Homesteader Price Is Going Up

With spring well in session, plans are coming together for the 18th issue of the Homesteader. That’s nine years of newsletters, two per year. And I’ll tell you something. I’ve loved putting together every single one.

Ever since I attended my first Laura Ingalls Wilder conference in 2001 in De Smet, I’ve known that this was what I was supposed to be doing — sharing what I’ve learned about Laura with fans just as devoted as I am. I love writing, I love Laura, and I love writing about Laura. Giving other people a chance to write about Laura comes in a close second. We all have so much to say. There’s never a shortage of story ideas, or fellow fans to share what they know or wonder about.

The Homesteader comes out twice a year

Since the Homesteader’s inception in summer 2002, we have been trying to keep subscriptions affordable. We like to print in color on high-quality paper; we think photographs are an essential component to the telling of any story about Laura. But printing costs have been inching up. Mailing costs have downright exploded — and continue to do so. Until now, we’ve kept prices the same as when we began, trying instead to be creative in savings in other areas. In 2007, based on feedback from subscribers, we started letting readers bind their own issues (sending these instructions out with each order) to save on labor costs without having to raise prices.

But the time has come. Our rising costs are forcing us to raise prices for the first time in eight years.

The new prices will go into effect after the upcoming issue  (Issue 17, Summer 2010) is printed. If you’ve been planning to order or renew your existing subscription, save yourself some money and do so now to take advantage of current pricing.