Why this question comes up so often
Most local owners who write to us about a sponsored feature ask the same thing first: what will it cost me? It is a fair question, and I would rather answer it plainly than leave it for a phone call. A sponsored feature is an editorial piece that introduces a café, a gallery, a bookshop or a small venue to our readers, and it is always labelled as sponsored at the top of the page.
Because it is a piece of writing and photography rather than a banner or a block of advertising space, the price is not a single number on a shelf. It follows the work involved. A short profile of a bakery that has been on the same corner for years takes less time than a feature that asks me to travel, spend an afternoon with the owners and write about a season of events.
The current figures sit on our prices page, in Canadian dollars. This article is about the reasoning behind them, so that when you read that page, or send us an enquiry, you know which choices move the number and which do not.
What the fee covers
The fee pays for editorial time. That means a conversation with you, usually at your place of business, followed by research, drafting, a round of fact checks with you, and editing. Thomas Gagnon, our staff photographer, shoots the images in natural light, so you are not asked to supply or buy photographs.
It also covers publication on the site, a clear sponsored label, and a place among our regular stories so the feature is read the way our other articles are read. You are not buying praise. I write what I see and hear, I keep a sensible distance, and the piece should read like something we would be glad to publish anyway.
Before anything goes live you see the text and can correct names, hours, addresses and anything I got wrong. What you cannot do is rewrite it into a brochure. That boundary is part of why readers trust the label.
- Interview and on-site visit
- Writing, editing and fact check with you
- Photography by our staff photographer
- Publication with a clear sponsored label
What drives the price up or down
Length is the first factor. A compact profile of around five hundred words costs less than a longer feature that follows several people or tells the story of a place over a year. More words mean more interviewing, more drafting and more editing.
The second is photography. A single visit with a handful of images is simple. A feature that needs a second visit, an event shoot or a series of pictures for a longer gallery adds a day of Thomas's time, and the price reflects that.
Travel matters too. We cover regions across Canada, and a venue a short drive from our Belleville office is easier to reach than one that needs an overnight stay. Where travel is needed we say so in the written quotation, before you agree to anything, so nothing is added afterwards.
- Length and depth of the story
- Number of photography visits and images
- Distance travelled for the visit
What does not change the price
Some things people expect to cost extra do not. Your type of business is one of them. A family restaurant, a small theatre and a craft shop are priced by the work involved, not by how much we imagine they can afford.
Nor does the feature earn more favourable wording for a larger fee. Editorial independence is not for sale at any level. If I visit and find the story is thinner than hoped, I will tell you so rather than stretch it, and we can agree on a shorter piece.
The feature is also not tied to our free articles or the newsletter. It sits beside them as its own labelled item. Readers of the paid newsletter do not see it differently, and you are not asked to buy anything else to have it published.
How ordering and payment work
There is no checkout on the site. You start with an enquiry through our contact page, telling us who you are, where the business is and what you would like readers to learn. We reply in writing, usually after a short call, with a quotation that names the length, the photography and any travel.
Once you confirm the quotation in writing, we send an invoice, and you pay it by bank transfer. We begin the visit and the writing after that. Nothing is charged by card or through an online payment service, which keeps the arrangement simple and easy to keep on file.
If plans change, cancellations and refunds follow our payment and refund policy, which you can read before you decide. I would rather you read the terms first than meet them after the fact.
A sensible way to set a budget
Start from the story, not the price. Ask yourself what a curious reader in another province would genuinely want to know about your place: the history of the building, the person who bakes, the evening that fills the room. If that fits in a compact profile, choose the compact profile.
Think about timing as well. In these autumn weeks many owners want a feature before a busy season, and that is a reason to write to us early, not a reason to pay for a larger piece than the story needs.
When you enquire, tell us a rough figure you are comfortable with. We will tell you honestly what that buys, and if it is not enough for the story you describe, we will say so and suggest a smaller scope.
- Decide what one reader should learn
- Choose the shortest length that tells it
- Share a comfortable budget in your enquiry
A sponsored feature costs what the work costs: time with you, careful writing, photography and a clear label. Length, pictures and travel move the price; your size and your wishes for flattery do not. Read the prices page, send an enquiry through the contact page, and we will answer with a written quotation. I am glad to talk it through before you commit to anything.