Newsletter and sponsorship
One letter every fortnight, one sponsored line inside it, and a published list of what that line cannot buy. This is the whole commercial model of this publication.
The letter
Every fortnight: one piece of research on children and play, what it actually found, what it did not find, and whether it should change anything. Plus any correction made since the last issue, because corrections belong where the readers are rather than only on a page nobody visits.
It carries no product recommendations, because this publication does not make any.
Sponsorship
One sponsored line per issue. It is labelled Sponsored, it sits below the editorial content, and it is written by the sponsor within a stated character limit. The rate is published rather than negotiated per enquiry, and it is the same rate for every sponsor.
| Placement | What it is | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Sponsored line | One labelled line, up to 220 characters, one link | Published on request, identical for every sponsor, invoiced per issue |
| Anything else | Does not exist | Not available at any rate |
Sponsorship enquiries go through the contact page. The rate is quoted in writing before any commitment and is the same figure quoted to every enquirer.
What sponsorship cannot buy
- A mention in any article, at any price.
- A review, an assessment, a rating or an endorsement. This publication does not produce any.
- Removal or alteration of anything in the editorial part of an issue.
- Advance sight of editorial content.
- A link from any article on this site.
- Exclusivity, or the exclusion of a competitor.
- The subscriber list, or any subscriber's details, in any form.
Who will be refused
A sponsored line will not be accepted from anyone making a health, developmental or educational claim that this publication would not be willing to state itself. That rules out products advertised as improving intelligence, accelerating development, treating sensory processing difficulties or preventing mental health problems, since the evidence for those claims is addressed on the evidence desk and does not support them.
It also rules out anything aimed directly at children rather than at adults.
Why there is no directory
Most publications in this area run a paid listing of venues or providers, alphabetical and labelled. This one does not, and the reason is structural rather than a matter of taste. A paid listing creates a standing incentive to start covering the businesses in it, and this title's own archive shows exactly where that ends: an undisclosed favourable review of a business connected to the site's operator, presented as independent.
Removing venue coverage entirely removes the incentive along with it. An empty commercial model is a smaller problem than a compromised one.
Data
Subscription stores an email address and the date, and it is used to send the letter and nothing else. It is never sold, shared or rented. Unsubscribing is a single click in every issue and removes the address. See the privacy notice.
One piece of evidence, explained properly, every fortnight
What a piece of research on children and play actually found, what it did not find, and whether it should change anything. No product recommendations, because this publication does not make any.
One sponsored line per issue, marked as sponsored, at a published rate. Nothing else is sold. See newsletter and sponsorship for the rate and for the list of things it cannot buy.