meeting. (If you connect the dots here, you’ll realize that the board’s comments about The NSP weren’t part of the agenda, either).
After the meeting was officially closed, the board allowed me to continue. I reiterated that I was frustrated by what I viewed as a lack of responsiveness from the board:
“I do my absolute best to do a good job and report things accurately to the readers.”
The reaction varied widely. Paul Dierickx went out of his way to express his appreciation for the job we do here; most board members said little or nothing.
John Maxwell, however, did have something to say. And as anyone who was there can attest to, he said it loudly.
Taking strong exception to my statement that the board rarely responded to phone calls or emails, Maxwell said it was unfair to lump him into that category:
“You can never say that I’ve never been willing to talk to you, so to say as a group that we don’t (get back to you) … You don’t talk to me that way …”
Most of the room cleared out. I was on an island. Board members Joe Slater and Joni Dittmer were at Maxwell’s side, chiming in from time to time to offer their agreement.
“Every email I get – and I get a heck of a lot of them – I return it,” Maxwell exclaimed.
For the record, I did email Maxwell twice in the week leading up to last Tuesday’s altercation.
In these two emails, which Campbell discussed at length in his recent column, I asked all board members to work with me on an article that would focus on positive developments in the district. Neither of these emails was returned.
Maxwell called The NSP to apologize for the mix-up. He insisted he never received the messages, a fact that he attributes to a glitch in his school board email account. I have no reason to think this isn’t true. That being said, I have never paid more dearly for a faulty email account.
After effects
I’d love to brag about how thick-skinned I am, but that would be a lie. I am human, and I took Tuesday night’s lashing to heart.
It would have been so much easier if I had been called out by a couple of buffoons. But that was far from the case.
Maxwell and Albertson carry immense respect in these parts.
Moreover, I know the men on a personal level. In late 2011, when I first started with The NSP, they were among the first people I interviewed. Maxwell graciously hosted me at his home when I was assigned to write about his acclaimed international farming tours. Around that same time, I had interviewed Albertson extensively for an article in North Scott: The Magazine.
Back then, I never could have envisioned a night like last Tuesday. I couldn’t imagine a point where the tensions between the board and The NSP would escalate to this point.
In the days following the publication of Scott’s column, this fractured relationship has been the talk of the town. It’s not what anyone here at The NSP wanted. The bond between the newspaper and the district, after all, is one of the most important relationships The NSP maintains.
But it isn’t the most important one.
That distinction is reserved for the unique connection between a newspaper and its readers. This is the foundation on which any successful publication is built. Everything falls apart without it.
In this day and age, any reporter would be crazy to take that relationship for granted. That is why some of the offhanded comments that came across the table at last week’s board meeting struck a chord.
We are distorting the news to sell papers?
The NSP’s success did not happen overnight. This paper, like any successful publication, thrives because of the relationship that has been developed with its readers. A sense of trust has been built.
Back when I was younger, when I read the paper at the breakfast table each day, I wasn’t able to see that connection for what it was. But believe me, I recognize it today.
To jeopardize that trust – to distort news to bring in a few extra bucks in any given week – would not just be immoral, it would be absurdly illogical. It would kill the community’s trust in our paper and, very likely, kill The NSP as we know it.
Last week wasn’t much fun. When any relationship sours, it leaves a bad taste in your mouth.
I think it is safe to say, however, that this paper’s most important relationship remains firmly intact.
Welcome to the Interlink community!
