Questions, answered

Non-members can read three full stories each calendar month at no charge. The count resets at midnight Central Time on the first of each month. Our About, FAQ, and newsletter pages never count toward your limit.

Membership is $7 per month or $70 per year, which works out to about two months free when you pay annually. Students can join for $35 per year with a valid school email address. All prices are in US dollars.

Members can read the full archive without any monthly limit, receive the complete Sunday newsletter with reader mail and the editor's note, and get early access to new features 48 hours before the free window. Members also get audio editions of long essays and a vote each spring on a reader-suggested topic. Write to members@utterby.com if you have trouble accessing any of these.

You can cancel at any time from the Account page, and your access continues until the end of the period you have paid for. If you prefer, email members@utterby.com and a real person will process it within one business day. Annual members who cancel within 30 days of a renewal are welcome to request a full refund.

Yes. You can give a one-year membership for $70, delivered by email on a date you choose along with a short personal note. The recipient does not need to enter payment details, and the gift does not renew automatically unless they choose to continue.

It is our weekly newsletter, sent every Sunday at 7:00 a.m. Central. Each issue contains one essay, three sentences we admired during the week, and a note from the editor, and it runs about 900 words. It is free to subscribe, and members receive an extended edition with reader mail.

Every issue has an unsubscribe link at the bottom that works in one click. You can also manage your preferences from the Account page, or email letters@utterby.com and we will remove you the same day. Unsubscribing from the newsletter does not affect your membership.

We welcome pitches for reported essays and features of 2,000 to 4,000 words. Send a short note through the contact form choosing "Pitch a story," with a paragraph describing the piece, why you are the person to write it, and two links to previous work. We reply to every pitch within three weeks, and we pay $0.40 per word for accepted features.

We publish in five areas: language and words, work and money, home and family, places and communities, and ideas and culture. The common thread is conversation, meaning how people actually speak to and understand each other. We do not cover breaking news, product reviews, or celebrity gossip.

We correct factual errors promptly and visibly. Each corrected article carries a dated note at the bottom describing what changed, and we log every correction on our public corrections page. To report an error, use the contact form or write to letters@utterby.com with the subject line "Correction".

Comments are open to members on most essays and are read by a member of our staff before they appear. We ask that comments engage with what the writer actually said, in a tone you would use with a neighbor. Comments that are abusive, off-topic, or promotional are removed.

We do not run programmatic ads, sponsored articles, or affiliate links. We do occasionally accept a single, clearly labeled sponsor message in the newsletter from independent bookshops, presses, and cultural organizations. To inquire, choose "Advertising & partnerships" on the contact form.