PenPal Interviews at Sandbook Net

Pen Pal Interviews

Would you like to be interviewed and share your penpalling experience with over 2500 people world-wide? We would like to question you about your penpalling experience and get to know you a bit better! The interviews will be published in the penpal magazine and of course here on our website.

How to participate?

Copy the questions and answer them! Then select several photos of you, your friends or country and then send us all of the information back to us at raiasandbook(at)gmail.com (just change the (at) with @).

Interview Questions:

1. Hello there! How are you doing? Tell us more about yourself, your hobbies, personal life, interests.

2. If you have to describe yourself in only 5 words what would they be?

3. Tell us something about your town, city or country.

4. How did you start penpalling? When was that? And why did you decide to start Penpalling?

5. What do you like / dislike about Penpalling/correspondence?

6. How do your friends react when they discover you are into Penpalling? Are they also into it or they give you the “strange” faces?

7. Do you still stay in touch with your first penpal? Tell us about your first penpal even if you have lost touch with them. We might be able to help you locate him/her.  

8.  How many Penpals do you have? Where are they from?

9.  Are you searching for new Penpals? If yes, please give us some contact information that we can publish in the magazine so that people can write to you back.  

10.  What are you looking for in a penpal?

11. Where do you find new Penpals from? Do you rely on FBs or Facebook or other websites/blogs.
12. Tell us a funny/interesting story from your Penpalling experience? 

13. How do you keep track of your mail? Share your tip on how to organize ourselves.

14. Do you swap things? Do you like sending gifts to friends? If yes, what is the funniest gift you have ever sent/received?
15. Have you met a penpal? If so, let us know how the meeting went.
16. What do you usually like writing/reading about in the letters?

17. When it comes to making cute and personal letters, everyone has his/her own style. Tell us your trick how to make a letter/envelope unique? Do you decorate it? If yes, how. Give us some tips on how to make the letters more interesting.
18. Where do you buy your stationery supplies from? Do you prefer traditional shops or e-shops? If so, give us some links. 

Photos:
1) Send us a photo(s) of yourself so we can print it with the article and show that you are a real person! You can also include other photos of your friends and you, your mail and mailbox, etc. anything that you would like to share with us will be more than welcome!

2) Write us a message in your own handwriting (sample handwriting), decorate the message if you like and finally snap a photo of the handwriting/message sample and email it to us so we can print it on the magazine’s pages and of course on our website and blog.

Your contact information:
1) Your Email

2) Facebook user

3) Twitter

4) Blog/website, etc
5) Any other profile or way you want people to contact you.

Pen Pal Book

Hello and welcome to the review of Pen Pal Book: the newsletter.Here's the basic information that I came across to:

PenPal Book, Issue 29

"It is hard to find people who still like to do snail mail, so I have a newsletter I send out in January, April, July & Oct. To get a copy it is $12 black or $18 color for one issue. To get 4 issues its $20 black or $25 color. Its like buying two and getting two FREE. Personal ads are FREE to be put in, but Business ads are 5 cents per word/ symbols/ name & address. I take Cash, Checks & Money orders in my name Kimberly Garigin. This is a hobby and not a business. Address: Kimberly Garigin, 3726 Green Pond RD, Gray Court, SC 29645
If you buy 4 or more issues you get a 2 raffle tickets, a gift, a membership card, ads to hand out to friends, pals or family. Movie, comic & Music sheets to earn credit towards discounts on issues or get them FREE. Post cards of credit you can earn. A coupon to save money on your next order and more!!!
I do take PayPal payments just let me know through my email. If you don't send me money through your checking or banking account paypal takes $3.20 away from me for a fee. So if your sending through a credit card please add $3.20 to the total so I don't pay a fee...."

It sounded really interesting, so I went ahead and contacted the owner - Kimberly, who was really friendly and easy to talk to. She agreed to give me this exclusive interview for the readers of PenPal Magazine's Blog.