Interlink would like to welcome the newest members of the Interlink Circulation community:
Belton Journal (TX) Columbian Progress (MS)
Copperas Cove Leader-Press (TX) Dove Creek Press (TX)
San Marcos Daily Record (TX) Grand Saline Sun (TX)
Gladewater Mirror (TX) Big Sandy-Hawkins Journal (TX)
Moundsville Daily Echo (WVA) Dawson Springs Progress (KY)
Gorman Progress (TX) Bourbon Beacon (MO)
Home Press (MO) Mt. Pleasant Daily Tribune (TX)
Clarksville Times (TX) Atkinson Graphic (NE)
Jefferson Jimplecute (TX) Ordway New Era (CO)
Rocky Ford Daily Gazette (CO) Thorp Courier (WI)
Wayne Herald Shopper (NE) Weston Chronicle (MO)
Neola Gazette (IA) Robertson County News (TX)
Rains County Leader (TX) Comfort News (TX)
Neligh News (NE) Creighton News (NE)
Clearwater Record (NE) Mexia News (TX)
Doddridge Independent (WV) Monticello Express (IA)
Hubbard City News (TX) Lime Springs Herald (IA)
Jackson County Herald-Tribune (TX) Cuero Record (TX)
Yorktown News-View (TX) 22nd Century Media/Orland Park (IL)
Newcastle Pacer (OK) Early Bird Express (OK)
Lawrence County Record (MO) AB4 22nd Century Media/ Tinley (IL)
22nd Century Media/ Mokena (IL) 22nd Century Media/New Lenox (IL)
22nd Century Media/Homer (IL) 22nd Century Media/Frankfort (IL)
22nd Century Media/Northbrook (IL) 22nd Century Media/Glenview (IL)
22nd Century Media/Lockport (IL) 22nd Century Media/Wilmette (IL)
22nd Century Media/Winnetka (IL) Stonewall County Courier (TX)
Monroe Co Reporter (GA) Lamar Democrat (MO)
Creswell Chronicle (OR) Tri-County News (MO)
‘Fish wrap’ boosts circulation for Press and Standard
By Angela Kurtz
Interlink Associate Marketing Manager
Oftentimes, you come across an advertisement or promotion that catches your eye and leaves you thinking, “Hey, that’s pretty cool” or “How clever.” We at Interlink want to share with our newspaper community circulation ideas that garner those same responses. We hope they inspire you to find creative, imaginative ways to reach into your market, and, ultimately, increase your subscription base.
Barry Moore, publisher of The Press and Standard in Walterboro, SC, worked with his staff last year to come up with a promotion to resonate with their fishing community since they are near both inland-lakes and the Atlantic Ocean. Barry and his staff are quick to point out they are unsure exactly who came up with the idea, or where it came from, but they discovered the idea of a ‘Free Fish Wrap (With Your Subscription)’ promotion to be just what they were looking for.
The front page of the insert features a variety of fish photos and ‘Cut Here’ lines, instructing subscribers to recycle their papers by using them as ‘free fish wrap.’ The insert included discounted ad space on both the front and back pages which was purchased by a local seafood restaurant that featured their menu and a seafood recipe for Low Country Boil.
Additionally, the front and back pages contained a subscription form which instructed new, and renewing, customers to select either a coupon worth $10 off a one-year subscription or a free fishing pole while supplies lasted. The fishing poles were generously donated by a local merchant. Barry said the donated poles really added to the goodwill of the promotion as almost every new and returning subscriber opted for the free fishing pole instead of the $10 off coupon.
According to Barry, the promotion was a very well received in the community, and although The Press and Standard already has excellent penetration in its market, this fun, community-focused promotion resulted in new subscriptions for the twice-weekly publication. Those at The Press and Standard were very happy with the results of the free fish wrap promotion and plan to use it again, but will wait a year or two to keep the idea fresh.
For more information on the ‘Free Fish Wrap (With Your Subscription)’ promotion, contact Barry at publisher@colletontoday.com.
Tech Support Answers your questions: Reprinting labels or bundles
Q: How do I print or re-print mailing labels for a specific bundle?
A: It is possible to print, or re-print mailing labels for a specific bundle. This may be desired if the labels for that bundle fell out of order, or were damaged during the labeling process. This option is available for Periodical or Standard mailing labels.
1. Click the Print Reports button
2. Select the category for the class of mail you wish to print labels for, e.g. Periodical Mail or Standard Mail
3. Select the Mailing Labels report
4. Click the Print All button
5. Enter the number of the bundle you wish to print in the top field. This number is printed on the right-side of the second row on the label, as well as on the Statistics report
6. Click the Continue button to begin printing
To Re-Print starting from a specific sub:
1. Click the Print Reports button
2. Select the category for the class of mail you wish to print labels for. (e.g. Periodical Mail or Standard Mail)
3. Select the Mailing Labels report
4. Hit Print Special
5. Choose “restart from” and enter the subscriber # you wish to restart from
6. Click Continue to begin printing
Want to know where to go to get answers to some of our most common questions? Head to http://interlink.flywheelsites.com/category/tech-support/ to view our FAQ list.
Didn’t find the answer to your question?
You may submit your question in the comment section provided, and a member of Interlink’s Tech Support team will be happy to answer your question, or, you may visit Interlink’s Community Forum found at http://forum.ilsw.com/forum.php for additional assistance.
