Q&A for How to Survive a Paper Round in the U.K

Some places you just leave them outside. But if you live in the UK you know how bad the weather is, so you have to post it through the letter box. If they don't have one, knock on the door.

It depends on the newspaper company, as some companies don't allow you to do the papers after a certain time. Check with the company you'd like to work for.

You just post it through the letter box, and it's the shop that gives you the money - but if someone in the house sees you, they might come out and give you a tip if you seem polite and nice.

You can sign up for a paper round online. You can also go to your local newspaper's office and ask them if they have a job open. If they don't, give them your details and ask them to contact you if a position opens up.

You have to be a minimum of 13 by law. You should also be able to prove you are a legal citizen.

Not necessarily. It depends on where the houses are. If they are all really close, then there is no point but if they are further apart, then it might be useful but you don't need to be able to ride a bike.

Generally, if you deliver a local paper then you have to collect it but if you deliver national ones (The Sun, The Mirror, The Times, etc.) then they deliver to you because it is a lot of papers.

Try going to the websites of the newspapers in your area to see if they have job openings.

For just a weekend paper round, i.e., one Sunday morning (or similar), probably within £2-3 of £10.

Tell a member of staff (preferably the manager) that he/she will need to hire a new paper boy/girl, as you are quitting. Say that you'll work the rest of the week or until he/she finds another applicant.

It depends on who you work and deliver for. It's up to the company to decide.

When you get the job, they will give you a route to follow.

It depends on how close the streets are. Maybe time yourself on your bike, then try walking your route to see which is the quickest.

It depends on the shop, but usually around five or six PM.

Yes, they are still very prevalent. There are fewer paper rounds available as there were 5 years ago, but many convenience stores still offer them. Working weekends (Sat/Sun) you can expect between £5 and £10 and working weekdays (Mon/Fri or Sat) you can expect between £10 and £20, depending on paper count and how generous your boss is. Generally you can deliver between 40-80 papers an hour, depending on the route. Count your hours per week and divide by your pay to work out your hourly wage. If it is below £2, you are being ripped off.

Not usually, as it requires little to no experience. However, if they do ask for an interview, take it, and tell them how determined and hard-working you are.

Tell the people who have employed you that you won't be available on the dates you are on holiday and they can find someone to cover for you. They always have a list of people waiting to do a paper round.

You can, but typically you're given a neon-yellow or orange bag designed to carry papers. Using that makes it easy.

They usually pay weekly. Recently a shop was paying about £20 a week.