Maxine: Hello, Kimberly and welcome to my blog PenPal Magazine.

Kimberly: Hello, Maxine thanks for having me.

Maxine: Tell us more about your newsletter? How did the idea about the newsletter came to be?  

Kimberly: Back in 2002 I saw an ad for a newsletter. At that time I didn't know people did newsletters so I decided to subscribe to check it out. Once I started getting it, it looked weak. More like copies of papers. I was told by the Editor to send stuff in, but never saw my stuff. I even asked for the stuff back and didn't get it. So I decided to start my own! In Oct 2003 I had my first issue done and started advertising with other Editors from that newsletter and that's how my newsletter got off the computer. "The Pen Pal Book" has changed over the years due to subscribers giving me advise and I have been working with other Editors to make it more like a magazine. I have known most of the Editors from the start.

Maxine: Tell us more about the newsletter itself and a bit about its history? 

Kimberly: I started it Oct 2003, comes out Jan. Apr. July & Oct. I put Personal ads, as well as inmates ads even though I tell them my subscribers don't write to inmates. I put Business ads along with poems, stories, articles, and anything else that people send me in the mail, email or stuff I find that sound interesting. I even started doing raffles where subscribers can win!! I thought it would be cool to give out ribbons to subscribers who send stuff to me and at the end of the year hand out trophies for the subscriber that has been with me since the start, and who has sent me the most reviews and stuff.

Maxine: What columns/pages can we expect in PenPal Book?

Kimberly: I will always have Personal and business ads. I try to always have Quiz's, Fun pages. There is 3 months in the newsletters so my January issue has Jan, Feb & March. I also try to have Movie Reviews, Comics, TV Reviews, Music Reviews. I always have "Say it with words" where other subscribers can talk to each other or to me. I have Surveys that one subscriber sent me and Senior jokes, which doesn't always have jokes for kids so parents are ready!! I use to have Oprah & Sylvia Browne, but it was to time consuming for me since the past two years have been bad. In the past two issues have had Raffles, ribbons & trophies....When a Celebrity died and it is someone everyone knows like Patrick Swayze, Michael Jackson, Ed McMahon, Farrah Faucett, and many more we have lost this past year I try to do an article on that person or people. I even put their photos in.

Maxine: Do you have any issues that are available on-line so that we can look at them before ordering?

Kimberly: I am sending you 2 of my issues to look at and I could send a free issue for people to get in their e-mail account. To continue to get it in the e-mail it would be $7 plus $3 to ship any prizes they get in the raffles. This is 4 issues a year. As long as they saw the article from your website and send me their e-mail they can get one of my issues free depending on what issue I am on. Just have them put in the Subject PPB and let me know they saw my article and I will send them the issue as long as they can see Microsoft works. You can put my e-mail on your site. 

Maxine: One question that I am sure that most people are wondering, do you have to pay to get your ad in your newsletter?

Kimberly: Personal ads are very welcome and there is no Fee, how ever since my newsletter is a Hobby so I make money off the Business ads and subscribers. The good news is when people subscribe they can earn credit for sending stuff to me. The credit to me is like money, 20 cents for a poem, Joining is $1.50, Jokes 10 cents and so forth. They can use the credit as soon as they get it or save them up to earn free issues or a one time free subscription. Once they get the free subscription after that they only pay half price for the subscriptions each year. All the money I get go towards Ink, paper, envelopes, postage, ribbons, trophies and many more. I am disabled so I don't make or get much money. I have been Pen palling since I was 15, so I know how important it is to help other people find pen pals.

Maxine: Do you search for any guest writers?

Kimberly: No, any of my subscribers can be writers. If someone who isn't a subscriber want to write for my newsletter they get to show off their talents because I don't have any way to pay them back since I am living off government money and using subscribers money to make the newsletters. If I get another Editors issue and I like what was put inside I will ask for permission than if its okay I put it in my newsletter and let subscribers know where I got the article or story from!!