Interlink welcomes…
New technical support analyst joins Interlink
Jazmel (Jaz) Berrios joined Interlink in January 2013. Jaz was born in Yabucoa, Puerto Rico, where he learned Spanish as a youth providing him fluency in both English and Spanish. His father’s military service of 27 years in the Navy provided Jaz the opportunity to travel extensively throughout the world and experience many different cultures and customs.
Jaz served in the Marine Corps, graduating as an Honor Graduate from boot camp, and was second in his class from School of Infantry. His military service includes four years as a Machine Gunner in Desert Storm and two years in the reserves.
Jaz comes to Interlink with over 20 years of experience in IT, working with companies such as IBM, Hewlett Packard and Whirlpool where he held positions ranging from Helpdesk Support to Network Administrator.
In his spare time, Jaz is an avid gamer playing games such as World of Warcraft and Diablo III. He also is a car buff and enjoys doing his own work and repairs on his car. Jaz spends most of his free time enjoying the company of his wife, Kriseda, and their three children.
Interlink makes generating ownership statement easy
Brad Hill and Melanie Goff
Interlink, Inc.
The Statement of Ownership, Management and Circulation, also known as PS Form 3526, is required by the Post Office annually to show proof of continued eligibility for mailing under a Periodical Permit.
Periodical permit holders for years have relied on archived 3541 reports and spreadsheet calculations in order to meet the Oct. 1 filing deadline.
As a reminder to our customers, Interlink Circulation includes this report and can even automatically fill in most of the required information.
You can find the Statement of Ownership with the other reports in the Periodical Mail Delivery report category, but some setup is required first to ensure all parts of the form are complete and accurate. To configure the 3526 form, if you have not already done so, open your Periodical publication in Interlink Circulation then:
1) Select Configure List… from the File menu
2) Select the Periodical Mail tab
3) Click the Contact Information… button
4) Select the Form 3526 tab
The first six sub-tabs shown provide space to enter contact information for the various areas on Form 3526. Each tab has room for one contact – additional contacts should be specified on a separate sheet and attached to the form when filing.
Additional required information can be specified under the Misc sub-tab, such as the number of annual issues published, the filing date for PS Form 3526, and the date it will be published in the paper.
The real magic happens under the Totals sub-tab. The second page of PS Form 3526 requires circulation statistics from the issue published nearest to date of filing, in addition to circulation statistics averaged across the previous 12 months of publication. Clicking the Estimate Values button will cause the program to automatically determine what the counts should be based on information it has available. If you like what you see, click the Use Estimates button to copy them into the form.
Remember that auto-generated averages will only be accurate on lists that have mailed using Interlink Circulation for 12+ months, but you can manually enter the values based on your own calculations so they print nicely on the form. It also is important to note that circulation statistics are only available from parts of Interlink Circulation that have been actively and accurately used during the previous 12 month period. This means that non-mail delivery figures such as for racks, dealers and carriers, will only be accurate if you have been using these parts of the program. If not, you can always enter your own numbers prior to printing the report.
(If you aren’t now using the non-mail delivery options, now is a good time to get started so the information will be available at the click of a button next year when you get ready to produce your ownership statement.)
Once you’re happy with the setup for PS Form 3526, click the OK button to save your changes then OK again to exit Configure List. You can now print the completed 3526 form any time and as often as you like. For anyone who may be interested, a blank copy of PS Form 3526 with instructions is available for download from the USPS at http://about.usps.com/forms/ps3526.pdf
Interlink discontinues 1″ Sack/Tray Tag use
The USPS has released a final ruling stating Full-Service IMb will become the requirement for automation-compatible mail effective Jan. 26, 2014. Full-Service IMb will require a change in format to sack and tray tags, which Interlink will support in advance of USPS requirements.
Although current sacks and trays have two-inch holders, many of Interlink’s clients purchase and use one-inch tags in those holders. This option has worked in the past because the current design places the barcode in the lower half of the tag where it is not interrupted by the perforation between the two one-inch tags.
USPS Full-Service IMb changes the format of sack and tray tags by placing the barcode closer to the middle of the tag, causing the perforation to run through the middle of the barcode when printing on two one-inch tags. To avoid compromising the integrity of the barcode to meet USPS Full-Service requirements, Interlink will stop selling one-inch sack/tray tags as of Aug. 31, 2013.
In addition to the current case of two-inch sack tags offered, effective immediately, Interlink will Offer a smaller package containing 100 sheets for $30 including shipping. The mailing supply order form has been updated to include the new package of 100 sheets of two-inch tags, and a disclaimer statement has been added regarding USPS Full-Service requirements and the incompatibility with the one-inch tags.
