ADVERTISING RELATED QUESTIONS:

How much will my ad cost?

Ads are priced according to the number of column inches (size), the number of times they are run (frequency) and the number of inches in a month (volume). If you are only running a small ad once, only the first factor will apply to you. But if you are planning to run ads several times in a month, the frequency factor could apply to you by reducing your rate, and if you are planning to run large ads, both the frequency and volume discounts could apply to you. Please see the page on advertising prices for more specific information on rates.

Will you take pictures for my ad?

Yes, photos are included in the price of the ad. They do not cost extra. We can also find graphics (logos and drawings) if you want them in your ad but don't have them yourself.

Do I have to set up the ad myself on my computer?

No. We accept camera-ready ads if you have design expertise and want to create the ad yourself, but the ad price includes typesetting and design by our staff if you want to leave it all to us.

If I run a weekly ad for a month or more, do I sign a contract with you?

No, we price all advertising on "earned frequency" rates as shown on the page with our advertising prices.

Will you put my pre-printed insert in The Journal?

Yes, (see prices). If you have further questions please contact one of our friendly ad reps.

NEWS RELATED QUESTIONS:

What is the difference between an ad and a news story or public-service announcement?

Simply put, an ad is what you buy (see Advertising) and a news story or public-service announcement is free. If you buy an ad, it appears exactly as you wrote it; information for news stories and announcements is edited by our news staff and printed with headlines.

If I have information for the newspaper, when should I get it in?

Deadlines vary for the kind of information (see Deadlines) but it should be understood that a deadline is the latest time and date we can accept information for an issue. We begin working on each issue the Thursday before it appears on the street, and your story will get much better treatment if it's early than if it comes in just under the wire.

What information do you want for a story?

News writing relies on who, what, when, where, how and why. We need full names of people involved (we don't use first-name-only), telephone numbers for further information, and specific times and places.

Forms are available for engagements, weddings and anniversaries, club meeting and event information, birth announcements and obituaries; see links for those forms under Downloads.

How do I submit a letter to the editor?

Send it to P.O. Box 430, Shelton, 98584, or drop it by the Journal office at Third and Cota.

A few guidelines:

• Sign the letter. We don't print anonymous letters. We also need an address and a phone number, although they are not used in the newspaper. We want to be able to get in touch with you in case we have a question about your letter.
• If a letter is libelous, it won't be printed. Media law dictates that if we print your letter, we are liable for the insults and defaming statements you make if they are not considered fair comment.
• Make it as short and concise as possible. We reserve the right to edit what we consider overly long letters.
• We don't consider thank-you notes appropriate for the letters columns, since we want to have a discussion of issues on the editorial pages. We'd prefer that you thank people in person or with a personal note, or run an ad if you think it's important that they receive public thanks.
• Around election time, we don't publish letters about ballot measures and candidates on the Thursday before the election, because there would be no opportunity for rebuttal. So political letters must be submitted at least two weeks before an election.

PRESS AND PRE-PRESS RELATED QUESTIONS:

What are the requirements for sending ads or publications electronically, on a disk?

The primary requirement is that you send your ad in a format and program that we can access and manipulate for size and color separations, if needed.

We prefer to receive your file on a CD, which must be compatible with Macintosh, and one or more of the following software packages: Adobe InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, or Acrobat. If you think you meet these requirements, please make sure to submit your file(s) early so that we will have time to test and make sure everything is going to work.

Ad Layouts	Photos	Graphics
Send whole ads as PDF (portable document format). Embed all fonts, gaphics & compresses files.	At least 200 dpi, TIFF, JPG (not PDF)	At least 200 dpi, TIFF, JPG (not PDF)

If you are not sure about the compatiblity of your file, or you don't have any of the software listed above, please call one of our advertising reps at 360-426-4412 and arrange to give us your original art elements and/or photos individually (no computer print-outs please), and we'll typeset your ad copy and build your ad on our computers.

MISCELLANEOUS QUESTIONS:

Where can I get back issues of The Journal?

Copies of The Journal, back one year from the current date, are available in limited quantities. You may come to our office and pick them up, or for those that can't come in, we will mail them to you. Please note, because the newspapers are relatively heavy, a shipping charge will be added to each copy requiring delivery. See below.

PRICES FOR BACK ISSUES OF THE JOURNAL

You pick them up from our office: 75 cents each.

We send them to your mailing address: $3.75 each.

Please mail a check payable to Shelton-Mason County Journal, PO Box 430, Shelton, WA 98584, and indicate which issue(s) you want. Be sure to include the mailing address you would like the newspapers sent to.

For those doing research or looking for back issues from years ago, try the Timberland library in Shelton or the Washington State Library in Olympia, which both have the old copies on microfilm, or the Mason County Historical Society Museum at Fifth and Railroad in Shelton, which has old papers that can be read during museum hours.