FAQs
Q: How many superheroes are in the League of Extraordinary Penpals?
A: Exactly 539 as of December 2024. 531 of them are in the member database with their address and interests, and 450 are in the Facebook group.
Q: What if I'm not into superheroes?
A: That's OK, you can be a princess or a gnome instead. No biggie! We're open to different creatures and characters… Doctor Who, Harry Potter, Star Trek and Star Wars fans are also welcome!
The most important thing to know is that we don't discriminate. Geeks, nerds, artists, weirdos, hipsters, MILFs, who cares how you label yourself! You're welcome in the League of Extraordinary Penpals, as long as you have the ability to write a letter.
Q: How old do I need to be to join the League of Extraordinary Penpals?
A: The League of Extraordinary Penpals is a penpal club for adults only. Please be 18 and older if you join. We don’t want anyone’s parents being mad at us for talking about adult things.
Beyond that, we have members representing every season of life. We don't care that much about age anyway. Meeting people from all walks of life is fun. That's why we're into letter writing, isn't it?
Q: Who are members of the League of Extraordinary Penpals and where are they from?
A: Mostly women, but some men too, and some gender-neutral folks, coming from all parts of the world. We have members in Canada, the USA, Australia, the UK, Germany, the Netherlands, France, Greece, Norway, Belgium, Finland, Sweden, Spain, Austria, Italy, New Zealand, South Africa…
Q: Why do you ask for a subscription fee?
A: We're sharing our deepest fears and struggles and joys and accomplishments with each other via letter writing and in the Facebook group, and we want to ensure that the people who become members are here for the right reasons.
There's a lot of work involved to create content and a friendly environment, so the small membership fee is well worth the benefits according to most superheroes! A paying service makes it safer to keep this community between trusted people.
Q: When did the League of Extraordinary Penpals start and who started it?
A: The League of Extraordinary Penpals officially came to life in January 2013, with the first issue of the newsletter coming out on February 1st, 2013. It was the brainchild of Julie, a French Canadian woman who started penpalling when she was 9 years old, and who has dedicated her whole life to letter writing. (Check out her beautifully designed stationery for sale at La Papierre and on Etsy.)
Q: What happens in the Facebook group?
A: We chat about letters and stationery, We post pictures of our incoming and outgoing mail. We keep each other informed about mail related projects. We do all sorts of random acts of kindness. We post pictures of our cats and dogs & random baby animals. We tell jokes and sob stories. We discuss deep as well as silly issues. We make friends and penpals and sometimes we even meet kindred spirits.
Q: Do I have to join the Facebook group in order to be a member?
A: Not at all. You can still read the newsletter and participate in all the other activities (swaps & giveaways) without being a part of the Facebook group.
Q: Can I keep my home address private?
A: It is up to you when and how you share your address, and the member database has a private feature so that you can choose if/when to share it with other members.
Q: Do I have to write letters only in English?
A: Not at all. Though all of our members are English-speaking, you may find someone in the League of Extraordinary Penpals database who speaks another language in common with you. Feel free to make a connection with them.
Q: When does the newsletter come out?
A: Every issue of the League of Extraordinary Penpals Monthly Newsletter comes out on the first of each month to our members’ inboxes. However, not all members are in the same time zone, so if you're in Australia or New Zealand or Kiribati, you might get your email on the second day of the month. Sorry!
Q: What if I have a question that's not addressed in the FAQ?
A: Then email league@extraordinarypenpals.com and we'll be happy to help you out!
Q: I'm ready to join! What do I do now?
A: Awesome! Go here to become a member. Cheers!