FAQ | The Sun Magazine

Frequently Asked Questions

Subscriptions

How do I order a subscription?

X

Subscribe using our secure online order form, or call our customer-service department. 

To order gift subscriptions use this form. We’ll send a card to the recipient, announcing your gift.

When will I receive my first issue of The Sun?

X

Print issues will be mailed within four weeks. Please note that orders placed by mail may take longer to be received and processed than orders placed online. Overseas orders may take up to eight weeks to arrive.

Subscribers can read the current issue — as well as our entire archive — online at any time.

How do I change my subscription mailing or e-mail address?

X

Please sign into our customer-care website to submit e-mail and address changes online. If you’re moving, we need six weeks’ notice to ensure uninterrupted delivery of your print subscription. (The post office does not automatically forward magazines.) If you’re moving internationally, shipping will be pro-rated.

If you change residence seasonally, please e-mail or call our customer-service department with the details (i.e. addresses and dates) to ensure uninterrupted delivery.

You can also call our customer-service department to let us know about address changes.

I filed an address-change notice with my post office, but I’m not receiving my magazines. What’s going on?

X

Please update your address with us online or call our customer-service department.

Magazines are sent second-class mail, which means the post office often won’t forward them to a new address, even if you have a forwarding order on file. If you’re moving, we need six weeks’ notice to ensure uninterrupted delivery of your print subscription.

I missed an issue. Can I get a replacement?

X

Because delivery times may vary, we ask that U.S. subscribers wait until the 25th of the month for their print magazines to arrive. (If we are delivering to a Canadian or overseas address, we ask that subscribers wait until the 30th of the month.) If you don’t receive your magazine by this time, send us an e-mail or call our customer-service department.

If you’re experiencing ongoing delivery problems, we encourage you to contact our customer-service department to check the status of your subscription. If you’ve missed three consecutive issues and have an active subscription, please contact your local post office for next steps.

You can also sign in here to access your missing issue online at any time.

I received a damaged issue. Can I get a replacement?

X

If you receive a defective issue, please send us an e-mail or call our customer-service department.

You can also sign in here to access an online version of your damaged issue at any time.

I received an invoice or renewal notice, but I already sent payment. What happened?

X

Our notice might have been sent before your payment was processed. If so, we apologize for the inconvenience. If you continue to receive invoices or renewal reminders, please e-mail us or call our customer-service department. You can also check the status of your subscription at any time using our customer-care portal.

I’ve heard that The Sun gives complimentary subscriptions to people who can’t otherwise afford them. Is that true?

X

Yes, The Sun often gives free or reduced-rate subscriptions to prisoners and readers who have fallen on hard times. If you’d like to request a complimentary subscription for yourself or someone else, please send us an e-mail.

How do I remove my name from The Sun’s mailing-list rentals?

X

The Sun makes its mailing list available to organizations whose work may be of interest to our readers. If you’d like your name left off mailing-list rentals, e-mail your request (make sure to include your full name and postal address) or call our customer-service department.

You can also send your request, along with a recent mailing label, to:

The Sun
Customer-Service Department
P.O. Box 323
Congers, NY 10920-0323

The Direct Marketing Association can place your name on a no-mail list, reducing the amount of unwanted mail you receive by up to 80 percent. Visit dmachoice.org for details.

Submission Guidelines

How do I submit writing, interviews, or photographs for consideration?

X

Please see our complete submission guidelines for information about how to send us your work. We welcome unsolicited submissions; we do not, however, accept submissions via e-mail.

We consider English-language submissions from anywhere in the world.

Should I send a query before submitting my work?

X

We discourage queries unless they are for interviews. We prefer to see complete manuscripts, as it is difficult for us to judge the appropriateness of a piece based solely on a description.

What is The Sun’s standard review time for submissions?

X

We try to respond within three months to both writing and photography submissions. Our backlog of manuscripts is often substantial, however, so don’t let a longer wait surprise you. 

If you submitted a written manuscript online, you can check on your submission using the link in the confirmation e-mail we sent when you uploaded the file.

Unfortunately we are unable to track the status of mailed submissions.

I submitted a piece for Readers Write. Did you receive it, and was it accepted?

