Yesterday, I received a direct mail piece from The Sun Magazine ... and read every word in the piece! Designed like a miniature version of the magazine, it contains seven fold-out panels alternating pages of photos and text.When you open the first panel, the piece begins with "Praise for The Sun" including five quotes from two publications, from poet Robert Bly, author Bill McKibbon, and a subscriber. I loved Bly's description of the magazine, saying "it's full of people like a Globe Theatre; it's nourishing like a field of pumpkins; it's like a grandfather who talks to total strangers."
Open the next fold and you find a "Dear Reader" letter from the magazine's founder and editor, Sy Safransky. Sy's letter tells his personal story of starting the magazine, shares what's found in each issue "that celebrates beauty without ignoring the destructive forces around us; a publication whose politics are personal and whose God isn't way up in the sky." And he signs off with an invitation to "join us" (accompanied by a P.S. offering a free trial issue, with no obligation to buy).
The next fold opens to "Readers Write" (personal stories by our readers) and "Interviews" (from a conversation with David Edwards). Remaining panels offer "Fiction" (a short story) and "Nonfiction" (an essay), followed by the "Free Trial Offer" reply card.
Overall, a simply designed direct mail piece that clearly demonstrates the quality of writing and photography in the magazine.
So what did I do after reading the piece? I detached the mailing label from the front of the mailer, placed it in the "Please peel off address label and affix it here" box, and walked to my local post office with the business reply card in hand.
While I have no idea how many people responded to the mailer like I did, I'm confident that people who did will receive a magazine that achieves "the promise" of the direct mail piece -- great writing and great photography in a "handsomely designed" magazine.
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