Frequently asked questions
Welcome to The American Bystander comedy magazine—where comedy is fine food, not fast food.
How do I subscribe?
Subscribing is easy, simply visit the Subscription Page to select the subscription plan of your choice.
How long will it take for my first issue to arrive?
It generally takes 3 - 4 weeks from when you initially place your order for it to arrive in the mail.
Can I purchase back issues of the magazine?
You bet. Our print copies sell out quickly; any issues that are still available, you can find at our store. All back issues are available for purchase in PDF format, including a full set featuring every issue since October 2015.
Can I purchase a gift subscription?
Yes, absolutely! American Bystander gift subscriptions make great presents for any occasion, and you can easily purchase one on the gift subscription page here.
What forms of payment do you accept?
We accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, and Diners Club cards. For seamless transactions, we also welcome PayPal, Apple Pay, Shop Pay, Google Pay, and Meta Pay. As a proud PAPER magazine, we even take paper checks. Just send it to The American Bystander 1122 Sixth St. Ste 403 Santa Monica, CA 90409-5135. Please write your email on the Memo line, so we can confirm receipt.
How do I contact customer service?
Our help desk is open from Monday through Friday 9am to 5pm EST. For fastest service please provide your details here and someone will get back to you soon.
You can also email the friendly folks at our help desk at help@americanbystander.org or call our offices at (347) 952-7996. Please note that we are a small team dedicated to giving each person we interact with our undivided attention so in most cases you will hear back from us within one business day.
Can I subscribe to The American Bystander if I live outside the United States?
Certainly! Subscribing to The American Bystander is possible from various countries, although it will take longer to receive the print issues via mail. For any assistance, please email the friendly folks at our help desk: help@americanbystander.org
How do I make changes to my account with The American Bystander?
You can make most changes to your account—updating your mailing address, billing information, and the like—by accessing the customer portal you received access to when you first purchased your subscription. If you need any additional assistance, please don't hesitate to contact our help desk at help@americanbystander.org.
What is the cancellation policy?
If you need to cancel your subscription, you can do so by logging into the customer portal. If you need assistance accessing your account, please email our help desk at help@americanbystander.org. Cancellations are valid until the next quarterly billing cycle. If you would like to cancel your subscription before the next billing cycle, please do so at least 48 hours in advance to ensure you are not charged for the upcoming issue.
How do I advertise in The American Bystander?
For questions about purchasing ad space, please contact commercialquestions@americanbystander.org. We do not run sponsored content, but we will consider product placement if your item is a fit with our audience.
How do I contact The American Bystander's public relations department?
For media inquiries, please reach out to our Public Relations team at communications@americanbystander.org.
Where can I access the media kit?
Please reach out to communications@americanbystander.org; we'll send a media kit right away.
How do I submit a letter to the editor?
You may submit your letter to the editor at comments@americanbystander.org. We’d love to hear from you! We assume all Letters to the Editor can be considered for publication, unless clearly marked otherwise.
How do I submit work?
We are not currently accepting outside submissions, but this may change at any time. We will announce any open submission periods via our mailing list.
We hope this (very straight-faced) FAQ has been helpful; should you have any other questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Thank you for reading The American Bystander comedy magazine!