X

If you submitted via our online submission form, you should have received a confirmation e-mail. You can track the status of your submission by clicking the link at the end of that message. 

Unfortunately we cannot track Readers Write submissions that were mailed to us, and we are unable to answer questions regarding the status or receipt of your work.

If your work is selected to appear, you’ll hear from us prior to publication.

Website & Digital Media

How do I access digital issues?

X

If you are a subscriber or have purchased an issue of The Sunsign into your account to read online. Our new website design provides distraction-free reading for phones, tablets, and computers alike. PDFs are available for offline reading as well.

We can also e-mail you a link each month when a new issue is available. Update your delivery preferences if you aren’t receiving notification e-mails.

E-reading devices such as the Kindle or Nook are not currently supported, although most e-readers can access PDFs in a limited capacity. Consult your device’s user manual for instructions.

If your subscription has lapsed, you can still sign in and read any issues you paid for, but our full archive is available only to active subscribers.

I’m having trouble viewing PDFs in your online archive. What should I do?

X

Please upgrade your Acrobat Reader software to the latest version from Adobe. It’s available as a free download. Once you’ve upgraded Acrobat Reader, restart your computer, and then try viewing the PDFs. If you still experience problems, send us an e-mail.

How do I change my print or digital delivery preferences?

X

U.S. subscriptions to The Sun include both in print and digital access. Change your delivery preferences here. (This will not affect your subscription rate.)

Digital-only access is available outside the U.S. for the same price as domestic subscriptions, with additional fees for postal delivery. International subscribers can update their delivery preferences here, but this may affect subscription rates.

Why do you need my e-mail address? Will you share it with anyone?

X

If you supply us with your e-mail address, we will use it only to communicate with you regarding orders you have placed, questions you have asked, and/or services you have requested online. If you are a subscriber to The Sun, you may also receive periodic e-mails from us with information about your subscription, new products and services, upcoming events, fundraising efforts, and special announcements.

If you do not want to receive promotional e-mails from us in the future, please let us know by unsubscribing from our e-newsletter or by contacting us. We will honor your request as quickly as possible.

We do not share your e-mail address with any third-party organizations.

Donations

How do I modify or cancel my monthly donation?

X

You can update your credit-card details, change your donation amount, or cancel your recurring donation on the customer-care website.

If you don’t see your recurring donation listed there, please e-mail us or call the customer-service department for assistance.

Are donations to The Sun tax-deductible?

X

The Sun Publishing Company, Inc. is a tax-exempt, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, and is supported almost entirely by subscriptions and reader contributions. Donations to The Sun are tax-deductible. To receive a copy of your donation receipt, please contact our customer-service department.

If you need The Sun’s EIN or a copy of our W-9 in order to make a donation, please send us an e-mail.

Books and Other Products

How do I order books or report a problem with my book order?

X

Click here to order books online. We ship to U.S. addresses only.

Please e-mail us to report a problem or check on the status of your book order.

To order books or report a problem by phone, call our customer-service department.

Do you offer discounts to bookstores or libraries?

X

Bookstores and libraries receive a 40% discount. To place an order, please call our customer-service department and identify yourself as a bookseller or librarian.

Contacting Us

How do I contact The Sun?

X

For inquiries about subscriptions, product orders, or donations, e-mail or call our customer-service department.

For editorial correspondence, including questions about reprint requests, or to contact a staff member, please send us an e-mail.

How do I send a letter to the editor?

X

We love getting mail. (Of course, we reserve the right to edit.) Send us your letter online.

How do I contact an author or photographer whose work is published in The Sun?

X

We will be glad to forward a letter or e-mail to a contributor for you. In order to protect the privacy of our contributors, we do not give out their phone numbers or postal addresses.

Other

How can I get more information about The Sun’s events?

X

See our Events page for details about upcoming events and contact information. We prefer that you contact venues directly for information about a particular program. If you have further questions, please send us an e-mail.

Where can I donate my collection of magazine issues?

X

We recommend that you donate back issues of The Sun to your local prison’s library. If they are unable to accept them, you can donate through Prisoner Express.

Questions? Call us toll-free at
888-732-6736 (toll-free)
Mon–Fri 9 AM–5 PM EST
E-mail Us