Maxine:Thank you once again for this interview, Kimberly!

So my opinion about the Pen Pal Connection Paper Magazine:

Subscription: Easy - just to place an order!

Magazine type: Paid, paper newsletter, issued quarterly. Upsides: paper (yeah!) and it also comes in digital version.

Payment: Cash, Checks or Money orders. You can pay for the newsletter via  PayPal. Note that you will have to click on the "I will pay the fee" button as you send the money. Don't be cheap! For other payment options or questions contact: Vandine69(at)yahoo.com Write as Subject PPB that is the abbreviation for Pen Pal Book.

Information wise: It includes articles and Ads and all the fun sections that Kimberley told us about.

Ads from Pen Pals: Great job presenting the pen pals' ads!

Design: The design is a newsletter one, neat and clean. You can easily find your way to the sections that you can preview. You can contact the owner and get a sample from the magazine.

Check out their website: PenPal Book Website.

The PenPal Newsletter vol. 1

I have subscribed for Jeanne's Newsletter. The form is easy to fill out and you can find it by checking out the link: "The PenPal Newsletter Subscription". On her website you can find out the ways to participate in the newsletter, find a new friend and tons of other cool things. 

After subscription you will receive the newsletter in your email box (don't forget to check out the junk folder in your email as mine came in it). Just mark it "Not Spam" and you won't have any other problems with receiving it ever again. The first volume came out on Nov 13, 2010 and it included editorial, short pen pal list, interesting thoughts and sections such as web page of the week and book of the week. Moreover there was a section about a true penpal's story.

Here's the Editorial of the newsletter:

"Dear Readers,

Firstly, thanks a lot for signing up for the Penpal Newsletter!
Sorry for sending it out awfully late but I had some job issues and I couldn't come online a lot.
I know, maybe everything looks a little bit messy but I hope by time, I will get better. Since many years I wanted to create a Penpal Web page but my web design and coding skills are very limited. So, I decided to create this Newsletter. Maybe it's is a little outdated but hopefully, you will enjoy it anyway. In advance, I also want to say sorry about my spelling, I am not a native English speaker but I try my best to write in proper English. However, sometimes, I have really wired typos, which I even don't notice after reading the text for 100 times but after clicking the sending button..
Now, I also want to explain a little bit about the sections in the Penpal Newsletter.
The Penpal List- I guess, I don't need to explain what you can find there.:) The first list is small but fine. I hope in future more readers of the Penpal Newsletter will post their add here too. We have already many readers but I guess, they want to check out how the Newsletters looks like and so on.

Book & Webpage of the Week - in this section I will add one of my or one of the readers Book & Webpage review.

In future I want add some more stuff. If you have any ideas, just let me know.

Now, I wish you a nice reading.
Best wishes, Jeanne"

So my opinion about the Pen Pal Newsletter vol 1:

Subscription: Easy to do - it doesn't take a lot of time!

Newsletter type: Free digital newsletter, monthly (or at least I hope it is a monthly one).

Information wise: The information is presented on clear English and in form that anyone can understand it. If more people participate in the newsletter, I have big hopes for it!

Ads from Pen Pals: good job presenting the pen pals (since it is the very first volume of  the e-newsletter, I assume that when people get to know it, it will become more diverse. However, I am wondering if Jeanne posts more ads the whole newsletter design will get to become a long-sheet wise, so I guess we'd have to wait for the December volume to come out and see how things are done there).

Design: the newsletter is table format, so don't expect luxurious images or huge articles. After all, it has to be sent out via email so bear with it.

The Friendship Club Newsletter

I landed on an advertisement for this newsletter and it simply took my whole attention.

