News

Q.  I need to roll back my list.  How do I do it, and what are the implications?

A.  There are some instances when you may need to roll back your list to a previous version, including:  

• Issue was closed prior to having all Inserts set up.
• Issue was closed prior to updating sampling information.
• Issue was closed with an incorrect weight.
• Issue was closed without expiring subscribers, as was intended.

Here’s how to roll back an Interlink Circulation list to the last time you closed issue:

Read more …

NNA members in D.C. for ‘We believe in newspapers’ summit

NNA members from around the country converged on Washington, D.C. on March 13 for the “We Believe in Newspapers” Leadership Conference and Postal Summit. After a group session, members headed to Capitol Hill to visit their representatives and senators to discuss issues important to the community newspaper industry. Postal changes, including the possibility of the United State Postal Service dropping Saturday mail and the possible end of Postal Regulatory Commission oversight of USPS, and the handling of advertising deductions as a business expense were high on the group’s list this year. The day ended with Bob Schieffer, CBS anchor and moderator of Face the Nation, addressing the group at a dinner at the National Press Club. Schieffer, a friend of NNA President Robert Williams, is shown above, center, with Williams, right, and Nebraska Press Association Executive Director Allen Beermann as he arrived at the Press Club prior to the dinner.  For more photos from the ‘We Believe in Newspapers Summit’, click here.  Interlink photo/Helen Sosniecki

Subscriptions: Expanding that revenue source may be easier than you think

By William E. (Bill) Garber
Founder

Time to risk something new?

How about more of the same?

It’s a lot easier than changing!

And, in at least one substantial way, much more promising.

Newspapers have been around for centuries.

Their user interface was perfected before anyone came up with the words, user interface.

So what’s different these days?

Read more …

Q.  I’m having trouble submitting my postal reports through eDoc. What are some steps I can take to try to find out what the problem is?

A.  While there are several reasons eDoc may not be submitting properly, here are steps you can take to determine the cause:

Read more …

By William (Bill) Garber

While it’s always difficult to see a business close, the photo gallery (link below) from the closing of this Alabama printing business will bring back memories to several generations.

Bill Cather of Birmingham’s Cather Publishing is closing after more than 100 years in business. The family-owned business never moved to the digital age.

Cather is my age plus a year, which perhaps explains why most of these pieces of equipment look familiar in my memory.

More than 50 years ago, I was paying my college tuition in a shop that used pretty much every piece of equipment pictured.

http://www.al.com/business/index.ssf/2014/03/out_of_print_birminghams_cathe.html

We are excited to announce a new name for our group that provides technical and account support, training and consultative services, which will now be known as our Client Solutions team.

Last year under the direction of Che’ Eddie, we expanded the scope of this team with a goal of making it easier and faster for you to engage us regarding your account, or any of the services we offer. This has resulted in faster response times, fewer call transfers, more proactive communications and additional opportunities to discuss the technical details when reviewing software licenses. We believe the name change better describes the comprehensive services you can expect from our staff, as well as the sense of partnership we value from our relationship with you.

Any member of our Client Solutions team is prepared to answer your questions regarding software use, as well as billing and accounting information. If you haven’t spoken with us lately, there’s a good chance someone from that team will reach out to you in the near future. Either way the call goes, our Client Solutions team is enthusiastic for the opportunity to connect with you soon!

Bill and Linda Tubbs, left, owners of North Scott Press in Eldridge, IA, and employee Erin Gentz visit with Missouri newspaper owner Dane Vernon, who was attending the Iowa Newspaper Association Convention and Tradeshow representing the National Newspaper Association. Both Tubbs and Vernon are longtime Interlink customers.

Bill and Linda Tubbs, left, owners of North Scott Press in Eldridge, IA, and employee Erin Gentz visit with Missouri newspaper owner Dane Vernon, who was attending the Iowa Newspaper Association Convention and Tradeshow representing the National Newspaper Association. Both Tubbs and Vernon are longtime Interlink customers.

From National Newspaper Association

A new directive from the U.S. Postal Service headquarters to mail processing plants and local post offices is expected to improve newspaper delivery, the National Newspaper Association said Friday (Feb. 7).

USPS released to NNA an internal operating policy intended to stop local post offices from unnecessarily sending 5-digit containers of newspaper mail to mail processing plants.

Read more …

From National Newspaper Association

COLUMBIA, MO—Two-thirds of residents in small towns across America depend upon their local newspaper for news and information, according to the National Newspaper Association’s most recent newspaper readership survey.

NNA, founded in 1885, represents 2,200 members across the U.S. Its mission is to protect, promote and enhance America’s community newspapers. Most of its members are weekly or small daily newspapers in smaller or niche communities.

The survey noted that more readers are using mobile devices to shop, read and communicate. The number with smartphones jumped from 24 percent to 45 percent and 39 percent said they used the phones to access local news.

Newspaper websites remained the leading provider of local news, followed distantly by a local TV station’s site and then by national aggregators, such as Google and Yahoo.

The annual NNA Community Newspaper Readership survey was completed in 2013 in partnership with the Center for Advanced Social Research of the Reynolds Journalism Institute at the University of Missouri. Surveyors reached 508 households in communities where a local newspaper of circulation of 15,000 or less served the communities. The survey began in 2005. It has consistently shown the community newspaper to be the information leader in smaller communities.

Read more …

Due to the update USPS made to their PostalOne!® system on Sunday, Jan. 26, USPS calculations may vary from your printed PS 3541. Specifically, PostalOne!® may claim an error when entering the Preferred Price Discount.

It was determined with USPS headquarters contacts Wednesday that the Interlink-generated hardcopy postage statement is correct.

As a result of this discrepancy, Interlink Technical Support has experienced a higher than normal call volume. We appreciate your patience as we continue to work with the postal service to address these inconsistencies.

Postal officials confirmed in conversations with Interlink on Wednesday that an update to address the PostalOne!® issue is targeted to be deployed on Feb. 6.

USPS also confirmed that USPS Bulk Mail Entry personnel were to be notified late Wednesday concerning the issue, and the employees would be advised to “keep the mail moving.”

Interlink’s USPS headquarters contacts said that should questions arise, postmasters and clerks may call the internal USPS helpdesk at 800-877-7435 (1-800-USPS-HELP), say “technical assistance” then say PostalOne!®. They should reference the internal ticket number INC000000968333.

If you encounter problems, please send an email to support@ilsw.com with information so that we may follow up with you and your local post office as needed.

Again, thank you for your patience.