Click here for Mailing Supplies Order Form
Take a bow…..
Moser Media names Henry vice president
Mark Henry, editor and publisher of The Mexia (TX) News, has been promoted to vice president with Moser Community Media, LLC, the management company of the newspaper group with which The Mexia News is affiliated.
Mike Eddleman has been named publisher at Mexia, according to The Mexia News announcements. Eddleman was most recently publisher of the Taylor (TX) Daily Press.
What are customers are saying…
From Colorado…
Interlink has saved me about $40 per week on my postal report!
And the filing a postal report takes me a few minutes.
Melanie Brubaker Mazur
Editor and publisher, Pine River Times
Bayfield, Colorado
From Texas…
Good Morning Helen,
Wanted to say thank you!!
Interlink and its people are amazing.
After our experience with you and Che’ at the conference, who would of thought that it could continue to be so wonderful, and the program even better then we could imagine.
Kirby was/is informative, professional and supportive, not to mention kind.
Thank you all!!
Sincerely,
Deborah (and Michael Hawkins, Comfort (TX) News)
From ND…
“Interlink is the best thing that ever happened to circulation for the Bottineau Courant.”
Wanda Gravseth
Bottineau Courant, Bottineau, ND
Interlink Calendar
Thursday, July 4 – Independence Day. Office closed.
Monday, Sept. 2 – Labor Day. Office closed.
Sept. 12-15 – NNA Convention in Phoenix. See you there!
Postal Calendar
Thursday, July 4 – Independence Day. Office closed.
Monday, Sept. 2 – Labor Day. Office closed.
On the personal side….
Sosnieckis celebrate 40th Anniversary
Interlink Senior Sales and Marketing Manager Helen Sosniecki and her husband Gary, a regional sales manager for TownNews.com, celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary May 15.
Gary Stuart Sosniecki of Bensenville, Ill., and Helen Louise Stephens of Clinton, Mo., were married May 15, 1973, at Dripping Spring Christian Church near Columbia, Mo. Both had graduated from the University of Missouri School of Journalism earlier in the day.
The Sosnieckis worked in the newspaper business for 34 years in Tennessee, Illinois, Kansas and Missouri, where at various times they owned newspapers in Humansville, Seymour and Vandalia and published The Lebanon Daily Record.
Since 2008 they have been vendors to the newspaper industry. They live in Le Claire, Iowa.
The Sosnieckis celebrated their anniversary with a vacation in early June to Estes Park, Colo.
Interesting Links…
Sharing Buffett’s reflections on newspapers
In response to Warren Buffett’s 2012 letter to shareholders, this article reflects on the value and success of newspapers that stems from how well the organization establishes relevancy with its readership.
http://www.dtint.com/blog/a-lesson-from-warren-buffett-newspapers-value-rests-in-their-relevance/
Check out the USPS Service Standards Map
This map illustrates the service standards based on April 1 Labeling Lists changes and the business rules defined in the Federal Register (39 CFR 121).
https://ribbs.usps.gov/modernservicestandards/ssmaps/find_map.cfm
What drives young journalists?
Clyde Bentley, associate professor at the University of Missouri School Of Journalism, assigned his editorial-writing class students to produce a video version of an essay assignment — “This I Believe.” The project was designed to help students discover the values, people and ideas that drive them.
You can check out the results here: http://www.youtube.com/user/MizzouBelieve (click on 2013).
Ted Talks media-related videos
Ted Talks fans may find these videos interesting.
“Media with meaning” http://www.ted.com/playlists/21/media_with_meaning.html
“Sasa Vucinic invests in the press” http://www.ted.com/talks/sasa_vucinic_invests_in_free_press.html
Share your circulation ideas
Have you conducted a circulation-building campaign that produced great results? Why not share it with other publishers and circulation managers in our next quarterly Interlink Community Journal? Email them to helen@ilsw.com or angela@ilsw.com
Interlink Classifieds
Need a new label printer? No need to spend your cash buying a new one. Just use Interlink’s new Monthly Printer Service. For only $24.95 per month, Interlink will provide you a fully supported thermal label printer for unlimited use in your office. Current model being supplied is the Citizen CL-S621. Label/ribbon packages are available from Interlink. Call 888-473-3103.
Save your gas money from those trips to the office supply store for labels. Let Interlink ship them directly to you. Call 888-473-3103 for pricing.