 

"Hello, my name is Renee. I have a pen pal club called The Friendship Club that has around since 1989. Contact Renee at sweetpea32873(at) aol.com if you would like to join, have questions or would like to sent in an ad or submissions for upcoming newsletters which are published once a month. Cost to join is $3.00 per current issue or $36 for a year (12 issues). I accept cash, money order or PayPal. Submissions are printed for free. No prisoners please! Write or send payment to:

The Friendship Club

c/o Renee Akridge

719 Latimer Ave.

LaGrange, KY 40031, USA"

I was amazed! Since 1989!!! That's almost my entire penpalling career and I have never heard about it! It was time to take matters in my own hands and correct my knowledge. As I was really curious about the newsletter, I immediately contacted the owner.

Maxine: Hello, Renee and welcome to my blog PenPal Magazine.
Renee: Thank you, Maxine, for making my newsletter a part of your blog. I am really excited to be part of it.

Maxine: Tell us more about your newsletter? How did the idea about the newsletter came to be?  

Renee: Well I wanted to make a club with a name that can effect pen pal and making friends in the world and came up with this. 

Maxine: How did you manage to keep the newsletter going for over 20 years?

Renee: It is hard, believe me. But I am dedicated pen pal who would not stop promoting our wonderful hobby! I'm trying to make it work.

Maxine: Tell us more about the newsletter itself and a bit about its history? 

Renee: When Friendship Club Newsletter started out, it was completely free. Soon we reached 100 members! Since we are a paper newsletter (postal version) with a cover, I needed to start charging for it as I wasn't able to afford doing it for free. There are a lot of expenses that you need to keep track of when doing a paper magazine - such as ink for printing, postage expenses, etc. That's how the newsletter became paid paper one. The number of our members has gotten smaller since then.

Maxine: What columns/pages can we expect in Friendship Club Newsletter (FCN)?

Renee: We have editorial, also polls, traditions/birthday event section, recipes, jokes, pen pal ads, ads, poems and stories.

Maxine: Do you have any issues that are available online so that we can look at them before ordering?

Renee: I do email sample copies that are just a couple of pages of the newsletter without the cover. The full version (whole newsletter) is shipped by snail mail after your order and it includes a cover page and any extra pages added. I use my computer to make the newsletters and print them out.  
Maxine: One question that I am sure that most people are wondering, do you have to pay to get your ad in your newsletter?
Renee: No! All ads are free to send in and print.
Maxine: Do you search for any guest writers?
Renee: Yes! We have some guest writers who send in an article every month. I am always searching for new guest writers.

So my opinion about The Friendship Club Newsletter:

Subscription: Easy, fast and friend - just contact the owner. Renee replies really fast to any inquires about the newsletter in a very friendly manner!

Magazine type: newsletter, paid, paper, monthly released.

Payment: Cash, money order, check, PayPal.

Information wise: Interesting sections: polls, traditions/birthday event section, recipes, jokes, pen pal ads, ads, poems and stories.

Ads from Pen Pals: Yes!

Design: Newsletter type. 
Website: http://thefriendshipclubtfc.webs.com/

Pen Pal Video by Glass Completely Empty Productions

I have been pen-palling for as long as I can remember. I was fascinated by the world of pen-palling since it was my get away place. Growing up, I wasn't one of the popular girls in school. I realized that I wasn't ugly or dorky back then. I was simply shy and let's say "creative" in my own way (I was writing poems). Yeah, I know how geeky that might sound and as nothing came out of it (in terms of being published), I simply stopped writing them. But my hands were itching to start doing something else - creative and in the same time dealing with my hobby - writing. You can easily guess where my interest ultimately lead me to pen-palling. The Question remains: Are you crazy about letters? Do I hear a "Yes"? Great! Then read this post really carefully and help make the change to someone's life.

Log onto Facebook and find Glass Completely Empty Productions or simply e-mail Rae at: rae @ glasscompletelyempty.co.uk (remove the spaces either side of the @) Deadline for emailing Rae and to be involved with the pen-palling film is 1st January 2011. So secure your place in this wonderful documentary that will be around for the next generations and for everyone who would love to get a peek of what is it to be a pen pal!

