For milestone birthdays
Stop the presses. Somebody's having a birthday.
Friends and family each file a story, a photo, a list or a shameless tabloid scoop. We set it all as a real newspaper, online and in print, and you hand it over on the day.
Vol. IBirthday EditionSincerely
The Lauren Times
Written by everyone who loves them
Sources Confirm: Still Can't Parallel Park
EXCLUSIVE: The Karaoke Incident of 2009, In Full
- Local Legend Turns 40, Denies Everything
- Sources Confirm: Still Can't Parallel Park
- EXCLUSIVE: The Karaoke Incident of 2009, In Full
- Ten Times {recipient} Was Right (We Checked)
- Friends Of 30 Years Speak Out
- Inside The Group Chat: What We Really Think
How it works
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Start the edition
Tell us who it's for and when the big day is. Pick a website, a printed edition, or both.
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Invite the gang
Send one link to the group chat, or personal invites to each friend. Everyone gets their own byline.
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Everyone files
Stories, photos, lists, interviews, even a parody magazine cover. Seal a story and it stays hidden until the reveal, even from the editor.
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Hold the front page
On the day, the whole newspaper goes live for the birthday star, and the printed copies arrive ready to hand over.
Five ways to file a story
Feature Essay
The long read. How you met, what they taught you, why they matter.
Photo Spread
The picture is the star; your words become the caption.
Tabloid Blurb
Short, shameless, loud. Sources say everything.
Listicle
One item per line. We number them for you.
Interview
Start lines with Q and A. Interview a sibling, a pet, yourself.
Pricing
From $29 a person, magazine included
Packages start at 10 people: $290, which is $29 a person with a printed copy and up to 2 pages each. Bigger groups pay less a person. Print-only costs the same and keeps the website private, or go website-only from $49. Friends can chip in toward the bill, and everyone gets unlimited stories.
Print + Website
$25 a person
$500 · 20 people
A printed keepsake for everyone in the package, plus the website for 12 months.
- 10 people, 10 printed copies and up to 24 pages for $290
- Bigger packages cost less a person, down to $12.10
- Extra copies from $10 to $14 each
- Shipping from $12 (US)
- Live for 12 months, then $19 a year to keep it online
Print only
$25 a person
$500 · 20 people
A private workspace to collect stories, then a printed keepsake for everyone. No public site.
- 10 people, 10 printed copies and up to 24 pages for $290
- Bigger packages cost less a person, down to $12.10
- Extra copies from $10 to $14 each
- Shipping from $12 (US)
- A private workspace for 12 months, with no subscription
- No public website and no subscription. Archived after 12 months, never deleted, and restorable for $19.
Website only
$3.95 a person
$79 · 20 people
Your magazine online for 12 months. What you pay counts in full towards print later.
- What you pay counts in full towards a print package later
- Live for 12 months, then $19 a year to keep it online
- A printed copy for every person in the package
- Room for up to 2 pages per person (24 pages for 10 people)
- A human editor lays out the magazine and sends you a proof
- The website stays online for 12 months, then $19 a year
- Guests can chip in toward the cost
| Extra copies | 1-49 copies in all: $14 each; 50-99 copies in all: $12 each; 100 or more: $10 each |
|---|---|
| Extra pages | If you write more than the allowance, each extra 4-page sheet is $20 plus $0.50 per copy printed. |
| Late copies | Ordered after the print deadline: $29 each, printed in a separate small run. |
| Shipping | Plus shipping, from $12 in the US. You see it before you pay. |
Questions
Will the birthday star find out?
Not from us. The magazine is private to the people you invite until you reveal it, and sealed stories stay redacted even for everyone else until the day.
How many stories can each person write?
As many as they like. The price covers each person's place, not each story.
Do contributors need an account or a password?
No passwords. Everyone signs in with a link we email them.
What does the printed edition look like?
A proper newspaper-style magazine, laid out by a human editor from everything your group files, printed and shipped to you (or to everyone, if you collect addresses).
Can people chip in?
Yes. Share the chip-in link and anyone can add to a group-gift fund that is taken off your package.
What happens after the party?
The website stays live for 12 months, then it is $19 a year. If you let it lapse, it is archived, never deleted, and you can bring it back. Print-only magazines are archived after 12 months and can be restored for $19.
What if we write more than fits?
Every person's place includes up to 2 pages. If the group writes more, we warn you before layout and you can trim, or add extra pages one 4-page sheet at a time. Nothing is printed until you say so.
How many printed copies do we get?
One for each person in your package. Need more? Extra copies are $14 each, or $12 from 50 and $10 from 100 copies.