The Glass Completely Empty Products are also searching for:
* Vendors (i.e. stationery/label sellers)
* Authors who have written books, articles & poems on pen-palling
* Magazines/books on pen-friending.

SandbookNet - PenPal and Swappers - Magazine

SandbookNet: PenPal Magazine
issue 1, November 2010

For the site's 2nd anniversary, the team of Sandbook.Net put together a digital magazine. They have promised to make 3 issues that are released on monthly basis and on the 11th of each month. So the first issue of the magazine is out and you can download it from their website - SandbookNet The PenPal and Swappers Magazine. You can pretty much suspect that the Magazine button will present a huge interest to any pen pal or swapper as it has a lot of cool articles and ideas about pen-paling.

Despite the fact that initially it was announced that the issue will arrive in your mailbox as an attachment, later SandbookNet made it clear that due to the overall size of the document (a pdf document) they can't send it through the email. So you have to do it yourself. That's a minor setback, but hey, once you open the luxurious issue you will know that everything has been worth the download and the wait!

Here are some images, as released from the www.SandbookNet.Blogspot.com
Letter Insider: The Do's and Dont's in PenPalling:

Cover Story: How to make nice and neat FB's:

 Simplicity Embellished - the best lifestyle blog that also happens to deal with correspondence. Check our the blog itself here: www.SimplicityEmbellished.com

 Samantha's Thoughts: a mother, a penpal and a writer:

Facebook Discussion: How did I start PenPalling?

For more interesting articles, traditions and correspondence tips, check out the whole SandbookNet PenPal and Swappers Magazine - issue 1, available for download on www.Sandbook.Net website. 

So my opinion about it:

Subscription: Easy to do - however you are subscribing only for a notification on when and how to download the magazine. As this notification is distributed as a mass message and as such can arrive in your Spam Folder, so check it out. Once you click it "Not Spam" you will have no problems with the next messages from the Sandbook.Net Team.

Newsletter type: Free digital, monthly Pen Pal Magazine (I hope that they will continue releasing it after the 3 months initial / testing period).

Information wise: Many interesting articles divided by topic. The team ensures that all Guest Authors write different topics as they vet them beforehand. The topics are diverse enough so that you can read tips on how to write letters, how to be a better pen pal, travel around the world to visit new cultures and get to know new traditions. Moreover, they present Pen Pal of the Month (a contest that is held on their website), Fun Pages, Recipes, Relationship Section and tons more. There are some typos that you will be able to see, but overall a really professional magazine and I am anxiously waiting for issue 2 that, if the schedule is right, should be released on Dec 11, 2010.

Ads from Pen Pals: The Ads section is in the middle of the magazine - you can find different ads from around the globe. Moreover, you can publish a Lost Pen Pal Ad. Pretty cool, huh?

Design: The magazine is done really professional. Behind the SandbookNet Team as we later on learned is Gaya Designs, who are responsible for the nice and cute designs.

I can't say more than just leave you to the wonderful pages of SandBook.Net: The Magazine!

PenPal Magazine - what to expect

Hi, readers!

This blog will present to you all of the Active PenPal Magazines that there are out there: digital or paper, free or paid. We are going to show you inside information from within the pages of PenPal Magazines, newsletters or any form of organized penpal edition/issue. Yes, when you google "PenPal Magazines" there are a lot of links coming up, but unfortunetely those that Google rate highest are either outdated or simply floaded with "suspicious" Ads. You don't want to publish your snail mail or even email address there! Believe me! I have made that mistake! That's how the idea of this blog came to be! I hope that you will enjoy it as much as I will enjoy getting first hand interviews and reviews of magazines, newsletters and more.

So, if you know a good PenPal Magazine or Newsletter or you happen to own one - comment here, or get back in touch with me. I would love to make a review of it on this blog or even interview you! The sky is the limit as they say!